I don’t think you should do it. There must be some other way you can get exercise on your lunch hour. Let the women have their space. Not on moral principle, but just to be nice.
That said, when I was in a wheelchair for an extendedperiod after leg surgery, the wicked side of me did want to go into Hooters and apply for a job, just for laughs. (I do have hooters, after all; how could they, in good conscience, say no? And that business about the chain being names for owls was just ridiculous.)
Actually, Spiff, what you ought to do is try and get a job there. Unless it involves a bona fide occupational qualification, employment discrimination based on sex is illegal in both Canada and the U.S., I believe. I do not believe “Our clients wouldn’t like it.” is bona fide occupational qualification. It certainly cuts no ice with respect to racial discrimination.
Now here’s a debate. Are you “catering” or “pandering?” There are some basic tenets that western liberal democracy holds dear. Equality is one of them. If a society decides that that means sexual segregation ought to be prohibited along with racial segregation, perhaps those with incompatible cultural or religious beliefs ought to find a new society to live in. Western liberal democracies ought to strive to be as inclusive and as tolerant as possible. Nonetheless, there are limits.
To use a slightly OT example, suppose my religion teaches that gays are evil sinners. I am certainly free to think this and even to argue this. However, if I live in a society that prohibits discrimination based on sexual preference, I am still not allowed to discriminate against gays in my dealings with society at large. I cannot, for example, start the “God Hates Fags” health club chain so that like-minded straights can work out in a comfortable, non-threatening environment.
If you’re an immigrant and you come from a culture that insists on strict segregation of the sexes, you have a stark choice. You can either adapt your lifestyle to Western liberal norms or you can find another society in which to live. When I say a stark choice, I mean exactly that. There are lots of reasons why people seek to immigrate to the West. Some people are attracted to western social values. Others are fleeing persecution. Many come seeking a better way of life for themselves and their families. All ought to be welcome. However, if someone says, “I want to come to your country because it is safer than mine/I can make big bucks/it has nicer weather, etc. but I reject the basic tenets of your society,” how should we react?
I suppose that is one group of users, but [gross stereotype] I would think that most women who cannot use mixed facilities because of religious or cultural beliefs are also part of cultures in which athletic/ exercise activity by women is not actively encouraged [/gross stereotype].
My health club in downtown Chicago has a separate “women’s only” workout room with some weight machines and cardio equipment. Women are not barred from the rest of the gym (except the men’s locker room, naturally), but the separate room is supposed to give them a more secluded space to work out free from guys and the macho posturing that some guys tend to engage in around women in the gym environment.
truth seeker, you said that the women i referred to were women who have come to the US.
i said no such thing.
actually, i was thinking about the wives of Bob Jones University students.
really.
they are required to attend women only excercise classes and gym sessions.
or their husbands risk expulsion.
i thought “curves” would be perfect for the homegrown christian fundies too…
in other words, i make a point, giving a reason other than the one astro posed, for the existence of these gyms, and you turn it into a rant against immigrants not wanting to accept american culture l,s&b.
Hell, sounds like "Curves"is practicing discrimination against men! We can’t have that! Who wants to be my lawyer? I bet this is worth a few million bucks!
Where’s “DEWY CHEATEM & HOWE” when you need them?
I wouldn’t suggest it. Odds are that most of the excercize options there will be geared towards women. You’ll probably get it–they’re not going to want to make a stink over you–but it won’t be all that enjoyable.
As an aside…a lot of women go to all-female exercize clubs simply to avoid the (perhaps wholly perceived) problem of males gawking at them. You might end up making those women feel extremely uncomfortable.
However, if you’ve got your heart set on Curves…::shrug::
Hmmm…But would you extend this to for instance, hammans? Would you forbid them to segregate people on the basis of their sex?
**
Good question. Probably not. However, to quote Emerson, a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, so I’m not too concerned.
We could debate the nuances of where to draw the line in any particular case. Is sexual segregation OK in public restrooms. Sure. Is it OK in education? Probably not. Is OK in the workplace? Definitely not.
My inent, however, was to highlight a more fundamental philosophical point. Multiculturalism in western liberal democracy is a good thing. But it doesn’t – indeed it can’t – mean that different cultural groups are necessarily free to create hermetically-sealed enclaves where they can carry on unmolested by the rest of society.
Multiculturalism is a misnomer. It doesn’t mean that a society contains many different cultures, it means that a society has one culture with many different facets. For multiculturalism to work at all, therefore, there must be agreement on the basic tenets of society.
Racism is a good example. Racism and multiculturalism are obviously incompatible. Therefore, a multicultural society must insist that its members abandon racial discrimination. In other words, I couldn’t care less whether your religion teaches that blacks are the spawn of Satan, the restaurant you own is going to serve blacks and it’s going to hire blacks. Yes, the state is forcing you to choose between living in this society, owning a restaurant and your religion. Tough.
In California, you would likely be able to force your acceptance through court action, citing the state’s very aggressive anti-discrimination in business statute (the Unruh Act, found roughly at Section 51 of the Civil Code if I haven’t totally forgotten in the years since I last looked, and, no, I’m not bothering to look it up now). California’s courts interpret this very liberally on purpose. Note that they have prevented bars from having “Ladies’ Nights”, and precluded a private country club from discriminating against a woman on the basis that the club had a pro shop and a dining room that was used by the public (if Augusta National was located in California, the Masters thing would be slam dunk).
Other states, however, take less liberal approaches. And given that the OP lives in Canada (I guess; I’m not sure what “Canadia” is), I can’t even guess what the state of anti-discrimination by business/club law is north of that part of the North American continent reasonably considered habitable. 
It does beg the question, though. Why is there not a club entitled “Ridges for Men”?
“Angles for Men”?
“Lines for Men”?
Thinking geometry here (al but the ridges thing), but go ahead and read into it. Could make for amusing conversation.
When I checked into our local Curves, one of the people doing the tours was male; since I highly doubt that it was because my geographic location is progressive, I think that Curves does not have an employment policy against hiring men if they are qualified as a trainer or PR person.
Also, this, posted by Spiff:
Isn’t exactly true. It’s part of it, but their raison d’etre is also because they’ve designed a workout routine specifically catering to the “target areas” women are most concerned about. So instead of having to participate in a mixed-gender class, women can get the entire workout they need in a short period of time. Or at least that’s what their PR person told me.
That said, I wouldn’t recommend trying to get a membership for the simple reason that it’s not the best setup. Kaiju described it well; for a total beginner, or someone with muscle problems like I have, the intensity and speed of the workout is simply not a viable option. How about walking to and from the facility every day at lunch and considering that your exercise?
-BK
I have also heard that the machines they use are proportioned more correctly for more women than traditional machines are. Shorter somethings, different ratios between certain body parts (ok, I wasn’t paying very close attention - but according to them, even after adjusting, traditional machines are wrong for a lot of women, these fix that problem.)
DSYoungEsq, “Canadia” is a joke. I actually live in the States, although so close to Canada that no one here gets in a hissy fit if they get a Canadian coin or two in their change.
Let them have their women only gym. Alot of women are very nervous about their appearance and can take comfort that they can exercise without the problem of looking bad infront of a man, or enjoy some time where they can excercise and aren’t in danger of getting hit on by some sweaty lothario.
I live in California (the Bay Area) and there’s a women-only fitness club only a few blocks from my house.
Ed
Pardon the hijack, but what is a ‘hamman’? Can’t find it in dictionaries & web searches call up the surname. I’m guessing it might be some ethnic/social group?
A turkish bath.
Even better: You could dress up as a woman and lie on your application; that way, if you got in, you could sell the story! Instant Movie of the Week! You’d be famous!
“CANNOT” is incorrect. “CHOOSE to NOT” is correct. Except maybe in some Islamic nations where this could be illegal.;j
No, you should not join.
And I question your motives for wanting to join a womens group.
Womens only organizations, clubs, etc, are women only for specific legitimate reasons.
Most of the equipment and excercize options there ARE geared towards women, and our own curves.
Why do you want to join? do you want better thighs, a better bottom, and better firmer looking breasts?
Our society says that there is something very unmanly about any male that wants to join any womens group/activity, or to do anything feminine. There are very strict limits and social mores on what males in our society are permitted to do, or join, or what clothes or colors(pink and purple) males can wear, etc.
Why do you think there is a such a big difference in how our society treats a female who is a tomboy, and male who is a sissy boy?
Affirmative action, equal rights laws, equal opportunity laws, anti-discrimination laws, etc. were not designed, nor intended by anyone, to allow white males do more.