# A new twist on "Women only" health clubs **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 21, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-twist-on-women-only-health-clubs/149975 "2003-01-21T14:25:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-twist-on-women-only-health-clubs/149975/21 "2003-01-22T18:16:20Z")
Posters have presented several conceivable justifications for women-only hours at the gym. However, it would be helpful if we knew that the university’s reason or reasons were. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-twist-on-women-only-health-clubs/149975/22 "2003-01-22T18:23:28Z")
december, the only explanation offered was in the circulated E-mail Mrs. RickJay received, which I quote: > [@](#): > > We are featuring “Women’s Only Hours” at the Davis Athletics. During these times, the gym, cardio room and weight room will be available to women only. This is a great opportunity for women who want to work out or get fit and have the gym to themselves. **even sven,** I think most people will agree with you that it might be comfortable for many women to work out without men around. I can certainly understand that. However, since this is a public institution and men are paying for it (in fact, most are forced to - students cannot opt out of this fee) the policy is sexually discriminatory, is it not? Do you feel sexual discrimination is sometimes okay for the sake of comfort? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-twist-on-women-only-health-clubs/149975/23 "2003-01-22T19:48:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by even sven \* > \*\*How happy would you be if your gym suddenly started turned into a gay gym? Would you be just as comfortable as you were before? Or would you be a bit uncomforable with guys checking you out while you are trying to work out? > > I bet the answer is that it would be pretty uncomfortable- even if you have no problems with gay people per say. The term “gay gym” has a lot of connotations of sexuality and showing-off that you probably don’t want to deal with. > > /B] So, Sven, seeing how sympathetic you are to the plight of uncomfortable straight males, I’m SURE you support the right of gymnasiums to set aside certain hours when gay men aren’t allowed to work out. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Riboflavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Riboflavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riboflavin)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-twist-on-women-only-health-clubs/149975/24 "2003-01-22T20:34:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by even sven \* > I bet the answer is that it would be pretty uncomfortable- even if you have no problems with gay people per say. The term “gay gym” has a lot of connotations of sexuality and showing-off that you probably don’t want to deal with. > [snip] > I really don’t think reasonable women-only hours are too much to ask. So, are you saying you don’t think reasonable straight-only hours are too much to ask also? ---
**Author:** ![little\_bit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-twist-on-women-only-health-clubs/149975/25 "2003-01-22T21:07:36Z")
I’m not sure what the school’s intermural schedule is like, but my college set aside “women’s only hours” in order to balance out the more heavily male-oriented intermural schedule. It reminded me a lot of the political “equal air-time” policies. Not having equal amounts of access to facilities could have lost the school some of it’s government funding. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-twist-on-women-only-health-clubs/149975.md?page=1)