# Gender discrimination: What endeavors are closed to men? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 27, 2014, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725 "2014-11-27T00:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/121 "2015-04-06T19:59:41Z")
That is true of _any_ set of actionable facts. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/122 "2015-04-06T21:29:56Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > How easy is it, in general, for men to become primary school teachers? I used to know a guy in college (here in the US) who was in, or at least considering applying for, a teacher preparation program here. He had mentioned that US programs often actually give men [an advantage](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action) in the process of applying and that he was hoping to take advantage of that. > > For those who have experienced teacher preparation programs (in any jurisdiction), is that actually true in a meaningful sense? E.g. will they take men with lower test scores, etc. as long as they pass the background check? E.g. “He almost failed the teacher exams, his GPA is marginal at best, but he doesn’t have any sexual convictions. Bring him on!” Here’s a recent thread on job availability for teachers. [Job market for teachers? - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=751061) . See my post #13 & subsequent. IMO/IME it’s not easy for men to get those jobs; in fact it borders on impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Jesta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Jesta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesta)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/123 "2015-04-07T08:21:15Z")
Apparently a male can’t be a women’s officer either, from a local newspaper today… “AN online petition calling on a male women’s officer at the University of Tasmania to resign or be disqualified has gathered more than 800 names.” [http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/petition-wants-male-uni-student-removed-from-elected-role-as-womens-officer/story-fnj4f7k1-1227294363861](http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/petition-wants-male-uni-student-removed-from-elected-role-as-womens-officer/story-fnj4f7k1-1227294363861) ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/124 "2015-04-07T10:42:38Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > First Dude. First Not the Booze-swilling Lech That he Appeared to be, But Later On and Given the Chance He Was Up Her Skirt Like a Rat Up a Drainpipe. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/125 "2015-04-07T12:03:39Z")
First Lad in other words. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/126 "2015-04-07T12:12:16Z")
First Bubba. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2015, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/127 "2015-04-07T17:20:50Z")
I had a male teacher for 2nd grade, and I thought he was awesome. My daughter is in 1st Grade right now, and has a male teacher. He is also awesome. She loves being in his class, we enjoy our discussions with him, and he seems to focus on all the right stuff. The thought of ‘oh no he’s a guy’ has honestly never crossed my mind in the way that some of the posts here are saying is common. That’s so sad. I understand, though. I’m a guy who loves spending time with my own kids and have always been good with small children (playing with my cousins when they were young, and now when we’re at a friend’s house, I’ll get down and play with my daughter and son and their kids, and we all have a great time, whether it’s building legos, pretending to fight dragons, or what have you. In public, if I see a kid doing something fun or cute, I’ll smile because it’s fun and cute, but I am aware that publicly displaying said ‘kid-friendliness’ gets odd glances, and it’s quite sad that being friendly is often seen as sinister nowadays. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/128 "2015-06-25T22:07:55Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > This is a case where it’s hard to tell. It’s entirely plausible that something happened with him specifically, that went legally unreported, that everyone knows about but doesn’t talk about. It’s also entirely plausible that through some stupid game of telephone everyone condemned him based on vague hearsay and paranoia. > > It would be easier to tell if there was another elementary male teacher and whether everyone is avoiding **him** or not. And here we go. The school has hired another 4th grade male teacher. Classroom assignments were announced today at 9am. At 3pm an email was sent reiterating that no classroom assignment changes would be entertained under any circumstances. Our daughter was assigned to the new male teacher’s classroom. My wife has already announced that she’s going back to work, if that is what it takes to afford private school. I’m trying to talk her out of it, but the mom-o-sphere has exploded. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/129 "2015-06-25T23:07:19Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > And here we go. The school has hired another 4th grade male teacher. Classroom assignments were announced today at 9am. At 3pm an email was sent reiterating that no classroom assignment changes would be entertained under any circumstances. > > Our daughter was assigned to the new male teacher’s classroom. My wife has already announced that she’s going back to work, if that is what it takes to afford private school. I’m trying to talk her out of it, but the mom-o-sphere has exploded. Ugh. Meanwhile, my daughter just finished fourth grade, where the \*entire \*class advanced at least a grade level and a half in math and two grade levels in reading/writing, and the students stood in a group hug out on the playground on the last day of school crying real tears and begging Mr. \_\_\_\_ to teach fifth grade next year because he’s “the best teacher we’ve ever had!” ☹ I’m sorry your community is full of asshats. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/130 "2015-06-25T23:23:53Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > And here we go. The school has hired another 4th grade male teacher. Classroom assignments were announced today at 9am. At 3pm an email was sent reiterating that no classroom assignment changes would be entertained under any circumstances. > > Our daughter was assigned to the new male teacher’s classroom. My wife has already announced that she’s going back to work, if that is what it takes to afford private school. I’m trying to talk her out of it, but the mom-o-sphere has exploded. I almost hate to ask this, but have you tried pointing out that she’s committing bigotry? Or, if she’s one of those misandrist feminists who is okay with that, she’s falling for gender roles set up by the patriarchy–the ones that men are “dangerous” and women are “safe”? Or that she’s giving men’s rights activists legitimacy? Or that she herself is adhering to gender roles of allowing logic to be overridden with emotion? It boggles my mind that anyone who calls themselves a feminist could in any way support sexual discrimination. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/131 "2015-06-25T23:51:31Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > And here we go. The school has hired another 4th grade male teacher. Classroom assignments were announced today at 9am. At 3pm an email was sent reiterating that no classroom assignment changes would be entertained under any circumstances. > > Our daughter was assigned to the new male teacher’s classroom. My wife has already announced that she’s going back to work, if that is what it takes to afford private school. I’m trying to talk her out of it, but the mom-o-sphere has exploded. That is both sad and unjust. If I were in your place, I would firmly put my foot down over this nonsense your wife is advocating. You are your daughter’s parent too and re-arranging your whole family’s life just to avoid male teachers is both bigoted and unreasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/132 "2015-06-26T09:09:41Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > Ugh. Meanwhile, my daughter just finished fourth grade, where the \*entire \*class advanced at least a grade level and a half in math and two grade levels in reading/writing, and the students stood in a group hug out on the playground on the last day of school crying real tears and begging Mr. \_\_\_\_ to teach fifth grade next year because he’s “the best teacher we’ve ever had!” ☹ > > I’m sorry your community is full of asshats. It’s just crazy isn’t it? Out of the various - not numerous, but a steady trickle - male primary teachers and childcare workers my kids have had over the years, I can’t think of one who wasn’t excellent. 'Cause, you know, any man who’s going to go into the field is doing it because he’s really passionate about it. Any bloke walks up to a sandpit-full of three-year-olds, my experience is that he’ll be absolutely mobbed. And not just by the little boys. They’re absolutely hungry for male input - because guys do play differently and do things differently than women, and kids sense that. It’s so sad that we’re missing out on that just because society is crazy-paranoid. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/133 "2015-06-26T10:30:44Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > And here we go. The school has hired another 4th grade male teacher. Classroom assignments were announced today at 9am. At 3pm an email was sent reiterating that no classroom assignment changes would be entertained under any circumstances. > > Our daughter was assigned to the new male teacher’s classroom. My wife has already announced that she’s going back to work, if that is what it takes to afford private school. I’m trying to talk her out of it, but the mom-o-sphere has exploded. Would it be possible for you to start a new thread asking about this, and let your wife see it and the responses? Compose the thread OP with her there to make sure you give both sides. I know a few male primary school teachers and my daughter’s had a couple. There were a few at my school when I was little - it wasn’t unusual at all back then, strangely. They are rare now; obviously there’s no legal prohibition to them getting that job, but some of them find it difficult or encounter problems at work that female teachers don’t. One of my male primary school teacher friends heads a male primary school teacher help group; the same is not necessary for female primary school teachers. Weirdly secondary school (from age 11) is much more balanced. The kids are still kids, though, especially the younger ones. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/134 "2015-06-26T10:49:56Z")
My 3rd grade teacher was male. And this was way back in the 50s. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/135 "2015-06-26T11:12:28Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > _Or_ that society has decided that Men must be the breadwinners and men turn to crime to support their family. But of course, males _are_ sentenced more severely. And when men get angry and attack, they are much lore likely to do significant or deadly damage, and thus go to prison. What about the men who commit crimes that have nothing to do with supporting their families? I could be off base but I doubt a significant amount of men in prison are there solely because they took illegal actions to help their families. ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/136 "2015-06-26T12:52:24Z")
> [@JoshuaSD](#): > > Thank you! Riggs _hosed_ Margaret Court, though - then top female in the world. #andanotherthing ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/137 "2015-06-26T13:37:02Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > What about the men who commit crimes that have nothing to do with supporting their families? I could be off base but I doubt a significant amount of men in prison are there solely because they took illegal actions to help their families. Looking at it more broadly, society has decided that the value of men is based to a large degree on how successful they are in acquiring material things. This pressures men to take extreme measures to accomplish this, whether on behalf of their family or otherwise. Women don’t face similar social pressures in this area. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/138 "2015-06-26T13:52:59Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > There are a lot of male cheerleaders. > > There are also a lot of male exotic dancers. Absolutely true- but while there are male cheerleaders on most college sidelines, you can bet the Dallas Cowboys will never hire any male cheerleaders. And while there are male strippers/exotic dancers, they would never be hired at clubs that cater to hetero males. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/139 "2015-06-26T15:38:11Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Absolutely true- but while there are male cheerleaders on most college sidelines, you can bet the Dallas Cowboys will never hire any male cheerleaders. The Saints had male cheerleaders in the 80s (and maybe more recently), from my memory of attending games as a child. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725/140 "2015-06-26T17:11:48Z")
As far as most family court judges are concerned - single parent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gender-discrimination-what-endeavors-are-closed-to-men/705725.md?page=8)