# Proposal to explicitly ban sexism from the game room **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [August 9, 2021, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338 "2021-08-09T21:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/101 "2021-08-12T17:59:55Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > It would be even more striking compared to the max men’s salary, no? MLS max salary is complicated as well. MLS has 3 “designated players” which don’t count against the salary cap. So their max is theoretically unlimited. Right now Carlos Vela has the highest salary at $6.3mil a season for LAFC. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2021, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/102 "2021-08-12T20:26:19Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > What I’m trying to figure out is whether you really think the term “athletic” is only used when describing people competing directly against each other, Sometimes. Depends on the discussion at hand. In comparing the relative enjoyment of watching NBA and WNBA basketball, it seems clear that “Athleticism” is best defined as being how good those people are at **playing basketball,** and observed that NBA players are much more athletic than WNBA players, in that sense, is not an offensive statement. In other contexts, that definition would not make any sense to use, and claiming women are unathletic might be an incredibly offensive statement. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/103 "2021-08-13T16:06:04Z")
It kinda does. I mean not explicitly. And what would this entail? “I really like woman’s beach volleyball”= banning. “Should there be female players in the NFL?”= banning. > [@RickJay](#): > > “One league has less athleticism than the other” in discussing the NBA and WNBA is a very uncontroversial statement, and I don’t see why it’s insulting to anyone. Men are stronger and faster than women. That’s why there’s a WNBA. Hell, WNBA players will tell you that. It doesn’t make women people of lesser intrinsic value. True, and that is not _misogynistic_ in the slightest. But it could be considered _sexism_, under some definitions. The proposal here is to ban _sexism_ not misogyny . Using that topic banned poster as an example of the sort of thing we need to ban is a false example. He was practicing _misogyny._ **Can the Op show the kind of posts he’d want banned? Posts that are just simply sexist, not misogynistic?** > [@MrDibble](#): > > The Pit isn’t going anywhere, way more people want it than don’t. Let it go. That is not true. I agree that that is a issue unrelated to the OP, but no need to add a untrue statement. > [@DemonTree](#): > > These sorts of bans are pushed on the pretext of eliminating hate, or vileness, or other vaguely defined notions. Usually they end up banning open discussion and enforcing one ideological viewpoint (which for many of the people pushing them, is in fact the desired outcome). Indeed, that is exactly the desired outcome. Now, when you don’t agree with a posters viewpoint, you can get it moderated for all sorts of “violations”- racism, sexism, etc. > [@Velocity](#): > > But this thread goes to show how difficult it is to ban sexism (or other -isms). It sounds great in theory but runs into trouble in practice. You have one side thinking Statement XYZ is sexist and one side thinking that Statement XYZ is just a statement of common-sense scientific reality. Exactly. It is hard enough to define and show **misogyny** , but then expanding that to sexism would turn an entire forum to a minefield. I mean even saying you are _a big fan of men’s professional hockey_ can be reported for sexism- and will be so reported if you are disagreeing with any of a certain crowd here that want to control what everyone says with no room for disagreement. And that crowd just wants another reason to report posters they don’t agree with. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/104 "2021-08-13T17:16:44Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > That is not true. [Yes, it is.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-should-the-pit-be-changed-if-at-all/946859) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/105 "2021-08-13T17:58:47Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But it could be considered _sexism_ , under some definitions. > > The proposal here is to ban _sexism_ not misogyny When people say “Sexism,” they rarely mean, or intend to mean, simply “observing a distinction between the sexes.” They almost invariably mean a distinction between the sexes that is bigoted or unfair. It’s like when people say “discrimination is wrong.” Clearly, such people do not mean ANY form of discrimination, since “Discriminate” can literally just mean “to observe or apply a distinction between choices.” What they pretty obviously are referring to is discrimination that is unfairly applied based on a person’s intrinsic traits or a legally prohibited basis. When someone says “I think we should ban sexism here” I think they almost certainly mean actual bigotry. The fact people are actually saying that suggesting NBA players might be better at basketball than WNBA players is just a bit of overenthusiasm, or so I’m hoping. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/106 "2021-08-13T17:58:54Z")
**Moderator Note** > [@MrDibble](#): > > The Pit isn’t going anywhere, way more people want it than don’t. Let it go. > [@DrDeth](#): > > That is not true. > [@MrDibble](#): > > Yes, it is We’re discussing the Game Room in this thread, not the Pit. Any further discussions about the Pit in this thread will result in warnings. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/107 "2021-08-13T18:00:38Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I mean even saying you are _a big fan of men’s professional hockey_ can be reported for sexism I doubt this would, but a statement like “I’m a big fan of men’s pro hockey, but not women’s”…might. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/108 "2021-08-13T18:05:37Z")
Yours is a somewhat clearer example, but still, I don’t see that as sexism. Sexism is rather hard to define and mod. Even Misogyny, which is much more obvious is hard to always define. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2021, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/109 "2021-08-13T23:16:25Z")
IMHO the statement has to be general (all/most) and be dismissive or otherwise clearly negative about all or most female athletes. Your statement was about your own preferences, it isn’t dismissive about woman’s hockey. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2021, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338/110 "2021-08-16T14:44:02Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Using that topic banned poster as an example of the sort of thing we need to ban is a false example. He was practicing _misogyny._ Obviously I disagree. I wrote so much in the linked topic. ~Max [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proposal-to-explicitly-ban-sexism-from-the-game-room/948338.md?page=5)