Monday, June 04, 2007

Opening the proverbial can of worms

In a case of tit for tat (sorry couldn't resist), a Montreal gay man is now launching a Human Rights complaint against Curves, following the complaint of a 20 year old woman filing against a gay bar for humiliation when they refused to serve her due to lack of male genitalia.

I've always wondered how women-only clubs can prevent men from joining. When I called and asked one recently, they told me it was largely due to the Muslim women who can not be seen by males without their appropriate coverings.

And so the battle of the minorities continues.


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Update: Rootleweb - Making Mischief.

17 comments:

OMMAG said...

Who ALWAYS pays?

The only right thing to do is to allow private business owners the right to have who they want as members, serve who they want as customers and otherwise run their business as they see fit!

Brian in Calgary said...

I wonder how those of our Liberal and NDP friends who've heard about these complaints feel about them. Their minds must really be torn in two. Got to feel sorry for them.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Yes, where our our Liberal and NDP friends on this one? I'd love to hear what they have to say.

Anonymous said...

I'd love to hear what they have to say.

I think you’ve banned them and told them to go away.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I didn't ban anyone. And I only asked (not told) RT to go away.

Just because I was sick of the nit-picking. But if he's reading this and wants to weigh in, I won't delete the comment. Promise. (Unless it's got some nasty 4-letter words.)

valiantmauz said...

"When I called and asked one recently, they told me it was largely due to the Muslim women who can not be seen by males without their appropriate coverings."

Eye-roll. Womens' gyms, Curves in particular, cater to women specifically because it makes their clientèle more comfortable to be in an all-women environment, hence larger, hence more profitable.

Curves' business deliberately targets the rotund client who is never going to go to a hard-body gym where everyone and their dog has a six-pack, but will go to a gym where there are lots of other roly-poly runners to make her feel better about herself.

Which is all to the good, if you ask me. Taking care of yourself is something everybody should aspire to, and shouldn't be unique to the young and svelte (Lest anyone think I am making fun, rotund and roly-poly describe me pretty well).

As for the twit waiter who booted Ms. Vachon: what a maroon. If he really wanted her out of there so bad, he should have waited on them in a pair of peekaboo chaps and a g-string. And took their order, without comment.

There are ways of creating an ambiance in a public restaurant that attracts the clients you want, and discourages those you don't.

Curves does that with their business, knowing full well that, if pushed even a little, they'll have to grant memberships to men. Of course, most men won't bother to try, just as most straight people won't bother attending a bar called Le Stud that plays gay porn instead of hockey games.

They both do everything within the bounds of the law to encourage the "right" customers, but neither should have the right to flat-out deny service to someone who doesn't fit their ideal.

I think a private members club has slightly more leeway on extending memberships than a restaurant open to public walk-ins, though. A better comparison would be a women's gym that didn't have memberships, but a pay-per-service model instead.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

A better comparison would be a women's gym that didn't have memberships, but a pay-per-service model instead.

How about a public washroom?

Anonymous said...

Yes, where our our Liberal and NDP friends on this one? I'd love to hear what they have to say.

Ask and ye shall receive.

Basically, both business operate the way they do for the comfort and safety of their customers.

"Curves" was created so women could work out without being leered at and hit on by men. It serves a purpose to a certain group of people.

The gay bar also operates on the same premise. A gay friend of mine was beaten pretty badly at a "straignt" bar last year. There are lots of people (usually 20-something males) who are homophobic bigots. Add alcohol to the mix and they occasionally turn violent. Gay bars operate so gay men have a place to go to have fun where everyone else is like them. Jump on that last line if you want, but its true. When your gay, there are very few places where you can really feel comfortable.

Both places should have been left alone. The girl who sued the gay club shouldn't have done so and the guy who sued "Curves" shouldn't have done so either. Both lawsuits are pointless.

Just leave things the way they are. Both business are operating for a specific purpose.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Ask and ye shall receive.

Ah, if only all my wishes could be granted so easily.

OMMAG said...

"Both places should have been left alone. The girl who sued the gay club shouldn't have done so and the guy who sued "Curves" shouldn't have done so either. Both lawsuits are pointless."

And as such should have been denied without any further ado!! But No Can DO because of the way Human Rights Complaints work! And because of the legacy of stupidity in precedents. All courtesy of Liberal court ruling past!

Chickens come home to roost.

Anonymous said...

Blame it on the Liberals. There you go. Answer to everything.

Anonymous said...

Why would a young woman who wants to have a beer with her father choose a gay bar, when there are a number of other options open to her in the immediate vicinity?

I believe this, as so many other cases these days, seems to be another controversy created for media consumption.

As far as the bar in question is concerned - Le Stud - I heard a bar owner discuss the matter on a local talk show. This bar owner has a few businesses in the Gay Village. According to him, that bar is a "cruising" bar, where the clientele comes for a quick meet & whatever ensues. That is why they discourage female presence.

Both individuals - the young woman taking the case to the Human Rights Commission AND the young gay person asking admission to Curves - should find other more constructive use of their time.

Anonymous said...

'Kids eat free', 'Seniors discount' - age based discrimination should be against the law too!

The government should be closing down all these businesses - especially if they also discriminate on the basis of sex by forcing males and females to use different rooms to void waste.

Ban, close, charge, sue or bulldoze any place that doesn't comply, we can't be too righteous.

Brian in Calgary said...

Blame it on the Liberals. There you go. Answer to everything.

Not everything, Mr/Ms Anonymous @ 07:48:00 PM EDT. But in this case, if the shoe fits, well, you know how the rest of the saying goes.

Anonymous said...

Lefties are creating a sick society. These human rights claims are just a smokescreen for thier hidden agenda.

Anonymous said...

Lefties are creating a sick society. These human rights claims are just a smokescreen for thier hidden agenda.
And what is your hidden agenda, anon 9:20?
Do you have a final solution to this lefty problem?

Joanne (True Blue) said...

I'd be interested in hearing about the hidden agenda too.

Mostly I'm just ticked off that taxpayers' dollars fund this garbage.