Quote:
Originally Posted by cbale2000
Not that I would encourage this, but I'm pretty sure if the parents were to sue the library they would win easily. Assuming this is a public library, this is a clear case of gender discrimination by a government entity. A good lawyer would have a field day with a case like this.
Just saying.
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There's a big difference between hosting a targeted event and discrimination. Every year I play in a men's softball league during the summer. Is that gender discrimination, because the city hosting the league doesn't allow women into it? Is it somehow different if we look at their full offerings and see that, gosh, they also have co-ed and women's only legues?. What about all of those public schools that have separate girls/boys sports teams? Is it gender discrimination to not let a girl on the boys soccer team, or a boy on the girls swim team? Look at that libraries offerings - they offer a whole lot of stuff that isn't gendered. They have age ranges listed for many groups - is that age discrimination?
The key here, I think, is that the library isn't denying the girl the chance to visit, check out or read books, or join other groups. They just said no to joining this particular group. That doesn't make it discrimination.
All that said, this does appear, on the surface, as a case of fulfilling gender stereotypes, which is, unfortunately, something our society seems really good at doing all the time. We constantly push our stereotypical images, guiding different groups down different paths, which is something that we really should change, and something it would be great to see public places like the library try to tackle. This is an opportunity to educate the employees of that library, provide them with a shining example of non-stereotypical gender roles, and get them on our side. Not an opportunity to contemplate a lawsuit that really wouldn't have any winner.