Sign this petition to allow girls in robotics! (at Timmins Public library)!

[Daniel_LaFleur]

I'm going to take this one line at a time.

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

There's a big difference between hosting a targeted event and discrimination.

I disagree. A targeted event by it's very nature is discriminatory

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

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?

Yes.

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

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?.

There's no difference. Both the women's and Men's league discriminate as to whom they allow to play.

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

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?

Again, yes it is discriminatory.

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

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?

Anytime you exclude a group, you are discriminating.

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

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.

That's like stating that it's OK for girls to be in high school but not take advanced calculus.

When someone is not allowed to do what another is allowed to do, due to a trait, then it is discrimination.

Now, that being said, we discriminate all the time, and many times for good reason. Not allowing someone to run a mill because they have not been trained to run it safely is a good reason to discriminate. To not allow a person to run a mill because she is female is NOT a good reason.

Truthfully, I believe that the library saw a statistic (boys literacy drops during summer vacation) and tried to address that without looking at the bigger picture and is discriminatory nature.

JM(NS)HO