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Aug 8, 2012

Taking Gender-Segregation Too Far


A couple of weeks ago it was reported on a news site that the Israel Museum has conducted tours that are gender-separate, separate tours for men and separate tours for women. The article was indicating that the museum, and other institutions, are giving in to extremists.

Now, there is a similar article about the City of David having conducted tours recently that were gender-separate. The article concludes that they have not yet received a response from City of David management about this issue.

I am not sure why this requires a response from anyone.

Men come as a group and want a tour, so they give it. Women come and want a tour, so they give it. nobody forced anybody else to split into groups of men and women. The article itself describes the groups under discussion as a group of Hassidim. Should the City of David management care what type of group comes for a tour? Should they refuse a request from a group of men for a tour and say "we only give tours to groups of men and women together"?

I do not understand the demand to mix groups of people who do not want to be mixed. People have taken the issue of gender-equality and the issue of hadarat nashimi too far. they are invading on people's personal liberty and on their right to choose their own lifestyle.

You want to sit separate on a bus, that's your problem. Don't force it on me or other people. Don't repress women on the bus or in other public (or even in private, really) areas, just because you want something done your way. That is an important fight. When it goes from that to telling people they can't live the way they want to live, on their own time without it affecting you, then it has gone too far.

The museum and the City of David don't have to respond, because nothing happened. they are not forcing groups into separate tours and opening their museums at gender-separate hours. they are giving tours to whomever wants, whether they are mixed groups or groups of men and groups of women. And there is nothing wrong with that.
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3 comments:

  1. Not sure you're giving us enough info.

    Like you said, if a group of men happen to come for a tour, and they happen to be the only ones there, fine. But if there were any other people involved then, not fine. For example, let's say there were a bunch of Chassidic men and a couple of couples. It would NOT be acceptable in any way for those couple to be forced separate.

    ReplyDelete
  2. People are afraid of the next step. It's one thing, for example, for Chareidim to charter private buses, put up a mechitzah and have separate seating but they went further and started doing it on Egged lines. People are genuinely afraid that this is the starting point and the next thing you know, all tours will be separate for fear of violent reprisals from those bastard Sikrikim. As a result they push back.

    ReplyDelete
  3. If a group books in advance for a private tour, then COD will accomodate their request for a male (or female) guide. If a group books to be part of the general tour, then they are joined by whoever else shows up. (Both scenarios happen quite regularly.)

    ReplyDelete

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