Hi Amy:

I am wondering what your opinion is about sex discrimination with regards to sports and other organizations. The WNBA, LPGA, women's colleges, girls' soccer and softball leagues, women's gyms and other clubs and organizations all discriminate against men, but feminist leadership seems to accept this form of sex discrimination as legitimate. However, if it's a men's college (some, like many women's colleges, receive taxpayer funding) or an all-male sports league (though none discriminate on the basis of sex as far as I know), feminists tend to criticize them for their sex discrimination. Gloria Allred, who sued the Boy Scouts for sex discrimination, went so far as to label their all-male status "gender apartheid." Also, the Women's Sports Foundation states on its website that girls should be allowed to play on boys' teams, but boys should be prohibited from playing on girls' teams. This doesn't seem fair.

Since women have so many single-sex institutions and organizations, in addition to affirmative action, which is a form of sex discrimination, shouldn't men be given the same opportunity to have their own organizations? To only allow women to have sex-discrimination practiced in their favor amounts to female privilege, does it not?

Anyway, thank you for your time.

Shannon

P.S.--- This is just a personal aside, but are you married? Did you take your husband's name or do believe women should keep their maiden names in marriage? Do you think children should carry their mother's names? This probably should be a third email, sorry!

Dear Shannon,

I went to an all women's college and I totally support that experience, so I can't be opposed to single sex institutions. However, with the case of Augusta -- some companies pay the membership dues for their employees who are members and this means that it is a perk only available to male employees -- and thus for that reason alone, I think that it should be open to women or those dues paying members should have to pay for themselves. Personally, it's hard to get excited about protesting Augusta, because we would essentially be fighting for the rights of Oprah and Martha Stewart to become members and it's hard to mobilize people to fight for the super rich to gain access to a super privileged club.

As to your other questions -- I'm not married and I wouldn't take my husband's name, but that's a personal choice. I am pregnant and my baby will have my boyfriend's name. That again is a personal choice -- each to their own. I only wish that more people thought seriously about these things rather than just assuming one way is the right way.

Hope that helps,

-- Amy