why do women consider gender classification racism?

Question

In my previous question, which apparently was not well-written enough for some posters, someone compared my gender classification for athletic activities to racism. First, I am personally offended as I date a African American women.

And unlike race, there is biolgoical strength, power and hormonal (namely, testosterone) differences tha justify separating athletics based on sex. To compare this to racism is insulting to me, and plain stupid.

How come the top high school men's team basketball team in the county could beat the top women's professional team? The answer is simple: inherent physical differences. That cannot be changed unless you pump woman's bodies full of testosterone. There is no policy that will eradicate this.

I guess I'm sexist, but since I date an African American attorney, I hardly qualify as racist or completely shovanistic. Guys like me, who do consider women equals, wish they women would recognize our one advantage.

Answer 1

Calm down. Firstly, you just generalized all women, secondly, not all of us think that way. Lastly, most of us realize that race and gender are two different things.

Answer 2

So first of all, your dating a Black woman does not mean that you are not racist. I've met some people in interracial relationships who struck me as quite racist. You could also be a complete chauvinist. Now, on to your actual question . . .

Women and men are not the same. That's just biological fact. That's not to say that one sex is better than the other, just different. That being said, there are some ways in which men have an advantage and some ways is which women have an advantage.

Most men will usually win out over most women when it comes down to sheer strength. I won't say that a pro men's basketball team would necessarily beat a pro women's team because the game is, in theory, also about skill. If the women have perfected their skills more, then they would probably win. (The fact that you did assume that the men's team would win is slightly sexist, btw)

However, it comes to, say, weightlifting, the strongest men will beat the strongest women. Most men will also probably hit harder, throw further, run faster, etc. than most women.

Therefore, since sports records are usually determined by strength-based accomplishment, (X ran the fastest or Y jumped the highest) it is not fair to compare men and women. If a record was based on skill (i.e., total number of freethows or whatever), it would be fair to compare men and women.

Race, unlike sex, doesn't have the same inherent differences. There are certainly groups of people who are more athletic than others (I'm think of some random group living in Kenya who have the fastest runners ever). But these are neither universal nor constant differences like differences between sexes.

Answer 3

Yes there is a point where it's sexist, and a point where its stupid.

Listen to this..Years ago a petite woman tried out to be a firefighter or paramedic and so did a big strong guy (perfect for the job) about 6 foot 5, 280 pounds. She got the job because she was crying that they were sexist..then guess what? She was too weak to carry the stretcher down the stairs to take a woman to the hospital, and the boy lost his mother. Some jobs, are just meant for men like construction, and firefighting (Unless you got a really masculine butch lesbian), and some woman cannot except the fact that men are suited for this job.


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Handy Mandy: I am white, and a sports fan and disagree with you. Alot of the black athletes come from the ghetto, and when you live in the ghetto and have no money, And with the racism issues when these black athletes grew up, they are used to running from police (NO OFFENSE) and all they do in the ghetto is play sports. I think on average, black people are better athletes, on average. Im white so dont go hollaring racism..


Elle M: white people not wanting to play with black people is bad, but women are out of men (in every races league) See what happens if you put a woman in as quarterback in the nfl, It all has to do with testosterone. If women were to take a bunch of steroids, then okay they could play with men. The reason they dont is, is because of safety. There is somethings women cannot do naturally as good as men, accept it. And the same for us, women do somethings better naturally



Laughter every day: It is not about women and men skill level, it is about women and men, and tesotsterone and physical strength, the women would get pummeled.


To the poster of this question: Re post it again so we can get some new answers, there is only 9 so far



flieder: Very well said, very well said.



Too add: I thought of good woman athletes, and none of them looked all that "womanly". Perhaps these women have more testosterone then the others? We all know a woman with too much testosterone isnt that attractive (hair all over the place). Testosterone is what dominates sports. Why do you think some athletes take steroids (testosterone)? DOMINANCE.

Answer 4

it is a general-ism on both parties ,you and the offended,.
I say that i am not racist, i had a brown foster brother from the islands,and i have thru my biological daughter a brown grand daughter. Having said that i have to be careful, not to lump "blacks" as all being weaker, in some way.
there are some amazonian women out there who could beat some all men's at basket ball, one national tournament doesn't speak for all, all men for instance are not aggressive.
Being a medical person and studying anatomy and physiology for 6 yrs post high school,you are spot on with the anatomical details, but all women produce small amounts of testosterone and men estrogen at times.
It is when generalization , lumping a class of people into one "job lot" that the "people" will become offended.
So perhaps instead of saying all, say mostly though i find men stronger than women , on average. That cuts out the obese beer drinking couch potatoes,as being compared to a very fit Olympic athlete ( of either sex )

Answer 5

I read the previous answer and the women was not calling you a racist she was merely pointing out that sexism and racism are both discrimination. You said the boys don't want to play with the girls and she stated at one time whites did not want to play sports with black. It appeared she was making a comparison betweet the two as being discrimatory and how times have changed with regards to race and that perhaps it is time to change the current social ideas of sexism as well. What I find interesting is that every time someone mentions the word racism someone has to mention immediately they have some best friends who are that race or religion or sexual orientation. Maybe you can tell me what that is? Also just because you date a woman that doesn't exclude you from being a chauvinist it just means you are not gay.

Answer 6

In all human endevers and skills (except one) the difference between mame and female is only (on average) 10%.

This means that if I am an average male at playing a game (like basketball) then 40% of woman will be able to play better than me.

Answer 7

personally, when it comes to sports, there's not that many women who would WANT to play with a bunch of men. and if they do, why not let them try out just like everyone else? and if they don't make the cut, too bad for them, lots of men don't either.
as for school sports, i think equal money should be provided for girls teams as boys teams (and don't give me the "but people pay to see the boys" speal, its SCHOOL, not a business, and sports are an important part of a well rounded education) and if they do not provide for a girl's team, then they should allow girls on the boy's team, simple as that. if she's not good enough for varsity, so be it, put her on jr. varsity. at least she'll be able to experience sports equally.
and at least she has the same *opportunity to try*, without being locked out just for being female.

Answer 8

You are not a chauvinist at all. I enjoy having help, there is no way I can pick up a really large bag of dog food, I always call for help and the store gladly provides it. There is a difference and any
woman who does not acknowledge it, is fooling herself.

Answer 9

I agree with almost all you said. Your last statement just contradicts all that you said previously. Of course women and men are made differently. You are saying that you are superior to women in your last statement and that women should recognize and praise this. That does sound like a chauvinistic statement to me.

Answer 10

Ignore them, they are the same hypocrites who always have a justification for keeping men out of female only gyms.