Tuesday, February 19, 2008

All-male social clubs (by Suzie)

         Tampa has a Mardi Gras knockoff called Gasparilla. Two brothers from a prominent family recently resigned from an all-male krewe in an imbroglio over a DJ yelling at a woman to lift up her shirt and show her "boobies" for beads.
        I would love to see more men demand changes and refuse to participate in sexist nonsense.
        Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla hosts the "invasion" by boats and the subsequent parade. The host krewe was forced to integrate racially, but it still refuses to admit women. The event has grown to include all-female krewes and krewes with both men and women. But the Krewe of Gasparilla still has the most clout and offers invaluable networking to wealthy businessmen. 
      A similar issue arose over the all-male membership of the Augusta National Golf Club. 
      Some of you may say: Who cares if rich women get excluded? But I think it's bad for all of us when powerful men have a desire to lock out women.