Suggestion - Lady Cyclists Section?

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Cathryn

Legendary Member
We're frequently told that women are under-represented on this site and they're deterred from posting by males. Would there be mileage in a women's only section where women can discuss issues affecting them freely?

It's a lovely idea and I appreciate the thought and sentiment behind it. I was here when there was a women's section - if I remember correctly, it wasn't taken down because 'some women objected to it' but because the majority of women involved didn't think it was particularly necessary as Cyclechat was felt to be a friendly and welcoming environment.

I rejoined the site recently and still think that's the case. I would feel comfortable raising most female-specific questions on the forum - the particularly delicate ones, I wouldn't raise. There are a couple of excellent female-only forums on FB which would be a better place to ask those questions. That's not a reflection on CC - more on the delicacy of the issues being raised.

Those FB pages do a fabulous job of catering for women cyclists - I don't think we need to replicate it here on CC. The important thing is that women feel welcomed and comfortable here, and able to ask questions without being shot down. With the exception of the News/Current Affairs thread at times, I'd say that's the case. Clearly that's just my opinion.
 

contadino

Veteran
Location
Chesterfield
If there's some aspect of cycling as a pastime that women find intimidating or uneasy about, I'd like to know about it so that I can adjust my behaviour if necessary.

So having a sub-forum where that sort of thing is discussed that I'd not be able to see wouldn't be worthwhile in my view.

ETA: I have several members and sub-forums on ignore, so that increases the chances of me missing discussion anyway.
 
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Faratid

Well-Known Member
I think the woke brigade have already scuppered this.
If there was to be a women only section then no men would be allowed in there, either posting or viewing. Regular moderation would be needed to ensure that the Me2 brigade were not upset in any way.
But, to avoid problems with equal opportunities legislation there would have to be a corresponding Men Only section. This too would have to be regularly moderated to ensure that only males could post, or visit. Who is going to moderate all that?
Then we have the ever so fashionable trans brigade. Where would their section be, and who would be allowed into it. And how do you prove that you are male/female/male wanting to be female/female wanting to be male or a member of any other politically correct minority interest group.

The forum would collapse under the weight of hipsters and Karens and their self interested demands.
Well don't worry, you're well represented here and can continue to enjoy your hateful, bigoted, mysogynistic tripe. Woke means 'aware of, and sensitive to the existence and rights of a diverse range of peoples race, gender identity, and personal beliefs.' But of course, it's only your values that are valid and widely accepted. It's a privilege that many don't enjoy. Perhaps you'd be happier joining National Action.
 

theclaud

Openly Marxist
Location
Swansea
It just seems to me that a prominent thread on women's issues in NACA is stalling because it is becoming men v women, or at least perceived to be. This is 2021 and the issue of violence against women is an important and current one. My wife had a look at the thread and said, as a woman, she wouldn't touch it because of the toxic attitudes on display by some men and some women.

Yes, this is a cycling forum but it doesn't exist in a vacuum. Maybe a "Safe Space" would allow women cyclists to discuss these important issues freely and openly.

Of course, I'm not the one to say if it's needed or not but I thought it was worth raising either as a forum where only women could see it or where all could see it but only women could post.
1. Male violence against women is not a 'women's issue'. It's everyone's problem.
2. The thread in question is not 'men v women'. It's a thread with thoughtful contributors of both sexes, plus a handful of (mostly) men who are disingenuous, resentful or openly trolling.
3. If men could post on it, a small disruptive contingent would behave as they do whenever women are leading or shaping the conversation elsewhere on the forum. If they couldn't post on it but women were permitted to discuss whatever they liked, the same perpetually butthurt contingent would be whinging and reporting to the mods.
4. Your wife is fast becoming the Mrs Mainwaring of P&L.
5. I ain't no Lady, but thanks all the same.
 

mudsticks

Obviously an Aubergine
Mmmn, I don't think a 'woman's only' space, would be helpful really.

If I want to speak to women only, I've got other places on the web to do that, or I can set up a private group chat here.

It would be nice if a few of the guys on here could think more about the way they phrase things, when they talk about women, and the issues that women specifically encounter.

And how they address the women discussing them.

Remembering that men can have a tendency to take over spaces, perhaps without even realising, they're doing it

(if more women being here really is the goal :whistle:)

It comes across as dismissive, or worse sometimes.

Violence against women, isn't really. a 'women's issue' is it?

It's very rarely women doing violence to women.

A more general example from the forum..

- I can't remember the detail of the thread, but someone was asking for information about a female specific saddle for his daughter, a little while back.

Another poster said something along the lines of.

"Oh, I was going to make a joke, about this, but it didn't seem appropriate as its about your daughter"

Which made me cringe, more than a bit.

If it wasn't appropriate because of someones daughter, why would it be appropriate with other women reading it.?

We're all someone's daughter- why would we want to read that stuff ??

As a woman, I wouldn't make a joke about a potentially sensitive area of male anatomy, that was causing bother.

That would just seem rude.

Of course I know, some guys wouldn't mind.

Others would mind 'a lot' .

If in doubt, leave it out..?

TBH there's stuff said to women on here, and with regard to women, that has had made me think about quitting on several occasions.

Is that intended? I don't know.

I'm used to working, and playing in 'trad male' environments, and spend a lot of time with men, so I'm not unused to their company, or ways of speaking.

Maybe it's the anonymity of t'internet that emboldens people to say stuff here they might not elsewhere, to real life people.?
IDK.

If anything, I'm the reverse, there are things I definitely wouldn't say here (jokes, or other stuff ) because without people knowing the whole person who's saying those things.
Or the context, in which they're offered, they could easily be misconstrued.

- I'm sure i've managed to give offence in my turn, anyhow.

In which case... Sorreee... I didn't mean it.

- Unless you had it coming :angel:

I'm not sure I would recommend CC to all my cycling friends, particularly not the younger ones.

Of any gender.

I suspect they'd find some of the slightly outdated attitudes on here a bit hard to swallow. Find it tricky to resist challenging them - and then probs get leapt on for being 'PC gawn mad' or whatever.



I'm not even going to ask my boyfriend what he thinks about the way some guys address women on here, he'd probs have to get the duelling pistols out :gun:


Personally I find that 'unreconstructed' side of things quite interesting, from an anthropological pov.

Can take most of it, with a pinch of salt, or at the very least a resigned sigh..

Having said all that, the vast majority of people seem absolutely fine, and freindly, most of the time.
(Or at least no more bizarre than the rest of the world)

Even if we disagree.

I've learnt lots.. (Most of it, not about bikes, I'm fairly well genned up on that stuff)

CC no doubt provides a mainly freindly,, highly diverse. sometimes even funny, forum for all things cycling and besides.

The 'besides' part - in addition to helmets- must create a nightmare for the mods - well done to them.

Hope they get something out of it. :notworthy:

All hail, the unsung admin staff, as ever.
 

welsh dragon

Thanks but no thanks. I think I'll pass.
Dunno..

IHGAT :whistle:

But aren't there a bazillion channels on nowadays ??

There must be something... ^_^


Anything would be better than this load of crap yet again. There will be another 9 gazillion pages of utter tripe I daresay. There always is.

Time to knock it on the head for me. Enjoy the nonsense folks.
 
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