Estrogen Free Zone
When IBM appointed Virginia M. Rometty as the CEO last year, none of us gave any thought about the Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club. But here we are at the end of the tourney and the media, feminists groups and the general public are anxiously waiting. Waiting to see if The Masters will depart from its long standing tradition of a men’s only membership and extend and invitation to Rometty.
The Master’s also has a long standing tradition of offering memberships to the CEOs of its sponsoring companies. Billy Payne, the golf club chairman, firmly refused to answer questions regarding the topic during last Wednesday’s press conference.
This had women’s groups and feminists salivating and hoping to get their Jimmy Choo clad feet in the door, publicly proclaiming it’s time to be let in the “good ol’ boys” club.
To which I say…Have a Seat girlfriends!
First, a question. Why are “some” women clamoring and fighting to gain entry to a place where they are not wanted? Seriously, why?
For those would argue it is the last bastion of the good old boy network that women have yet to infiltrate, I would agree, it is one of the last. But as the saying goes, “everything ain’t for everybody“. Let me clue you in on something…being a woman does not entitle you to anything just because you are a woman. (I include myself in that also.) Let the men have some peace of mind…their own place of solitude where they can gather and do shit that men do without worrying about offending your “delicate constitution”.
If you present the argument that their men only membership policy is discriminatory and infringes on your civil rights, again, I say NO it DOES NOT. Barring women from a private club does not inhibit your access to employment, housing, voting rights, education, nor access to PUBLIC facilities. (See the legal definition for discrimination HERE.) The Augusta National Golf Club is a PRIVATE club ladies. PRIVATE!
We have our women’s only organizations. Why isn’t this enough? There’s the Junior League, Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Woman Suffrage Association, Girl Scouts, Brownies, numerous sororities, fitness clubs tailored for women, and of course, lesbians. As far as I know men aren’t banging down doors and demanding membership into these groups, well with the exception of lesbians. I don’t know of one red blooded man that doesn’t want in on some G.O.G. action. But I digress.
Remember how the little neighborhood boys formed their own clubs in tree houses, abandoned sheds, and dark dingy basements where they loudly and fiercely proclaimed “NO GIRLS ALLOWED!”? Same concept, except we’re all adults now.
So put on your big girl panties, take off those pumps, and sit all the way down….cause I know those shoes are killing your corns!
I Am Chocl8t 
For those who vote “yes”, I would like to hear your reasons why. 🙂
I voted yes. However, if the Masters will remain a “boy’s club” it shouldn’t be because of policy or by-laws. It should be about preference.
Well, it is about “preference”. It is their “preference” to keep it men only. 😉 Is it not?
I voted no, but I do believe they should budge in the case of this CEO. If their policy is to extend membership to CEOs of their sponsor companies, then they should do it regardless of who the CEO is. This is a business decision. This is called building good business relationships. If they want money from someone, they should be polite to that person. Anyway, I doubt that all the CEOs who are members actually participate in the Masters tournament.
However, do they need to extend membership to all women? No. They’re a private club and they have the right to stay male only, just like women have the right to have a women only club. Is it my preference to have segregated clubs? No. But I’m not giving them money, I don’t like golf, and it’s not my club, so my opinion doesn’t matter. At the end of the day it’s THEIR club so they can make their own rules about their membership.
It really bothers me when women gripe about stupid shit like this because they should be focusing on other, far more dire situations like salary differences, domestic abuse, rape, women’s health (and the laws affecting it) and stuff. How the hell does golf really impact women as a whole? If you’re a feminist, focus on the issues that really have the potential to further women’s rights, not superficial shit. Because in the long run, if they DID pressure this club to include women, what does that accomplish on a wider scale? Not a damn thing. So, to me, it’s wasted effort when there are so many more pressing and impactful issues.
So let me get this right, women are allowed to have women only clubs, Hispanics are allowed to have Hispanics only clubs, African Americans are allowed to have African American only clubs, but a male can not have a male only club, let alone a white male club. No this is not about race, it is about our rights as white males who live in the United States of America. I am not saying anything except how many people could be employed by the money she is going to spend at that club? Seems we need to be worrieing about jobs, not if a club is all male, all female, all white, all African American or any other thing including same sex club. If one person has a right then the other person has the same right. Am I wrong in my thinking?
You’ve stated this is not about race but yet the sentence before that you state, and I quote “but a male can not have a male only club, let alone a white male club. No this is not about race, it is about our rights as white males who live in the United States of America.” Historically, white males have enjoyed more “freedoms” in this country than any other demographic so you will get no sympathy from me on that. What I hear when men (white) say similar things is a bunch of whining from a group who is pissy about losing their monopoly or unfair advantage based solely on the fact that they are…white men. That sense of “entitlement” is very common with “white males who live in the United States of America”.
Agreed, the money spent on the club memberships could be used to do a number of things to create a few jobs. Yes, this issue is small when compared to the issues many Americans are facing…unemployment, shrinking home values, affordable healthcare (for everyone), etc., etc.
Just like someone from the media to take one part of a statement and turn it to something they want it to say, and I quote my entire sentance”Hispanics are allowed to have Hispanics only clubs, African Americans are allowed to have African American only clubs, but a male can not have a male only club, let alone a white male club”. And I quote you”Historically, white males have enjoyed more “freedoms” in this country than any other demographic so you will get no sympathy from me on that” I never said that I wanted your sympathy, I pointed out that the male (and yes I said white) people of The United States of America are not allowed to have a male only club. And yes there are women only fitness centers but there can not be a male only fitness center to my knowledge. I am not one of the “Historically, white males who have enjoyed more freedoms in this country. I have been turned down from jobs because someone that had to be trained could be hired because I am a white male in the United States of America. If you want equal then it needs to be equal all the way accross the board. Don’t lower standers some someone else can have something. If the best person is not the one hired or anything else then that is where the problem is coming from. The best qualified person show be the one doing the job, not because of someones sex, religion, or race! As you and everyone else is saying EVERYBODY IS EQUAL> Not just who you want it to be!
And yes I aggreed with you in the begining, but not so sure now