No women need apply: Yacht club's men-only policy rankles

[niyad]

No women need apply: Yacht club's men-only policy rankles

WESTERLY, R.I. (AP) — Taylor Swift has a home in this seaside community. But even one of the world's most famous women wouldn't be able to join the Westerly Yacht Club, which bestows full membership only on men.


(1 of 7) Danielle Hetu poses after speaking about the Westerly Yacht Club's membership policy as the yacht club is seen in background, right in Westerly, R.I. Wives can join as associate, non-voting members, but unmarried women can't. A vote to change the nearly century-old policy failed last week, with 171 men voting to uphold it. Women, and many men, are not happy.


A vote to change the policy at the nearly century-old club in the Ocean State, where the love of sailing runs deep, failed to reach a two-thirds majority last week. In a secret ballot, 207 men voted for the change and 171 men voted to keep it the way it is. Wives can become associate members, and while they can run committees and organize parties at the club (in other words, do the scut work), they can't vote. Single women and married lesbians are not admitted, even as associates, because they are not married to a man. Gay men may join, but their husbands may not become associates, a status reserved for wives.


Women, and many men, are not happy. Several women connected to the club said it was ridiculous, in a year when Hillary Clinton is making a historic run for president, that they can't join. Swift hasn't asked, but if she wanted to would not be allowed, even though her beach house is in the same ZIP code. "How do I explain this to my daughters? That you can be the president, but you can't be a member of the Westerly Yacht Club?" said associate member Danielle Hetu. Hetu and her husband, who sits on the club's board, are among those who have been working for years to change the policy. Previous votes to admit women have won a majority but failed to win a two-thirds majority, as required by the club's bylaws, members said.

One member who voted against the change said he believes many of the wives agree with him. "They're all happy with what they got. They don't have to pay dues," Bob Dionne said. Annual dues are around $600, although others point out wives could continue to be non-voting, non-dues-paying associate members if they chose.


Jane Barstow, an associate member and retired professor of English and women's studies, thinks the policy remains in part because of the "old guard" at the club that is resistant to change. She theorizes that there may be something of a backlash against Clinton's historic run for president, and says there may be other reasons as well.
. . . .


https://www.mail.com/news/politics/4430722-women-apply-yacht-clubs-men-only-policy-rankles.html#.23140-stage-hero1-1

[gratuitous]

1. "How do I explain this to my daughters"

What is "this"? That you weren't pissed off enough to start your own yacht club with your own rules? Because if this was something I cared about, that's what I'd do. By the way, for retired professor Jane Barstow, allow me to suggest one other reason besides the "old guard" and backlash against a woman running for president: It's a six-letter word starting with s-e-x and ending with i-s-m. See if you can figure it out!

[Crepuscular]

2. ...

It would be interesting to know how many minority members this club has, also.

It's long past time for anachronistic bastions of discrimination like this to join the rest of modern society.

[harrose]

3. How is this legal???

(Not that it matters to the Rethug sexists, of course. Laws are only for the little folk.)

[RantinRavin]

4. It is a private club

located on private property. They can include or exclude anyone they want for any reason they want.

[harrose]

6. Really? That shouldn't be legal.

So, you're saying that I can open a club, exclude gays, women and people of color and the law is okay with that? How does that differ from a store (where, I believe, it is not legal)?

[closeupready]

7. Augusta Golf Club - that was the case I believe which tested the idea that

it is illegal under current law to do so, but the Supreme Court said no, it's not illegal.

It's different from a store, in that a store is a public accommodation, whereas a private club is by definition a private one.

[The2ndWheel]

8. There's nothing stopping you from opening up your own club

and inviting anyone to join. You may outgrow the other club that doesn't allow this or that person, becoming the more successful club. You may even attract the people in this other club who have been trying to get their club to welcome more people.

Why does it matter if this other yacht club exists? People can choose who they want to hang around with.

[obamanut2012]

20. i agree with you 100%

[Hassin Bin Sober]

11. I agree about private clubs.

But if this "private club" uses one speck of the public commons or gets any subsidies from the state/Feds, bust their ass.

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. Because it's a private club.

Augusta National Golf Club only admitted its first female members in 2012 and that was due to public pressure. One of those women interestingly enough, was Condoleeza Rice.

[FLPanhandle]

5. As a sailor and yacht club member this is insane.

We are actively recruiting younger members and women.

Who would want to belong to any club or organization that didn't allow women as members!?!

Such a different attitude those old boy Northeast sailors have than the relaxed "everyone is welcome" attitude down south.

[Blue Dalek]

9. I belong to the PrimeTimers Organization,

a group for older gay men and the people who love them. Which means anyone can join and are freely accepted although our chapter has never had a woman member.

On the other hand, I also frequent privately owned and operated campgrounds which are restricted to men only.

So yeah, I think its perfeclty acceptable for private clubs to have restrictions.

[TeamPooka]

13. Just like the KKK. Private club with restrictions.

[Blue Dalek]

16. Ha ha! The only thing that gets burned

at the campgounds is a little weed.

BTW, as a gay man, we should have a place to be alone with ourselves, like...oh I dont know, a night club or a campgound, where people will leave us the fuck alone and not have to dodge bullets or be compared to KKK members.

So fuck you with that comment!

[TeamPooka]

12. While we're at it let's see how many Jewish members and people of of color are members here too.

my guess would be Zero of both.

[Ilsa]

14. Well, for starters, stop doing the scut work. If the men want parties,

Let them plan and hire and implement them for themselves. Stop enabling them. If they are too busy and the club fails, it's their own fault.

It's very shortsighted of the club. They should be looking for ways to expand interest in sailing and growing their club.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

15. Some people just don't belong.

[niyad]

17. . . . .

[struggle4progress]

18. I think I'd rather spend my time thinking about the issues poor women face

Oh dearie me! I can't join the yacht club! isn't atop my list of priorities

[niyad]

19. sexism is disgusting at any income level.

[struggle4progress]

22. We should triage our problems: 15% of the US lives below the poverty line

[Nye Bevan]

21. Curves gyms are open only to women.

https://www.curves.com/about-curves

If exclusively male private clubs should be forced to admit both sexes, so should exclusively female ones.