Alamo Drafthouse Discrimination | Water Cooler Chat

Here’s why it bothers me so much that people keep saying it’s one night and it is no big deal. The problem is that this event goes against the Civil Rights Act…one which had to be amended to include the discrimination of sex.

So for an event like the Alamo Drafthouse Women-Only celebration which is something so blatantly and un-apologetically discrimination, everyone is staying arm’s length away from and won’t speak out against it…so imagine how they approach subtle and private discrimination… the kind that has significant and actual impact on our culture.

I mean, if people won’t even touch advertised discrimination, what do you think they do about private or institutionalized versions? IGNORE IT… JUST like this.

This is how I feel about institutionalized sexism and segregation norms…things that are much harder to fight against because they are conducted by private individuals. Do you know how hard it is to break into a “the club”??? it’s damn near impossible.

And it’s no wonder, when the general attitude is, it’s no big deal. Let girls be girls. Let boys be boys.  I hear people saying “don’t make a big deal out of it” on the Alamo Drafthouse Women-Only event. But you know, that’s what I’ve been hearing all my life.

It’s always something small… a group of guys at work who go out to lunch with CEO but don’t invite you, a committee at school that is headed up with men only, or any larger entertainment institution where it’s clearly a boys only party.

Women have been fighting their way in for a long time… trying to change ideas in our culture about what women are capable of and how we’d like a chance at proving ourselves in every field.

At the same place I earned my Masters degree, women had fought 3 decades earlier for the right to wear pants to class. PANTS. Can you believe? I can just see the argument now. “Look, we aren’t denying women the right to attend class that men are, we’re just asking them to wear skirts. It’s no big deal. Have some class.”

And that’s the reason we’ve had to fight and make a fuss is because the general attitude has always been “it’s no big deal.” “Let boys be boys”… “don’t’ cause drama”… “wtf up with your pms?”

BECAUSE a lot of men have been ignoring discrimination for years. So no, it doesn’t surprise me that a lot of men have thrown their hands in the air at this Alamo Drafthouse thing and said “chill”….

Of course chill, because you haven’t been disgusted and fighting against every grain of discrimination for years and years. It gets under your skin, the injustice and when you see it …whether it be happening to women OR men, it enrages me.

Don’t worry, I see the flip side too! — don’t even get me started on the women who are abusing female-positive discrimination. This is certainly not what we have been fighting for.

And it’s a shame that things like this (a female super hero movie and a girls only theater even) come to define “feminism” when for months this year, women have been pouring into the Texas Capitol building begging for legislation that would give women back the rights to make choices for their own health and well being.

It’s as if there is this privileged group of women who are now taking for granted what other women spent a lifetime fighting against. It makes me sad to see the way in which “feminism” has been absolutely bastardized.

And perhaps we’ve just progressed enough as a culture that feminism needs a new terminology… one that is inclusive and helps further define a narrative that embraces both sexes as deserving of equal treatment.

Anyhow, we have a ways to go but there is hope. There have been enormous grass roots movements in supporting women running for public office to start changing the status quo.  These women who are working their way into positions of positive change are supported by both sexes. It’s been encouraging to see.

I think if you’re happy with the status quo, you probably aren’t that motivated to stir the pot… too much of the “well it doesn’t even effect” me syndrome. AND speaking out often means you have to defend your ideas and if you are “meh” on the issue to begin with, is it really worth your while to find yourself challenged? I’d love to see less “meh”…

It’s no surprise that I’ve never been meh on discrimination. I think it is rooted in ignorance and garbage notions of superiority. It does not promote growth for our society whatsoever…. even if it’s just for one night AND for charity. I don’t care what it’s for or for how long it is, it’s not something I ever want us to value.

And if what you want is a society that is socially cohesive and promotes treating everyone with acceptance then you need to enforce and defend the principles that can make that possible…ie do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Do not stay meh about it.