“A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual death on the installment plan.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
Then there’s “Ladies’ Night” with discounted drinks or cover charges for only female patrons.
Sadly, many men agree with Ladies’ Night promotions. Let the women in for free, the more women, the merrier. If it’s not free women won’t come to the party. What’s the problem? Critics bemoan only wimps, gay guys, and misogynists object; it’s a business decision and no one is hurt.
Separate bathrooms for blacks, no handicap ramps, and human trafficking are all business decisions as well, and all are illegal.
Special promotions for only female consumers in California violate California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. It’s not about wimps, gay guys, and women-haters. It’s about equal rights for everyone, no matter their gender. It’s about being treated with respect. It’s about not being singled out because you are different from the favored group. It’s about fairness. It’s about not being treated like a second class citizen.
No sane, responsible, and legitimate business owner would ever hang a “blacks only” bathroom sign, configure their business to deny access by those with special needs, or traffic in humans. Well, at least one would think so.
In 1959, the enactment of California’s Unruh Act outlawed such sex-based business practices, made them illegal, and set a $1000 ceiling in statutory damages for anyone treated unequally. In 2001, those statutory damages were increased to $4,000 because $1,000 was insufficient to discourage businesses from flagrantly violating the law, particularly businesses offering Ladies Day, Ladies Night, and similar sex-based promotions that were merely absorbing the occasional $1,000 statutory damages award as a cost of doing business.
Even today, California businesses brazenly discriminate against an entire sex, deny equal accommodations, and thereby, arguably, traffic in humans by making men subsidize goods and services provided to women for free. Amazingly, not only is doing so often acceptable in our culture of hidebound thinkers, but it is promoted, if not expected or even revered. Our society frequently shows little or no respect for men. Men are never thought of as victims as are “minorities” (though there are more women than men), those with “special needs,” or those sold into bondage (even if they are men).
National Coalition For Men members have been at the forefront of ensuring men and women receive equal treatment. NCFM volunteer attorneys like Al Rava and Marc Angelucci have successfully handled hundreds of sex discrimination cases, several of which resulted in landmark appellate decisions ensuring equal treatment for men and women. NCFM members have been equal rights testers and plaintiffs in many Unruh Act lawsuits concerning Ladies’ Day and Ladies’ Night promotions – all of which ended because of our members’ work.
After all that, after fifty-two years of the Unruh Act, and as a result of our work with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (“DFEH”), the State agency charged with ensuring equal treatment in places of public accommodation, DFEH has published a new Unruh Act brochure specifically addressing Ladies’ Night promotions.
It takes courage to stand up for one’s rights. Martin Luther King knew that, lived that. Reverend King had little patience for “soft-minded” bystanders awaiting their own demise, spiritual or otherwise. Just like it took courage for Rosa Parks to stop being a bystander and to move to the front of the bus, it takes courage for NCFM members to tell discriminating businesses that men aren’t going to take it anymore.
The people of California and people in those states that followed owe a considerable debt to the strong-minded NCFM men and women who demand to be treated equally. NCFM members are true warriors fighting for equality for all, not spineless sheep tolerating society’s inequalities. If you are a member of NCFM, congratulations. Which are you?
YOUNG MEN MUST REGISTER FOR THE SELECTIVE SERVICE (SSS) BUT NOT YOUNG WOMEN, ALTHOUGH BOTH MAY VOLUNTEER FOR MILITARY SERVICE AND CAREERS.
Work place discrimination against men – that's the big and growing problem. Check it out in the graphic design world. If you're not female, gay or look gay -you better be eye candy or hired by a guy – b/c you're screwed
Thank you ! Good job you guys ! When are you coming to Canada? When ? A lot of Natzi- Femenist here in Toronto. Please come and help.!