Steve the Wargames blog highligths an interesting point here http://steve-the-wargamer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/that-more-intelligent-sort-of-girl-who.html, IMHO ther article in the times misses the point. But then again it doesn't as the point- in this case is to fill the paper and for the journo to get paid. Anything else is a bonus.
That being said it strikes me that some chaps are afraid to grasp the nettle lest they be thought misogynistic beasts in these so called enlightened times.
Now for myself I have not and have never had any objection to female wargmers or lady wargamers as we used to call 'em back in the Dark Ages of the 1980s. In my ECW re-enactment days Female musketeers were far from unknown. I once had command of an entirely female gun crew at one event.- I led the Royalists that day. Even the odd female pikeman was encountered- though this was rare and unusual . In those days a pike push was a punch-up with sticks- bruising was common and blood injuries far from unknown , not to mention the occasional exploding musketeer. Yet no-one thought that the girls should not do these things if they wished or simply be "wenches" if they wished. That was almost 25 years ago so its not new. When it comes to miniature Wargaming- as distinct from the full size sort outlined above- then ladies, women , Females or " wimmin" are thinner on the ground but not unknown- I've played with girls... (badly put that but sometimes you just have to) . Steve's blog covers the salient points so no need to repeat.
However I do tend to find the idea of a separate Wargames Group for Women a little bit offensive- in these days of supposed diversity and equality. I'd find a Wargames group for Black people just as offensive or indeed to cite my own case one for the poorly sighted- you could shove THAT where the sun does not shine and I'd help by pushing very hard.... No where such pigeonholing is not necessary for safety or equal competition - such as many- but not all physical sports then its just daft and divisive. I accept that both men and women may feel more comfortable separated in this way and to be sure in our group some of Jimbo more "robust" humour wouldn't suit mixed company- to be old fashioned about it but then I remember a time when I did a lot of bar work when certain hen parties not only made me blush but made me worry for my moral well beingand yes that was 25years ago too.
After all if I set up a Man only group I'd be accused of sexism .
Like in many walks of life "when I were a lad" women had their own leisure activites but as time has gone on the fairer sex has found the sense in what we do. It's neither a good nor a bad thing but is the way of the world, I've never actually played a table-top game with and females but they're nearly always been females in roleplayed games I've either played in or put on.
ReplyDeleteTo have any "elite", group whether women only, or whatever seems to be a rertrograde step and I would hope that most wargamers today would welcome anyone no matter their race, creed or sex etc.
I'd put the article down to a bit of press sensationalism, after all it's what sells.
Joe -Precisely its about filling the paper and getting and earner out of it but as I said on Steve blog . Its the double standard that offends. The 2My tribe is Elite" syndrome. (Please note I've avoided any jokes about women on top .....)
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