Value of "Ladies' Only" forum on my local bulletin board

[TrakHack]

So, while volunteering at my state's firearm owners' association booth at the local women's expo, I was asked if I would moderate a "ladies' only" discussion forum on our boards (I've browsed the boards, but don't currently post).

I think the guys behind this idea mean well, but I'm not entirely excited about it. They actually want men to not be able to post or even read the forum. Their reasoning is they want women to have a place to post things and have discussion that men aren't part of "so people don't feel intimidated to ask questions". I've floated the idea of a "ladies' only" forum to a couple of other gals and they had the same reaction I did - they don't like it,

I am the first person to send people to corneredcat.com to learn things, and if the person is local and wants to know more I take them to the range and then send them to my handgun instructor, who happens to be an older guy. Besides discussion of how to carry on your body, I'm just not seeing where there is a need for gender-specific discussion. Whenever I get together with gals who like to shoot (even if we go shooting) we don't talk about guns, we talk about husbands/boyfriends/kids/work/shoes/purses/lip gloss/diets/etc.

So, wise men (mostly men, anyway) of THR, is there an angle I'm missing here? Do you think the ladies in your life would find value in an online discussion forum that excludes men? I want to be supportive of our group but I'm not sold on this idea.

Thanks in advance for your perspective.

 

[wannabeagunsmith]

I think having a guy's and a girl's perspective on things is more than valuable. Too bad some women feel intimidated by men though.

 

[Trebor]

In my experience, most "Women's sub forums" on larger gun forums get very little use. The women tend to just post in the regular areas of the forum.

And, segretating women out so that only women can post there seems like an especially good way to cut down on discussins and advice even more. Who is going to be the "resident expert" woman who moderates the forum and gives the knowledgable advice? Do you really want that person to be the only source of advice instead of drawing on the resources of the whole forum?

I understand what they are trying to do, and their intentions are good, but I think it's a counter productive idea overall.

A better idea is to have an overall code of conduct on the forum that welcomes new shooters of either gender.

Btw, I'm a guy, so I'm speaking as the outsider here. But, if you think it's a bad idea, and the women you've talked to think it's a bad idea, that's your answer right there. Go back and tell them that, thank them for the thought, but say the consensus is you'd rather be part of the regular forum instead of having your own special forum.

 

[TennJed]

Maybe it is just me, but internet forums are generaly anonymous which should keep theintimidation factor down

 

[230RN]

So, what's the matter with them PMing each other if it's something really delicate? I think PMs allow up to 15 recipients, at least on THR.

I respect the idea that the ladies may in fact have specific gender-relative firearms issues, but how can you keep a gender-specific forum "pure?"

I'm sure that ultimately, a "trust" can be developed between two or more ladies where each can be reasonably confident that the others are actually female, but otherwise...

...DNA testing?

Annabelle Marie, 230RN

 

[Serenity]

I think as women we need to get right in with the guys and try to reduce the gender-specific discussions as much as possible. We can't have it both ways. We would separate ourselves (because as awesome as the guys on THR are, it's still a boy's sandbox) but then complain when discussions go in a "how can I accommodate the female in my life because she is handicapped by her sex" direction. I don't want to be "one of the guys" (God knows I am thankful to be a woman), but to be a member of the entire community.

 

[303tom]

Screams Discrimination or Prejudice to me...................

 

[Salmoneye]

It's illegal here to have 'Ladies Night' in bars...

 

[BullRunBear]

I don't question the good intentions behind the suggestion but I do question the need for a women-only forum. For newcomers, whichever sex, the concerns are the same: safety, sight picture, hold and trigger technique, then finding what fits their size and how much recoil they are comfortable with. The one gender-specific matter might be concealed carry options but that doesn't call for its own forum.

Jeff

 

[Nushif]

I don't question the good intentions behind the suggestion but I do question the need for a women-only forum. For newcomers, whichever sex, the concerns are the same: safety, sight picture, hold and trigger technique, then finding what fits their size and how much recoil they are comfortable with. The one gender-specific matter might be concealed carry options but that doesn't call for its own forum.

Not much else to be said, tbh.

 

[wrench]

I second the notion that 'women's only' forums don't get much traffic. If an forum wants one for whatever reason, fine, but I'm female and I hardly ever visit them.
As another poster said, gun issues are gun issues, not usually gender specific.
I can PM to communicate with other women if I want.

 

[3KillerBs]

The only really gender-specific gun issues I can think of are the detailed, nitty-gritty discussions of exactly how carry methods interact with female body shapes and clothing. But guys don't really go for threads titled "Help me find a holster that works with broomstick skirts."

 

[DAP90]

Do you think the ladies in your life would find value in an online discussion forum that excludes men?

No. As long as the culture of the forum is such that everyone can feel comfortable there’s no reason to have a separate ladies only section. If the forum is not well moderated then I’d recommend finding an entirely new board; not just a new sub-forum.

If the forum is well moderated and the culture accepting then why have a series of threads that excludes such a large body of knowledge? Men may not generally be able to help with advice about broom skirts, but then again I’m constantly amazed but what the other members of THR know and have done, so you never know.

 

[Voltia]

Anytime special things are set up for minorities, it actually hurts them. Equality means equal.

 

[k-frame]

If you eliminate participation based only on chromosonal makeup then you'll miss varying viewpoints and lose access to a potentially valuable information source. And that equally applies (in this case) to either gender.

 

[Carne Frio]

The only Ladies Only one that I am familiar with does allow males to
participate. It is well moderated and has rules. The ladies there seem
to like it. It's nickname is "The Girlvivalists Hangout Area".

 

[Rembrandt]

Since guns are inanimate objects and gender neutral there is no reason for someone to make the topic into something its not.

 

[Tinpig]

Generally, I think (fill in the blank)-only sub forums are demeaning and pointless. But I do think it depends on the nature of the Board.

THR is strongly-moderated which cuts down a lot on the raunchy, macho, "you're an idiot" discussions that prevail on many other gun boards. Other forums often have self-appointed terminology police waiting to ridicule the innocent asker of questions, and some shooters, especially less-experienced ones, might be discouraged from asking questions or participating.

My guess is that the intent to form a ladies-only forum was intended to help get more women into shooting, not to segregate them. I guess it depends on how women members feel about your Board. Sounds like you don't have a problem with the atmosphere there.

Good luck.

Tinpig

 

[hso]

Too much bluster from boys pretending to be men is the concern since immature guys can't seem to shut up. This makes folks worry that those same boy/men would crowd the forum telling the "little ladies" what they should be doing. By having a women only posting ability the expectation would be to give the women a place that would let them air their concerns and advice without GOBs butting in.