Brandye.

[Analist74]

I'm not complaining, but, I was walking past womens Lady Footlocker yesterday (I have issues with Lady Footlocker and Kids Footlocker, But anyways) I instantly thought of the Chick Chat area. I'm all for equal rights so where's the guy chat, "locker room talk" or somehing to that effect. In having an area exclusive for women to post but not the same for men, I feel that you've (probably unintentionally) discriminated against the male gender. I'm not offended or upset, But I do feel that it is an unfairness. Do I expect to see an all male forum? No not really, but I felt strongly enough about it to wrie about it.

[demonbuttercup]

i don't think its discriminatory. i mean if you want "locker room chat" ask and you might receive.

face it, overall women have more problems we have to deal w/ than guy.
its more likely we'll have to deal w/ breast cancer and make sure we get checked. we have periods every month and some young girls migh have questions. i doubt a guy could answer unless he's a gyno.

we have to deal w/ pregnancy and what goes along w/ that.

we must have yearly exams. i know guys have to go every once in awhile but its much more important that women are checked for cervical cancer...etc.
especially if you are on the pill, you must go once a year.
the topic on your first pelvic exam, guys wouldn't be posting there either.

maybe a girl has a question about abortion. there shouldn't be any guys giving her negative opinions about it. like the mod said, if you want to discuss somthing, start a new topic in a regular forum.
so its not that is discriminating, its just a forum where girls can ask questions and only girls can answer since they more than likely will know the answer.

you guys can a forum on jock itch and penis size for all i care.
more power to you.

[thetease13]

also, brandye is a doctor willing to give up some of her free time to help people on here.
as demon said we have to face a lot more issues when it comes to sex, and sometimes, we don't always want to ask our real doctors in fear of embarassment or we want to gain a little more knowledge before we approach our doctor with it.

perhaps you can go find a male doctor that will be able to explain some of the questions you have. (although aren't normal doctors the one that perform the tests on males? correct me if i'm wrong.) maybe then you guys can have a forum.

and i'm certainly not trying to be mean when i say this but a lot of the questions guys ask on this forum are a bit silly and redundant sometimes. there are more questions and topics about penis size and lasting longer than there are about pregnancy and bleeding and whatnot.
it's a lot easier for us to just go to one place and see the question we have when all you have to do is just pick a forum, any forum, and the question about penis size will be right there in front of your face, several times for that matter (and yet, instead of replying to the topic a whole new topic is started on it.... ).

just my little .02

[Analist74]

Whoa, whoa, whoa! This wasn't an attack on Brandye, sheath the claws, and in its purest form, by definition it is gender discrimination, you don't have to like it, or accept it, and as I said I'm sure it wasn't intentional, I don't think she did it with the intention of upsetting anyone. I can appreciate that she's an MD who sacrifices her time to come on here and answer questions, I was merely stating a fact.

PS Brandye, These women are very staunch supporters of yours and worthy of honorable mention.

[Analist74]

Since I'm thinking about it,A quick analogy: Let's say, hypothetically of course, You found this place to go, A coffee shop, deli, bar, club or whatever and you iked it there because most of the people there were really cool, you liked talking to them, you felt you were able to help with some of their problems, and they could help with some of yours. Then you noticed that there was only one bathroom and it was for the opposite gender, wouldn't you at least ask the owner why hat was and, or seek to resolve the situation? That was the point I was making.

As it is who I am and the way I am This will probably be my last post, Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do ( and if yu've read some of my other posts, you'll see that I'm pretty open to new Ideas.

[demonbuttercup]

yeah but the point is CAN you really help w/ these specific problems?
can you give advice on pregnancy, menstruation, first pelvic exam?
thats the point i was making.
i know you weren't attacking anyone but you shouldn't single out Brandye.
who knows if it was even specifically her idea. maybe it was the boards.. or her and the board together.

its not like you are excluded from the ENTIRE coffee shop just one certain section. and that section isn't a necessity like a bathroom.
i think the point was so that girls would have a place they can feel comfortable posting and people who they can relate too are the ones who post.
besides i thought most guys would rather cover their ears or eyes for this matter when girls start talking about periods and other girly stuff lol.
i don't even think that many people post under that forum anyways... they usually just use the regular forums.

[thetease13]

um, a bathroom is a whole lot different than a forum my dear friend. comparing one bathroom to a forum is like comparing apples and oranges. it just doesn't work.
and besides, it is illegal to run a place without either having a unisex bathroom or separate bathrooms for each gender.

and as long as i've been here, i've only seen one person apparently upset about this "unfairness" and that one person is you.
observation or not, i think you just wanted something to complain about and make your grand exit.

[Brandye]

Well, demon and tease, thank you so very much for the solidarity. I really appreciate that and it helps to make my little calling here worthwhile.

Now, analist, let us talk about your problem with Lady Footlocker (we have them throughout the UK as well). For most of my life I purchased the same athletic shoes men wore – “Buy them about two sizes smaller.” My current cycling cleats were purchased that way. Any problem? To start with, the female foot has a different aspect ratio from the male foot. It is impossible to get a good fit both front and back in crossing genders for footwear. Big deal? The shoe is the base on which the rest of the skeleton stands. With a wider and flatter pelvis the geometry of the ankle, knee, hip and lower back is different in women from that of the men for whom the shoe was designed. The rigors of athletics can make these slight differences a long term problem in women who are also more prone to osteoporosis. Aging women athletes have induced problems from wearing the “wrong” shoes. Establishing separate stores, I suspect, is good marketing. Aware women will prefer to know they are getting properly designed shoes and will avoid the “one kind for all” of the discount stores.

If I can go on like that for women’s feet, imagine what happens when I get to genitals! Men have their issues. I respect them and deal with them on those rare occasions when a male patient tells me he can’t get it up or whatever. He will probably see one of my male colleagues and I respect that. I drive a couple hours for my annual pelvic exams because I want a woman to discuss my gender issues. I am locally known as the woman’s doctor because I am the only female practicing medicine for a long way around here. Still, nearly half my patients are men.

Tease and demon have pointed out some female specific issues that justify my unabashedly sexist part of the Board. Men are welcome to read and may even learn something. But it is intended to discuss women’s issues.

Let us add a few items:
1. Twenty percent of all women had some variety of rape as their first sexual experience. Too often with a family member.
2. Twenty-five percent of all women have never experienced an orgasm. About half of us (including me) rarely experience orgasm as a result of penile thrusting. We need a bit more.
3. Each time we urinate (a few times each day), we check our panties for whatever may be showing up there.
4. The female body becomes pregnant. From the moment we become sexually active, our period becomes a monthly issue – there when we want? Not there when we do not want it? This uncertainty can be devastating for women not yet sufficiently mature to handle it.
5. Male sex drive peaks at about twenty and slowly but linearly diminishes throughout life. Female sex drive varies with a monthly cycle but peaks in the late twenties and may have another spike after menopause.
6. No male has ever been a target of a date rape drug. Young women need to be careful and know that there are specific, necessary steps to take if she has been doped.
7. Seventy percent of all condoms are purchased by women; nearly one hundred percent of other contraceptives are purchased by women.
8. One hundred years ago, orgasm for women was seen as aberrant – read slutty. Dr. W.K. Kellogg (inventor of corn flakes) described “sexual spasms” in women as being irrelevant and undesirable. We are still overcoming the Victorian (and Freudian) virtues that held women as being asexual vessels to receive semen.
9. A man with a “little dose” will see it in two weeks with a bit of dripping and pain when he pees; a woman in the same situation may be unaware until she is sterile or worse.
10. Boys look forward to getting laid with great relish and little inhibition; girls look forward and dread it at the same time. Note some of the posts about feeling that she was split in two or hurting like hell. With education, this need not be.
11. The rite of passage known as the first pelvic is too often dreaded. Men’s genitals are outside and no invasiveness is required to check them over.

I am not a militant feminist or bull dyke; those both passed in my first two years at University. I am active bi-sexual woman who missed marriage with the death of a fiancé and without the interest to pursue that path. I have great respect for men as people and as colleagues and I recognize their gender specific issues as being valid. My specific interest is in the sexual health of young women. Brandye’s Chick Chat is for us Chick’s. If you do not like Women’s Footlocker do not buy anything there.

Hmmmm. Why did you pick on footwear rather than Talbot’s or Casual Corner or Hanes for Her or Victoria’s Secret?

Since I managed to grab your attention for a brief moment, I'll break my silence. You admitted to having a sexist view/area and that I appreciate, I, as stated previously, was not looking for restitution of any sort, I only wanted it recognized that there was gender discrimination. I'm not arguing your motives, I think they're great motives, Others wanted to take my observations and read into them and act as though I was denying the fact that women have more, as well as, more specific medical concerns.

My issue with lady footlocker, is not that it's a womens shoe store, I'm not gender biased. I really couldn't care less how many store and of what type there are. Every store caters to some demographic or another. My issue with Lady Footlocker is really rather simple, and it is a personal complaint, not directed at anyone, nor am I claiming that there is no need for a womens shoe store. My grievance with Lady footlocker is this, If a mall, or outlet has a Lady footlocker, then why are there still womens shoes in the regular Footlocker stores, (yes I feel the same way about childrens footlocker) The reason I attack Lady footlocker, as opposed to childrens footlocker is simply that Lady footlocker came along before the childrens store and so I've been complaining about Lady footlocker longer. What it boils down to is this, If they're going to have Footlocker shoe stores for women and children, that's great, I fully support that, but at the same time get the ladys and kids shoes out of the regular footlocker stores.

Brandye, thank you for your time and response, I feel bad having took your time (Wasted your time) But I appreciate the fact that you took the ime to address my complaint, Hopefully you'll understand my standpoint on lady footlocker (others I already know will not understand my point, or will try to argue it, to them I say this is the way I feel on the subject, and there's nothing anyone can say or do to change my mind on it.) But I digress, again thank you, and I'll return to my self imposed silence.

[thetease13]

um, she admitted to that where?

and it sounds like to me you're arguing her motives. *you don't like that there's something men can't particiate in.

And I'm sorry, but that's a pretty lame ass reason to hate a store. *Ooh, so the normal footlocker might sell eh, 3 pairs of shoes for women. *Lady Footlocker gives us a bit more variety.
And besides, not every place there is a Footlocker, is there a Lady Footlocker.

And I'm certainly still failing to see this comparison between Lady Footlocker and the chick chat forum.

I see your problem as more or less, it's something you can't participate in and that's why it bothers you.
Reality check, there are things in life men and women cannot both participate in. *Get used to it.

And on a note: why not bother logging in when you reply?