by Chris Bodenner
Last week a judge in New York struck down a lawsuit alleging that club managers who lure women with discounted drinks are violating the equal protection clause - against men. Tracy Clark-Flory calls out her fellow feminists:
Roy Den Hollander, the man who brought the suit, is not the most sympathetic character -- Jezebel's Irin Carmon referred to him as "Russian wife-abusing, Women's Studies' program-suing, young-lady-preying Roy" -- but there is so much about ladies nights that runs counter to feminist philosophy. Gender-based pricing, really? If the roles were reversed, we would be in full-on protest mode.
Tracy's post reminds me of an item I read in the latest Time Out New York:
Is it legal here to charge women substantially higher rates than men for haircuts? As a woman with very short hair, it really pisses me off when my male friends get cheaper cuts from the same stylist, even though my hair is shorter than theirs! Surely this is gender discrimination on a major scale?Laura
A It’s time to find a new stylist, because posting rates that charge you more than your male friends violates the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) Code and NYC Human Rights Law. The DCA Code requires retailers (including hair salons) to post prices and forbids prices that differ on the basis of gender. NYC Human Rights Commissioner and Chair Patricia L. Gatling agrees: “Gender-based discrimination is a violation of the NYC Human Rights Law. Charging men and women different prices for the same service is gender discrimination,” she says. “Individuals who believe they are being treated differently from one another based on their gender, race, national origin and numerous other protected classes should contact the NYC Commission on Human Rights.” To do that, simply dial 311. Sandra Plasse
I'm not especially animated by this double standard, but on the face of it, the disparate cost of drinks based on gender seems pretty damn discriminatory. What if a club owner wanted to attract more white patrons by offering them a special discount?