Arts & Ammo

Harvard Segregates the Pool

Time reported in 1974 that more than half of college residents lived in co-ed dorms.

Now, 34 years later, Harvard is concerned that women may feel uncomfortable swimming in the presence of men and has implemented women-only hours for use of its pool. From Boston University’s Daily Free Press:

Men have not been allowed to enter the Quadrangle Recreational Athletic Center during certain times since Jan. 28, after members of the Harvard Islamic Society and the Harvard Women’s Center petitioned the university for a more comfortable environment for women.

Michael Graham writes in The Boston Herald:

In the old days, Harvard would have laughed if some Catholic or evangelical mother urged “girls-only” campus workouts in the name of modesty. Today, Harvard happily implements Sharia swim times in the name of Mohammed.

A Harvard spokesman told Graham there was no discrimination in banning men from the pool at certain hours.

“No, no,” he told me, “we’re permitting women to work out in an environment that accommodates their religion.”

By banning all men from the facility, right?

“It’s not ‘banning,’” he insisted. “We’re allowing, we’re accommodating people.”

Mark Steyn comments:

And thus “progress” comes full circle. In Minneapolis last year, the airport licensing authority, faced with a mainly Muslim crew of cab drivers refusing to carry the blind, persons with six-packs of Bud, slatternly women, etc, proposed instituting two types of taxis with differently colored lights, one of which would indicate the driver was prepared to carry members of identity groups that offend Islam. Forty years ago, advocating separate drinking fountains made you a racist. Today, advocating separate taxi cabs or separate swimming sessions makes you a multiculturalist.

March 6th, 2008 Posted by Fitzroy | Education, Law | one comment