(no subject)
Oct. 5th, 2004 01:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
keryxWhen I originally posted about the whole Curves=anti-choice thing, I ended up with a lot of people sending me info and comments on the subject (my favorite was Cinnamon's post on Feministe); some of those commenters were adamant that Curves offers, for many women, a rare opportunity to become active in a supportive and semi-feministy environment. In short, you shouldn't judge the franchises by the corporation.
I hate to drag this issue back up again, but I got this request from Planned Parenthood to thank a NYT magazine dude for his thoughts on being pro-choice and going to Curves.
Last week, a socially conscious pro-choice advocate asked The New York Times Magazine Ethicist this poignant question:
"I am in my month's trial membership at the fitness chain Curves, and I love it. I must decide whether to sign up for a year, and I've learned that the owner of the company financially supports pro-life efforts, whereas I am pro-choice. Do I have a duty to give up my Curves membership?"
Many people often ask Planned Parenthood this very same question and we applaud columnist Robert Cohen for his response:
"It depends: which do you value more, your reproductive rights or your figure? If the former, clean out your locker. You won't be alone."
A not so well-known fact is that Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of Curves, is an avid supporter of anti-choice causes, having pledged more than $5 million to various groups that oppose reproductive choice. So if you're a member of Curves, your money may be indirectly supporting abstinence-only education and other anti-choice programs.
I'm offended by the dismissiveness of his "oh, you're only worried about your figure" as if that's the only thing you might get out of Curves, as if appearance is the only reason a woman might work out. What if you see your woman-only workout as a sort of safe space?
Yeah, it's a stretch to see working out at Curves as feminist, but damn, I hate pat answers like that.
I hate to drag this issue back up again, but I got this request from Planned Parenthood to thank a NYT magazine dude for his thoughts on being pro-choice and going to Curves.
Last week, a socially conscious pro-choice advocate asked The New York Times Magazine Ethicist this poignant question:
"I am in my month's trial membership at the fitness chain Curves, and I love it. I must decide whether to sign up for a year, and I've learned that the owner of the company financially supports pro-life efforts, whereas I am pro-choice. Do I have a duty to give up my Curves membership?"
Many people often ask Planned Parenthood this very same question and we applaud columnist Robert Cohen for his response:
"It depends: which do you value more, your reproductive rights or your figure? If the former, clean out your locker. You won't be alone."
A not so well-known fact is that Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of Curves, is an avid supporter of anti-choice causes, having pledged more than $5 million to various groups that oppose reproductive choice. So if you're a member of Curves, your money may be indirectly supporting abstinence-only education and other anti-choice programs.
I'm offended by the dismissiveness of his "oh, you're only worried about your figure" as if that's the only thing you might get out of Curves, as if appearance is the only reason a woman might work out. What if you see your woman-only workout as a sort of safe space?
Yeah, it's a stretch to see working out at Curves as feminist, but damn, I hate pat answers like that.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-05 06:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-06 02:05 am (UTC)I jsut deleted the email from PP. I started to read it and then got annoyed. Publicity emails are usually pat and frustrating...
(no subject)
Date: 2004-10-06 02:33 pm (UTC)Anyhow, I'm trying not to just vent about these things when they come from feminist groups, but to write back and ask them to change. :)