leggi in italiano »
Congratulations to the Bridge Club of the City of Breno and to the team Zaleski for the victory in the Men Coppa Italia 2011. However, there’s the hope that this could be the last “Men” Teams Coppa Italia, and, already since the next year, it could become “Open” Teams Coppa Italia, i.e. open to all, not longer reserved to men only. The Neapolitan Club’s supposition is that the present saving clause is against the Italian Constitution, art. 3, which prohibits discriminations. Here the text of the article, translated by the Professors Carlo Casonato and Jens Woelk of the University of Trento – Faculty of Law, Department of Legal Sciences:
“All citizens have equal social dignity and are equal before the law, without distinction as to sex, race, language, religion, political opinions, or personal or social condition.
It is the duty of the Republic to remove those obstacles of an economic and social nature that, by in fact limiting the freedom and equality of citizens, impede the full development of the human person and the effective participation of all workers in the political, economic and social organisation of the country.”
Admittedly, there are “only men” tourneys in several nations with even longer tradition of democracy than Italy (but not in the USA). Moreover, it must be said that, as it doesn’t exist sexual dimorphism in human intellectual activities – or at least it hasn’t yet evidenced – the “only women” events should be banned as well as the ones reserved to men. So, for example, Lorenzo Lauria should have the right to enter the Venice Cup, although Agustin Madala would be a more appreciated guest from opponents.
This jokingly style shouldn’t mislead the reader: the question is by no means fun. Everyone has one best partner; only the greatest players play well with many, but even them prefer one above all, or at least they want to play with the one who they are in love of. Ely Culbertson became much stronger playing with Josephine; Hal Sims’ best partner was his wife Dorothy Rice, and Alan Truscott played with Dorothy Hayden, nothing saying of Bob and Petra Hamman.
We above have written that in USA there aren’t men only events; let’s explain why starting from an article published by Alan Truscott in New York Times on 1985, May 28th. As told by Truscott, Robert and Jill Blanchard sued the American Contract Bridge League in Los Angeles because the exclusion of Jill from a men only tourney in the Fall National Championships of 1984. That exclusion violated the California’s Unruh Act, a law of 1959 of the politician Jesse Marvin Unruh. The Act states:
“All persons within the jurisdiction of this state are free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, marital status, or sexual orientation are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever.”
It could be contested that a Bridge event isn’t exactly a “business establishment”, and the same Act of course specifies that its validity is only “…Within…” the boundaries of California, nevertheless the Unruh Act is very similar to the constitutional principles of any civilized country, so the ACBL, intelligently, came to an accommodation with the claimers, and in 1990 there were not men only tourneys in all the National Championships, in all that great Country. We think that, being Italy no smaller of the Unites States of America, we too will soon cancel this remnant of ancient prejudices.
Before to close this article we invited the protagonist of that battle, Jill Levin Blanchard née Shane, to send a comment about, and she kindly did it:
“Thank you for taking an interest in this. I remain firm in my belief that one’s sex should not dictate what competitions one may enter any more than race or religion or any other proscribed classification.
The opening of men’s events in the USA has had the happy result of players such as Jill Meyers, Jenny Wolpert, JoAnna Stansby and Tobi Sokolow winning prestigious events against the toughest competition. The women and women’s bridge are much the better for it. However, I believe that women’s bridge will eventually die out as the upcoming generations of women would find it abhorrent to be segregated on that basis. There are so many better ways to find the competition one is most comfortable with-champions, points, qualifying stages, etc.
Bridge is unique in the opportunity for the novice to compete against the best in the sport. Denying half the population that pleasure on the basis of their sex is an affront to equality and thankfully, in my country, illegal” (Jill Levin).
Read Alan Truscott’s article on NYT about Blanchard Case >>
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Paolo Enrico Garrisi (December 18, 2011)