Separation is good

One college freshman in Vermont is taking her issues from the bathroom to the courtroom.
Jennifer Weiler, a student at Green Mountain College, is suing the school for not providing separate bathrooms for men and women...
....Conservative pundit Wendy Shalit has written at length about the importance of modesty in college dorms, including her own experiences as a student at Williams College.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/12/22/2009-12-22_college_student_sues_green_mountain_college_in_vermont_over_coed_bathrooms_in_do.html#ixzz0aUlS8HS0

In a Ynet article, Women of the Wall member, Haviva Ner-David, writes, "We have a synagogue that is the center of our communal life, but it has no partition and women participate fully in the services that are held there."

My view? Sometimes, separation is necessary, be it in the synagogue, or to ensure modesty in public facilities. The bottom line is that men and women are different. As much as Serena Williams demands equal pay for her tennis performances, she is still willing to play women's matches where one has to play the best of three sets, whereas a man must play the best of five sets. In a marathon, the best of the women reaches the finish line minutes after many of the best men. So, in not demanding equal performance for men and women, we are acknowledging the differences.