Recently Jack Kemp reported on gender confusion regarding Australian traffic signals; having all men on the Walk sign was deemed sexist and so the Down Unders spent real money turning themselves upside down in an effort to please the estrogen set (or the set lacking adequate estrogen perhaps.) See Jack's piece here.

Anyway, Mr. Kemp makes the following observation:

"You know, this traffic light icon image problem could be solved at minimal expense, without having to buy one new piece of equipment. Local politicians around the world could simply declaire that the male-appearing figure on the traffic lights is now, by Official Proclimation. The politicians could proclaim that on alterrnative days their traffic light icons are either a male figure or world famous aviatrix Amelia Earhard in her baggy trousers. Starting on a Sunday, the signs would be (every other day) Amelia getting ready to walk out to her airplane. Costs involved: one piece of parchment, calling a press conference. Mechanaical equipment costs involved: zero. Problem solved.

Who am I kidding? If that proclamation was made, then there would be complaints by transvestites and radical feminists demanding a traffic light symbol of a skirt wearing icon. And other feminists would claim the skirted icon is sexist because many women wear slacks these days. Later others would demand that the skirt shown is too short and offends Muslims and religiously modest Jews and Hindus and even Christians. There is no end to this insanity, if given into.

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 10:28 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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