Sasha Chavkin and Josh Nathan-Kazis report on another state-funded sex-segregated orthodox bus for the Forward:
The public commuter bus between Brooklyn and the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community of Kiryas Joel has cushioned seats, small televisions and another, more unusual feature: a heavy blue curtain that hangs from the ceiling and separates male and female passengers.
On a bus ridden by reporters from the New York World and the Forward, men and women walked and sat on opposite sides of the divider which runs nearly the length of the center aisle. And a female reporter who sat on the wrong side of the divide was asked to move, though left alone when she declined.
The commuter buses are operated by Monroe Bus, a private firm that received nearly $1.6 million in government funding from the New York State Department of Transportation between 2009 and 2010 to operate commuter lines to and from Kiryas Joel in Orange County, N.Y. The sex-separated seating arrangements on publicly subsidized commuter routes — viewed by many of the ultra-Orthodox riders as an accommodation to Jewish modesty requirements — are said by one advocate to violate civil rights laws. Yet the details of how they are enforced may be crucial in assessing the practice’s legality.
“That practice is unlawful,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, of the curtain separating men and women on a public bus. “You can’t require separate sections for men and women any more than you can based on race or national origin.”
Fui.
“another state-funded sex-segregated orthodox bus for the Forward”
Do the women on the bus have to move backwards for the Forward ?
“And a female reporter who sat on the wrong side of the divide was asked to move, though left alone when she declined.”
A new Rosa Parks. History does have a way of repeating itself.
“are said by one advocate to violate civil rights laws. Yet the details of how they are enforced may be crucial in assessing the practice’s legality.”
Yeah, I can see how it probably is legal if you don’t really enforce it. I mean, if a restaurant has a sign up that says “No Nigras or Jews Allowed” but would feed them anyway if they chose come in, what’s the harm? How could that be illegal and a civil rights violation? Why would some silly woman be offended if she was asked to sit on the other side of the bus if they wouldn’t stop her if she refused? What’s the harm? I mean its being done among Jews so it can’t be that wrong.
SHOCKING! Reformed/secular Jews and Orthodox Jews can’t seem to agree on anything! Except, of course, the need to support Israel. Ah, the ties that bind.