Sir, - The new International Boxing Federation (IBF) women's featherweight champion, Irish woman Deirdre Gogarty, has won a resounding victory not just for her nationality, but more importantly for her sex. Acquitting herself admirably against a series of impressive opponents, one wonders if the chauvinistic contingent of the boxing fraternity will demonstrate emotional maturity by removing remaining restrictions.
Like so many of our national sporting champions, she found it necessary to emigrate, not just to avail of better facilities, but to escape the limitations of patriarchal parochialism. As always, it appears necessary to succeed abroad, before being accepted back home. The residual reaction of the pugilistic patriarchs is likely to be egotistical insecurity, expressed as concern for the safety of female fighters.
Whatever the excitement of the bout itself, the gender implications are infinitely more so! Males must now surely acknowledge that the stereotypical damsel in distress is an extinct social species, a casualty of the feminist movement. Consequently, the codependent position of knight in shining armour is now subsequently redundant. The gender protection racket has been exposed for the desperate attempt at indispensability that it was, a reality many males may have difficulty accepting.
Since the fairer sex have now succeeded in assailing this last bastion of masculinity, it might be an opportune moment at which to finally concede equality voluntarily, before it is imposed ordinarily. It is time to throw in the towel in the sham battle for sexist supremacy. Let us demonstrate our modernity by swallowing our pride, and giving this champion the respect she deserves. We are likely to be much better men for it! - Yours, etc.,
Lower Rathmines Road, Portobello,
Dublin 6.