excuse the thread drift but - in reply to bubblyrat's earlier post

Smedly used the phrase
'your gender differentiation in accepting/refusing a seat seems at best quaint & at worst masochistic'

Apart from the fact I would agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly I also feel that the word 'gender' was the best word to use in this context as it refers to a role
'determined by social interaction, exchange, and absorption of peer, familial, and larger cultural values that determine identity and affiliation.'
and not simply 'an individuals physical anatomy – genitalia, facial hair, body structure and composition. i.e. the biological characteristics that separate male from female.'

I don't see any confusion in Smedley's use of words - just the opposite in fact!