While I, personally, dislike the idea of clubs that admit only men, I feel like that qualifier alone could be a problematic definition by which to gauge suitability for membership.  After all, as a graduate of a Seven Sisters college that has chosen not to go co-ed, I would feel rather hypocritical about insisting that a private entity should not decide inclusion/exclusion based on gender alone.  Yes, I know there are historical differences in the debate about privilege regarding men-only institutions and women-only institutions but still, it seems like it could be a problematic issue.  Are gender-specific organizations necessarily hate-based?  I would argue that no, they are not, even when I, personally, feel uncomfortable with the exclusion of women from prestigious men-only clubs.

I certainly think ARLIS should consider, if it doesn't already do so, defining itself as a safe and inclusive organization and insisting on its meeting places (online and in-person) adhering to those standards.  I do think, however, that we would need to think about where we would draw the line at banning people from joining but especially WHY we would draw the line.