Men-only clubs in Australia have stringent dress standards and only let women attend select events. They are sometimes thought of secret sects because of the way they are run and their elitist nature. Melbourne boasts a number of gentlemen’s clubs who work hard to distinguish themselves from the neighbourhood clubs in the area. A typical Gentlemens club Melbourne is a men’s only establishment and only allow women in as employees and servers. They are exclusive and “classy”. However not all gentlemen’s clubs are what they claim to be. The role of women in these establishments can be blurred and women who come in as employees suffer harassment and even sexual harassment and because most of the men who are members are of a certain social standing, the bad things that happen often go unreported. Some of the best gentlemens clubs in Melbourne include: The Melbourne Club, Tattersalls, The Australian Club, The Savage, the Athenaeum Club, the Knickerbocker Club and others. These clubs can trace their history back to the 1700s when the British ruled and a lot of the aristocracy brought the concept of high-end, Members only dens.
Compared to Strip clubs, these clubs aren’t trying to sell sexual fantasies. They style themselves as meeting spaces for men with a certain interest or role in society gather to unwind and have discussions about various important social topics. The membership is restricted. To belong, someone has to invite you or vouch for you and you have to pay a hefty membership fee. Some of these gentlemens clubs have found themselves caught by controversy. They try to protect clients against litigation by having them sign non-disclosure agreements. The women who choose to work there are less protected unlike the usual strip club performers. In 2015, George Brandis (the then the liberal party’s senator) came under fire for being a member of The Savage Club. The matter was discussed in parliament and the Labor party was of the notion that Brandis’ work on anti-disciplinary laws presented a conflict of interest. As the matter was being discussed in parliament, some senators had a problem with the bizzare initiation requirements.
They may not give memberships to women to join, but that is as far as they are willing to go to address the male-only, toxic environment that has women being regarded as objects. They are inconsequential and behave as if the membership fees they pay, gives the right to misbehave. In a perfect world, even with the #MeToo Movement women are still exploited. Society has rallied behind women, holding demonstrations outside some of these so-called “respectable places” to bring a light to these sexist clubs.
There have been instances where these “frat-boy –LIKE” clubs would hold government events where working girls are misused. Brandis isn’t the only prominent figure to be caught in a gentlemens club conspiracy, The Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a well-known devotee of gentlemens club Melbourne has done little to protect the girls who find themselves victimized. Strange things have happened before with fundraisers for women’s causes were being held at men-only clubs.
