One of the common arguments in defence of both the YLYL thread, and the general posting of lady-pictures in general is that 'it's never wrong to appreciate beauty'. And that is valid. But the thing we need to think about is what kind of community we want to be. Do we want to be a welcoming community which tries hard to include everyone, or do we want to be a community which is more appealing to people who fit into a standard of what the community has been in the past?
We're sports fans here, obviously. What we have in common is fandom or interest in the Flames. Traditionally, this is a male-dominated community. Some people may really like that about being a sports fan, both men and women. Men may feel this is a 'last bastion', women may enjoy being part of a 'secret club' or something. That's fine, but I personally want to be a more inclusive community. I think different voices and different perspectives are really, really valuable.
A simple example of that is the voices that come from fans of other teams. Yes, trolls suck, but there are some really great members of CP who are Canucks and Oilers fans. They offer an interesting perspective on our team and the game. I think women, minorities, and people from different cultures offer similarly interesting and valuable contributions to the community.
I think the presence of the YLYL thread, particularly its regular presence on the front-page of the Off-Topic Forum, is detrimental to the community. I think there is a strong likelihood that it discourages participation in the community by women, and I think that's something we should correct by getting rid of it.
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