The issue is largely the retcon. Its easy to forget that the whole 'only men can join Orlanth'thing is a big retcon in the first place - Orlanthi society has been gradually evolving towards being more sexist as its been fleshed out. Thats not an inevitable thing - its a creative decision.
Lets face it - it wasn't the lovingly replicated pre-modern sexism that drew us to the game in the first place. As the decision is made to take Glorantha further in that direction, why shouldn't we complain?
I'll admit my own creative sensibilities don't find the sexism of Heortling society particularly appealing - which is why I'm more enthusiastic about the transformative power of the Lunar way - but I don't particularly object to it being that way in the first place, its Glorantha. But I can sure complain about changes that take things in directions I don't like.
I play Ars Magica as well. I don't complain about the sexism in the Ars Magica setting - medieval Europe is deeply sexist, and I knew that when I started playing the game. But in that setting, the Gift trumps gender, so major PCs (those that are magicians, the focus of the game) aren't particularly encumbered by sexism to any notable extent - and thats a creative decision too, and one made with the desires of players in mind. If they suddenly decided that the setting was insufficiently sexist, and the magicians needed their fair share of sexism too, I'd tell that sucked, no matter how authentically medieval it was.
Cheers
David
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