[Gaming] Something else about RPG Gender Differences that annoys me

[roseembolism]

There was a recent thread on rpg.net about games that enforce gender differences: what games have them, how they are handled, and what players think of them.  I've always been of the opinion that altering basic stats based on gender is a bad idea, and that if one HAS to enforce the idea of a gender-segregated society (which in turn I tend to dislike), that social occupations and roles is the best way to go about it.

I think that a more important thing to note is that when it comes to games that give gender-based limitations and bonuses, nearly always the default average is assumed to be male.  This basically implies that the default "Human" is assumed to be male, which I think is as damaging a notion as the actual limitations.   I wonder how many people have been turned off a game by the implication that women are as inhuman as say, elves?  

Fortunately, games that enforce gender disparity seem to be rare, and generally in a genre I'm not interested in (generally historical or semi-historical simulation, like Harn).  that being the case, I wonder why people bring up the idea as if it might be a good idea?