The women would take up positions blocking trapped Arab unit and the Arab commander would go for the honorable surrender to a male combat unit. This saved lives on both sides. As the story goes the Israelis were generally sensitive to appearances and took steps to keep the female troops more or less a veiled threat and provide a relatively easy and honorable alternative.

Prejudices and cultural norms can sometimes be used to good effect. Black troops were sent into the south after the Civil War and the presence of disciplined armed black men had a sobering effect. Unfortunately, as with all good things, they were too often used, and often poorly deployed, and armed black troops became a rallying to point for southern resistance to reconstruction.

There is a fine line between leveraging cultural differences and rubbing an opponent’s nose in it. The first is a useful tactic and force multiplier. The second comes back at you as long term resentment.

Churches are not public accommodations; they can and should be permitted to discriminate against anyone they want, for whatever reason. If members of a church don’t want to host fabulous weddings, that’s their own loss.

Or Lewis Black’s harrowing description of gay banditos bursting into a normal family home in a cul-de-sac.