[Belegorn]

You can just come out and call me sexist as that is what you are essentially doing. I've no problem with that. "For justice speaks thus to me: 'Men are not equal.' And neither should they become so!" [Thus Spoke Zarathustra] I've no problem with women or men violating mores, or gender roles. When I look to the divine it is feminine, I've no problem with female warriors, politicians, or whatever craft or sphere they may be in based on their gender. Like their male counter-parts I look to their performance. I know my post in which the other poster essentially called me a sexist without saying so seemed like I was against women in certain positions. Hardly the case! I was only reflecting on the world as it is and is not.

I think in the end the cream rises to the top. Certainly anyone at the top of any sphere is capable of being bested by lesser persons. Sometimes someone not in another's league just has that person's number even though he or she could not hope to attain the type of success exhibited by that person in their craft versus the rest of the field. I do believe that in almost any physical contest, the top male will almost always be better than the top female.

Sexism, racism, classism have been hurled at the LotR. No women or few of little significance, no blacks, the Dunedain vs. the Middle Men, et cetera.

I do not recall Galadriel ever being the ruler of anyone, at least not in title. She and Celeborn did "establish the Noldorin realm of Eregion" [UT, p. 246] though I know Feanor's grandson to be its Lord.