Not sure of the OP’s sensation but when an institution creates highly visible programs supporting every single group except one, then it is a form of exclusion (albeit a negative form vs a positive form of exclusion). You could say that such policies are necessary or justified to redress historical inequalities. This is the traditional justification for such policies. Such an argument starts to break down over when those inequalities are less noticeable.

I don't know if this has changed, but when I was an undergrad in math, all the summer REUs were for women and minorities. I applied to many all the same but never got to do any summer research, which definitely worked against me when applying for grad school. This wouldn't have pushed me out of college I suppose, but it made continuing beyond more difficult.

Boys are virtually despised through primary and secondary school.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.usnews.com/news/articles/20...