I didn't want to detract from that conversation, so I started a new one. I really am interested in people's feedback.
On Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 9:40 PM, Mark Rehder
<mark@re-cycles.ca> wrote:
While the tone of this makes it sound like there's some sort of conspiracy (and maybe there is and no one told me about it), as a male I'd personally be interested in what you come up with.
I'll ditto what Mark said. I feel weird asking to be involved, but I am interested in how I--as a male bodied, male identifying person--can help make things more equitable in the spaces I occupy. Of course, the quick and dirty solution is to remove myself. I guess I should make myself ok with that.
After some of the discussions I had in Minneapolis at bikebike this year about racial and gender inequality in our organizations, I've thought about what the implications are of me --again, a white male of upper middle class background-- assuming that the bike shop I'm involved with is something that people of other cultures and backgrounds would be interested in, and working towards making the space inclusive and welcoming.
Of course I want everyone of every culture and economic and educational background, every oppressed class, gender, etc, to feel comfortable and welcome to partake and have access to the things I do.
I just wonder if there isn't some sort of cultural bias that sort of goes the other way, and that makes this bikes-are-awesome thing less attractive to the (generalizing here for convenience) non-white, non-male elements of our community. At some point, it just comes down to someone who's not going to come into our shop just not being into bikes, or bike culture, or what we do, no matter what accommodations are made, right?
I don't have a background or that much experience talking about this stuff, so I apologize if my word choice offends. I'm really interested in hearing people's thoughts on this. I really REALLY hope it doesn't come across as the white dude saying that other backgrounds/genders/etc aren't welcome. It's not that at all.
In my other life I'm a musician, and we generally have a history of non-discrimination; you can be male / female / white / black / disabled / whatever - we don't care as long as you can do the gig.
Based on that, I've been kind of surprised that our shop has never been able to recruit an experienced female mechanic. Women are of course involved with our shop, both as staff and as customers, and I would say at least half of our bike purchasers and a third of our do-it-yourselfers.
I guess the lack is due to so few women mechanics in general. And is this is a cultural thing (usual suspects of "women are less likely to be mechanically inclined / do not want to get their hands dirty", etc.) or is it deeper than that? Is there a bias? Is there gender discrimination? I imagine that there is, though the idealist in me is appalled at that.
If you can change the status quo I'm all for it!
Mark