As a CIS male instructor, I have invited women to take my classes for free if they promised to teach other women.
I taught them beside males and in women only settings. If a man went over to help a woman, I allow the additional teaching to occur, then I would tell the male to undo the procedure and let the woman do it successfully on her own. In my classes Men are allow to teach but not do. I like more people because they ask more detailed questions and make me explain more in depth in my teaching. 

Six Sigma has taught me that the bike is not the focus of the conversation in sales of service, parts, accessories, garments, or bikes. The cyclist ride experience and how to improve it, is everything. Please think about the last sentence for a few months.

Women have been my best mechanics, and believed the contrary. Men believe they know it all, and know nothing. Getting women to know they are the best mechanics, and the best sales of service is the next level of teaching. The cyclist ride experience and how to improve it, is everything. What you have between your legs, better be a bike, 

Christopher Wallace
Bicycle Guild
773 490 0683
Oak Park, IL. 60304
Chicago

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [TheThinkTank] Women, Trans, Non-binary Shop Times
From: "Tegan Moss [B!KE]" <director@communitybikeshop.org>
Date: Wed, March 29, 2017 12:07 pm
To: The Think Tank <thethinktank@lists.bikecollectives.org>

Hi All,

After 10 years of teaching time that serves everyone B!KE is finally endeavoring to carve out a space just for women! We have often managed to strike a pretty excellent gender balance in the shop but interestingly recent growth has the shop feeling very male dominated. We are adding a bunch of hours for the on season and planning to make some of that time specifically for women. 

As a cis-gendered female mechanic, I feel pretty confident about hosting space, and defending the need of a space, that is for women only. I know that many other shops combine their women only time with trans/non-binary/femme time and I am feeling a bit concerned about a few things. How do you addresses these things:

1) Why combine these two groups? Don't they have different needs?
2) Do trans & non-binary people get their needs met? Or are they still second to women?
3) How much time is spent explaining gender identity and pronouns to baby boomers?
4) Is it better to have a women only time that excludes trans folks OR a women, trans, non-binary night that sort of includes them all?

The language I am currently leaning toward is that this shop time is for "all women-identified people". I am curious what issues and resolutions have been found in other shops.

Please share with me about your knowledge and experience in this matter!

Best,
Tegan

--
B!KE: The Peterborough Community Bike Shop
293 George St, Peterborough ON
(705) 775-7227
communitybikeshop.org

____________________________________

The ThinkTank mailing List
Unsubscribe from this list