Hey dudes,

When you feel entitled to attack me off-list, go ahead and send it to the.attica@gmail.com, so my work email doesn't get so cluttered. Thanks!

Andrea

On 12/27/09, Bike City bikecityrecyclery@gmail.com wrote:

Activist Scenes are No Safe Space for Women: On Abuse of Activist Women by Activist Men http://www.kersplebedeb.com/mystuff/feminist/activist_abuse.html

On 12/27/09, Mark Rehder mark@re-cycles.ca wrote:

...

On 27-Dec-09, at 5:38 AM, Bike City wrote:

(snip)

...

More generally, white dudes got us in this mess we're in. Oppression is completely unsustainable. Now their colonizing, industrializing asses want to be in charge of the clean up crew? They have a thoroughly dastardly track record, so if they're not going to let anyone else have a turn, we'd better at least keep an eye on 'em.

You are guilty of the same attitude if you are going to use this broad a brush.

With each community bike collective someone saw a need and got one going. The bike biz has been mainly male-oriented, so mainly guys have started these shops. But it does not have to stay that way, and at least these shops get started, and are presumably / hopefully being inclusive. And this model is ideally a step forward compared to a typical for-profit consume-all sports store.

Please let us know of any examples where women were told "no, you cannot start a community bike shop, only men can do that". Yes, the bike industry in general can be fairly "macho", which is why I would much rather be with our community bike shop than a typical for-profit one. We've created it, and we can set its tone. Maybe our type of shop will be the way of the future, pushing out the old macho for- profit consume-all crap?

Your anger may prevent you from believing that there actually are men who have been aware of the oppression and sexism from early in their lives, and have been trying to do something about it (just as there were white people who helped put an end to slavery). A guy can often make himself very unpopular with other men when he calls them on their behaviour (sexist, racist, whatever). But it needs to be done, for everyone's sake. And sure, feel free to "keep an eye on us" as we try to fight the crap...

Mark _______________________________________________ Thethinktank mailing list Thethinktank@bikecollectives.org To unsubscribe, send a blank email to TheThinkTank-leave@bikecollectives.org To manage your subscription, plase visit: http://lists.bikecollectives.org/listinfo.cgi/thethinktank-bikecollectives.o...

-- Bike City Recyclery Fayetteville, Arkansas http://www.bikecityrecyclery.org/