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Last night, my mom went on a 30 MIN diatribe about @mec "selling out", "losing focus", & "what happens to coop members?" She's been a member since Calgary basement days.
So yikes, if you tell her the outdoors aren't for everyone, especially BIPOC, she's going to yell at you too
So yikes, if you tell her the outdoors aren't for everyone, especially BIPOC, she's going to yell at you too
The outdoors were not a friendly place for Asians until maybe the last few years, & I'm being generous here. Jokes on them, my brother & I crushed trail and summits ALL DAY. Except for Tuesdays bc then we had piano lessons.
Spending times outdoors has long been a way of life for most (?) cultures, so I really hate when people judge others how others recreate. Yeah, we made stir fry & chow mein over the camp fire. Enjoy your Mountain House, bro.
Classic gatekeeping is looking down on people hiking in sneakers, jeans, & whatever. But seriously, I can see the car from this view. There's a naked toddler overtaking you on the trail. Not every excursion is K2.
Assuming people who don't look like you won't have skills is a real bummer. I was denied a belay test bc I didn't LOOK prepared enough. I just got there, hadn't touched a thing. But I was a 14 yr old Chinese girl at a climbing gym. So no, they didn't want me there. Took my $5 tho
In some ways, this racist gatekeeping culture has improved. But it still exists & is hierarchical. The more technical or "elite" the sport, the more gatekeeping. But you know, $$ & skin colour doesn't get you skills, performance, or the right to fish OVER my line
Honestly, all this makes me want to take up bow hunting, just to take up space in another field. I think I'd like it, my culture invented ninjas.
Shout out to all the peeps who have genuinely offered to teach me how to hunt.
Shout out to all the peeps who have genuinely offered to teach me how to hunt.
So, there's work to be done. And I'm afraid that if it doesn't improve, I'm going to have to go full Janet's Mom.
I see now, in fact, that I already channel some of her ethos.
I see now, in fact, that I already channel some of her ethos.
Actions:
Create a safe place for everyone.
If you find yourself on the cusp of judgment, check yourself. Is everyone safe & having a good time? Then don't worry about it.
Donate your gently used gear to organizations that help people get outdoors.
#DiversifyOutdoors
Create a safe place for everyone.
If you find yourself on the cusp of judgment, check yourself. Is everyone safe & having a good time? Then don't worry about it.
Donate your gently used gear to organizations that help people get outdoors.
#DiversifyOutdoors
