My comments pertain to the following blog post:
https://thefifthedge.org/olive/july-8th-2021/
But before I begin, to offer a full disclosure: I know very little about the inner circle of figure skating. I admit to never really bothering to look up the customs, rules, and expectations of the figure skating world and community, so as I share my opinions, keep in mind that they are just that- opinions, and far be it for me to challenge long standing traditions on different matters that do not, nor have ever pertained to me personally.
On that note, I do pose a question, a curiosity of mine. I wonder if there may be a strict dress code with regards to figure skaters such as we may find on a country club golf course? I also know of several clubs and "nite life" places that have strict dress codes in place for men particularly. I have seen signs posted outside of a Drake's Restaurant in Bristol TN regarding a dress code specifically for men only, the women's dress code was much more lax. There is also another "up down" restaurant I noted in Johnson City TN that also had such a dress code.
Currently, my only form of protest on these discriminatory practices is to simply avoid the establishments. I don't, and I won't visit places that make me feel less human on account of the fact I was born with male anatomy. But to be frank, it doesn't seem like those establishments are missing out of my money anyway... At any rate, I have never really been a "nite lifer" or country club kind of guy. I love the national forest, lakes and streams, romping through the woods on old trails and paths...
Mother Nature has never told me I wasn't welcome just for wearing a skirt.
As for businesses in general, pretty much every "ma and pa" establishments always seem hospitable and grateful for my business, many of them even strike up friendly conversation with me. Virtually all major businesses (Walmart, Target, Grocery stores, etc) are friendly. Food Lion is by far the friendliest of them all, with the Walmart in Lebanon Virginia coming in a strong second (surprisingly). Of course, then again,
Walmart and eccentric shoppers are practically an American cliché. Indeed, freaks were welcome at Walmart long before we were welcome anywhere else.
All this being said, knowing how society distrust eccentric men in particular, I have always endeavored to avoid public parks and other areas where children are present. We even cut our camping trip short by a day due to the very unwelcoming vibe we were getting from the surrounding families, all of which had several children who stare at us along with parents that would give us the stank eye at every turn. I have never had a desire to go to local festivals or events, mainly due to the ugliness of people ruining any good time we may attempt to have. About the only major event we may visit might be an LGBT event somewhere or another, but as for everywhere else, we avoid. Not because we are scared or anything,
but people are just too damned mean!
My job works me long hours with "on call" that rolls around VERY often. In other words, I have VERY LITTLE time to myself. I simply choose to not spend what little free time I have being bullied by the world. Thus I prefer smaller crowds and solitary walks in sparsely populated areas and woodlands.
To the blog post (quotes are in
italics and are pulled from post linked to about):
Even my first coach, Jean Kendo Weigl, was not immune to the bigotry I faced as they themselves were blacklisted and harmed for their choice in teaching me. My second coach, Leslie C. Shackelford-Rinicella, says she faced the same hassles from others. Other coaches like Chris Martin just flat out refused to teach me unless I conformed to their standards while their female students were not faced with the same constraint, others just outright lied. Most however just said no or hung up and/or stopped responding to my emails after they knew who I was. Shaker from what I heard even changed their rules to deter my participation. And why is it that those who knew of what was going on and could influence and effect change did nothing?
To answer your last question, I'm afraid I do not know, I could only speculate. I do know that in my experience, when confronted with a blatant injustice on account of the clothes I wear, many "friends" of mine have left me to fight my own battles alone. Honestly, and not to sound ugly or mean, but I think these so called "friends" don't want to get caught on the side of someone that the general public views as a "perverted faggot".
Men who dabble in female gender roles are some of the most despised people on the planet. These so called "friends" value their reputation more than their friendship.
That being said, it sounds like you met some good people along the way, such as Jean Kendo Weigl? Chris Martin sounds like your typical American ass.
My picture used to hang on the wall at Skaters Edge in Cleveland and Dale used tell me that people would call him to take it down before coming in.
People calling to take a picture down off a wall? That is the most ridiculous, childish, and dare I say, almost fascist thing I think I could think of at the moment. Perhaps those callers could heat their homes this winter by burning books too? How DARE we allow people just to be who they are and mind our own business?!?! Da-fuk is wrong with those people?? Offended over a completely clean, photo of a man who just has the audacity to wear a dress?? Damned snowflakes!
For the most part however I was able to skate, but mostly on the outside of the skating community.
Oh yes, God forbid we have the nerve to proclaim the world isn't flat....
Not a week goes by that one doesn’t hear about some kind of discrimination, be it race, gender, or sex. Even though what I endured was blatantly obvious, nobody did anything about it. When I talk about it, people at first don’t even believe me as certainly a white cisgender male couldn’t possibly be discriminated against. When I show them my picture, the typical response is that I should just wear pants. Another person argued that I couldn’t claim discrimination as a dark skinned person couldn’t easily change their skin tone to avoid it while I could just wear pants and be treated normally. Telling me to leave shows that bigotry and discrimination is far more diverse then black and white.
This paragraph is one that I have devoted a lot of thought to today.
First of all, nobody did anything because you're not trans*, and thus you're not in a protected class, and frankly, nobody gives a sh!t.
I could go into detail as to why, and one on one in person I'd be happy to, but as it stands this is a
public forum, and I don't feel like some passerby screen shoting what I might have said and trying to have me fired from my job and otherwise "canceled" in the world.
So you show them a picture and their response is to just wear pants. Hmm.. wonder how that would go down if some sexist bigot called out a woman in the work place for "just wearing a skirt".
To the other person that argued that you couldn't claim discrimination because a dark skinned person couldn't choose to change their skin tone, and YOU could just avoid this by wearing pants normally...
True BUT, you can't help the fact that you were BORN A MALE. Had you had been BORN A FEMALE, YOU'D HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE! You are being told you CAN NOT do something SIMPLY BECAUSE OF HOW YOUR CREATOR MADE YOU! Oh, I GET IT, you have to become trans* to be able to wear a dress? Is that how it is?
To that I could argue that the whole concept of "Jim Crow" was "Separate but equal". I wonder if those people might have said that the blacks could have just chosen to ride in the back of the bus, stayed in their underfunded schools, continued to drink from the "colored" water fountain...? To segregate people was wrong then, and it's wrong now.
I guess it's ALL YOUR FAULT for checking the "male" box when GOD ASKED YOU WHAT SEX YOU
WANTED TO BE BEFORE YOU WERE BORN!!! You should have known better!
So no... BIGOTRY isn't always based on color.
Speaking of color, yes, your story has gotten my
red up today...
