Safer Space
Safer Spaces at W&T/etc. nights
For many of us on this wiki, this conversation is old hat. For anyone joining in and being curious about the why of WTF/FTW/W&T/Women's safer spaces, this space will serve as a means of understanding the need. Even if every single moment in a bike collective was filled with people striving toward a safer space as best they could, there would still be a need for WTF night because the people who show up couldn't be expected to know that.
the more you do to make a space accessible to more people, the less it will be exclusively the default demographic that shows up and sticks around.
A good page with an okay primer as to why one might need/want safer spaces is Patriarchy and Bicycle Repair.
Naming this sort of event can be challenging, and you'll want to think carefully about who you may be including or excluding.
Suffice it to say that every bicycle space unless otherwise stated is a de facto "boys club" and many femme / trans folks report feeling more comfortable in safer spaces designed specifically for them.
Ideally, the goal is for an entire collective to participate in a safer space agreement at all times.
Online Resources
Video made by grease rag in Minneapolis about the need for W&T nights:
Comics:
- Imagine yourself at the shop
- but men
Online Discussion and Resources:
- The Metafilter Thread Condensed PDF on emotional labor
- cognitive bias hiding sexism
- Example experiences of Women & Trans Night (click "next message" to read through the conversation)
- language for trans-inclusive events
Search Terms:
- Code of Conduct
- Emotional Labor
- Implicit Bias
some things to consider when working to make bike collectives more accessible to a wider variety of people
- access to basic food
- if music, multicultural music
- pedagogically-oriented learning environment
- value all work, including admin work
- safer space trainings for core volunteers
- upholding clear shop guidelines and boundaries for appropriate behavior
- providing an option for clearly defined volunteer tasks
- informative, accessible website
- have contact info for a mediator available
- physical shop safety
- being predictably and punctually open
- having a functioning, physical land line telephone in the shop