Photo of Farai taken by the author, Stefani Dawn
I wonder, are you starting to feel saturated with panels, articles, videos, and hashtags about increasing diversity in climbing, in the outdoors, and in the outdoor industry? If so, then good; that means the message is finally gaining momentum.
People have been aware of #theadventuregap for years, spoken of it, written about it, taken action, but it either missed the mainstream, fell onto deaf ears and shoulder shrugs, or onto empathetic ears that wondered, “But what can I do about it?”
Like many worthwhile things, such changes take time to incubate. But it also helps to have some big guns toss in fertilizer. REI’s #forceofnature campaign to help close the gender gap is an example of fertilizer. Outside and Climbing Magazine’s ongoing articles about diversity and gender issues is fertilizer. The Outdoor Retailer show hosting panels to discuss these topics is fertilizer. Now, the grass roots efforts and fertilizer boosts are beginning to blossom, and with continued effort, they will bear fruit.
In the meantime though, what should we do? What should the average climber, reader, hiker, who keeps seeing messages, do? Here’s some food for thought:
But really, diversity is not a bandwagon. Bandwagon implies short-lived popularity. This is a movement to create some needed shifts in our sociological landscape. It is here to stay. But someday, when the inequalities have begun to disappear, the movement will shift from megaphone to mainstream and the outdoor landscape, industry, photos, ads, and treatment of others will include, acknowledge, and be respectful of everyone.
People have been aware of #theadventuregap for years, spoken of it, written about it, taken action, but it either missed the mainstream, fell onto deaf ears and shoulder shrugs, or onto empathetic ears that wondered, “But what can I do about it?”
Like many worthwhile things, such changes take time to incubate. But it also helps to have some big guns toss in fertilizer. REI’s #forceofnature campaign to help close the gender gap is an example of fertilizer. Outside and Climbing Magazine’s ongoing articles about diversity and gender issues is fertilizer. The Outdoor Retailer show hosting panels to discuss these topics is fertilizer. Now, the grass roots efforts and fertilizer boosts are beginning to blossom, and with continued effort, they will bear fruit.
In the meantime though, what should we do? What should the average climber, reader, hiker, who keeps seeing messages, do? Here’s some food for thought:
- Even if you feel fatigued, try not tune out - listen, share, and thumbs-up when equality and diversity articles, photos, etc. cross your screen. Why? Because those simple actions say, “Yes, it’s important.”
- Recognize that saturation is necessary to become mainstream. Acceptance of others and their differences should be mainstream!
- Recognize that loud, repeated messages are a result of socially repressed voices that finally have a platform to be heard. Let it happen.
- Someone else's experience and opinion does not invalidate yours or take away your voice. They are speaking from their own experience, just as you speak from yours. The world outside and inside ourselves is big, make room for different perspectives.
- Pay attention and recognize how your perceptions have shifted or are shifting as a result of the information being shared. It may be subtle at first, but it’s likely each of us have been changed somehow by these messages. Perhaps the #unlikelyhiker movement is helping to remove subconscious judgments placed in our brains from years of conditioning by mainstream media. Perhaps the images of strong women climbers chip away at unknown biases or inspire other women finally see what is possible.
- Lastly, release cynicism. Cynicism is a natural part of the human psyche, but it also comes from conditioning. You can’t obliterate cynicism, but you can recognize it and choose to let it go in any given moment. For example, a cynical part of us might see a “big brand” photo of an African American climbing a mountain and think “well they are jumping on the diversity bandwagon aren’t they?” Well, maybe they are. So-the-fuck-what. That photo deserves to be out there and be seen, so it can continue the momentum, so it can help others see new visions, so it can honor the person in the photo, so it can can make such things mainstream, where it belongs.
But really, diversity is not a bandwagon. Bandwagon implies short-lived popularity. This is a movement to create some needed shifts in our sociological landscape. It is here to stay. But someday, when the inequalities have begun to disappear, the movement will shift from megaphone to mainstream and the outdoor landscape, industry, photos, ads, and treatment of others will include, acknowledge, and be respectful of everyone.