Limit 15 people per session, you only need to attend ONE

December 12, January 9, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8

To RSVP fill out this form. Form closes May 1, 2023 for the year.

If you are FTW and interested in supporting an event, leading an event, or just want to learn more about Grease Rag, this is the session for you. Afterwards, you will feel inspired and equipped to lead rides, camping trips, craft nights, or maybe something else super creative and fun!

If you are queer, trans, BIPOC, or broke, I’ll pay you $10 to attend. Although this session is free to attend, if you are cis, financially secure, or white, I welcome donations of $5-$20.

1. Ground ourselves within our ideals

2. Connect over your plans for the future

3. Learn about Grease Rag’s history

4. Understand what resources Grease Rag has to share

5. Be in community with each other!

Grease Rag is for FTW (Femme/Trans/Women, Non-binary, Two-spirit) on bikes to connect in a collaborative and fun learning environment through rides, discussions, shop nights and educational seminars in a safer space.

Riding bikes together is a big part of what we do. Creating a safer and supportive environment with clear expectations is the most important thing. Leaders are not responsible for people’s safety, leaders are responsible for setting expectations and coordinating people to work together. We purposefully do not host any fast rides. There are other clubs and teams in town that do the speed thing! We are all about that slow roll as a way of attracting new riders and people new to group rides.

Expectations

Clearly communicating expectations reduces anxieties and allows riders who are new to group rides or new to Grease Rag an easier time joining in. Make a flyer, text some pals, or post on social media to get the word out! Here are some things to consider: WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY?

WHO

Who is leading the ride? How do I contact a ride leader with questions? Who is Grease Rag?

WHAT

What is the speed, distance, and riding conditions? E.g. “Muppet pace, 3 miles, mostly on trails with some on-street bike lanes and a few moderate hills.” What amenities are on the ride/destination? E.g. Bike racks, single stall/all-gender bathrooms, water fountain? Will there be snacks?

WHERE

Where is the meet up point? Stops? Destination? Is the ride returning to the start? (You may want to be vague about the exact locations of stops and destination for group safety.)

WHEN

When is the meet up, when is roll out, when can we expect to be done?

WHY

Is there a theme? Why is this a safer space ride?

Welcome!

If you’re doing a ride that’s meant to attract new riders, we make sure to welcome them when they arrive. Introduce them to someone on the ride. This goes a long way.

Organizer to do list

• Welcome people as they arrive and introduce newbies to others on the ride. If we are organizing rides meant to attract new riders, this goes a long way.
• Find out which volunteers can do crisis management/de-escalation
• Trade phone numbers with ride volunteers
• Take stock of first aid and tools
• Organize volunteers to control intersections
• Check in with people about pace
• Remind people to hydrate
• Who’s bringing the snacks??
• Play some music- red lights are for dance parties!
• Thank volunteers and riders for doing a great job, and for showing up for Grease Rag <3

Group intro to safer spaces

Here’s a sample script for kicking off an FTW group ride! We do introductions and some community building before we hop on our bikes.

We take a group photo, and then we roll out!

This was also published in Cyclista Zine, 2020.

Grease Rag started as a casual social bike ride to a bike shop, where we would learn to wrench on our own bikes in an “open shop.” Grease Rag has always been an FTW (“Femme, Trans, Women,” which includes agender, non-binary, two-spirit, and all gender variations that are not cis men) safer space: free of well-meaning boyfriends, know-it-all men, and condescending bike mechanics. Our goal has always been friendly inclusivity, without assumptions about ability or knowledge. Grease Rag has ebbed and flowed over the past 12 years to include different formats and quantities of open shops, rides, educational seminars, zines, and blogs. We are a community, and we support each other!

As a founding member, I have been asked many times how to do an inclusive open shop. There’s no definitive list of things to do that will magically make your space inclusive and safer. It really boils down to listening, changing the way you do things to accommodate people, and work, work, WORK. Every space has its unique challenges and benefits. 

In no particular order, here are ten things we’ve learned.

• Leadership
  • We are a flat organization of volunteers. There’s no boss, no president, no board. However, we have leaders and organizers! These are people who make things happen and actively work to organize the group. Hierarchically they do not have more organizational power, but are people who can be contacted for things like events, or policies. It is VITAL that your spaces are run by the people who are most affected by the racist, misogynistic, transphobic, homophobic, fatphobic, patriarchy that is nearly omnipresent in the bike community. If you use the phrase, “We need to bring more diversity to the table,” you are not ready for this kind of work. Fuck/de-center ableist cis white supremacy.
• Physical environment
  • How accessible is your space? Are there stairs? All-gender bathrooms with accessible stalls and scent-free soap? Food that is halal, gluten free, vegan, nut free? Sober space? Can a wheelchair operate in space? Can a fat person comfortably navigate the space? Do you speak other languages? Is there childcare or is the space safe for children? Will there be animals there? Be completely up front about what the physical environment is like when you advertise the space. Addressing these things directly shows that you have thought about how to best accommodate people.
• Build community
  • Greeting returning members by name, having snacks available (except during Ramadaan!), and doing a “go around”  (name, pronouns (optional), and an icebreaker question) in the middle of shop time are things that we do. Encourage people to come back and bring their friends. Have a regular shop schedule.
• Welcome people
  • “Hi! Are you here for Grease Rag?” We say this to anyone who walks into the space. If they answer, “Yes,” you can start the check-in process. If they are confused or say no, explain what the space is in one sentence and allow them the space to decide whether that space is for them or not. “We are a free, open shop that’s open to everyone who is not a cis man.” We DO get cis men that say offensive/transphobic shit like, “Well if I wear a dress can I come in?” So we practice confidently replying, “If you are femme, trans, or a woman and don’t feel safe in the regular shop, you are welcome. If you’re a cis man, all of the other shop spaces at all other times are open to you.”
• Gender-neutral language
  • When addressing the group, in social media or in person, don’t address people as “ladies,” or, “guys,” or other gendered language. Using gendered language when your space is FTW is transphobic af.
• Don’t make assumptions about knowledge or ability
  • Instead of asking technical questions that assume bike knowledge, start with less technical questions and work your way there. Everyone knows the answer to questions like, “How long have you been riding this bike?” “Is there anything bothering you about your ride?” “Is there anything specific you want to address?” If people have technical knowledge, they can include that in their answers. If people don’t have technical knowledge, they can describe what’s going on. It takes a few extra guiding questions, but you’ll get there together, I promise! 
• Don’t take tools out of people’s hands
  • Going to an open shop for the first time can feel like you are going to a doctor with an unknown health condition. Scary and overwhelming. Remember this when you are the facilitator or mechanic and maintain people’s dignity and autonomy. Ask and wait for consent before you touch any part of a person’s bike. Even if you see someone struggling, always ask first. If people need assistance with a repair, talk them through what needs to be done. Put the tool in their hand. Explain what to do. If you need to, show them how to do the repair, undo it, and have them redo it so they are truly fixing their own bike. Instead of, “You’re doing that wrong,” try asking, “Can I show you another way to do that?” “Can I stop you right there because I am noticing an unsafe situation,” or, “Would you like a suggestion on how to make that easier?” NEVER EVER TAKE A TOOL OR BIKE FROM SOMEONE. Consent means waiting for someone to hand you the tool or bike. Keep reinforcing that questions are okay, not knowing is not bad, and if you have the ability and knowledge to do it on your own we are still here for any advice or support.
• Shop agreement
  • The way Grease Rag does open shop is we come to an agreement with a bike shop that they let us use their space and will pay an FTW staff member to be a lead mechanic. We provide FTW volunteer facilitators who welcome, check in, monitor the space, and help with repairs if they feel comfortable. The agreement covers what we expect if there is an issue with the staff person or space, what parts are free, if there are any discounts, schedule, and other details.
• Listen, sit, react
  • Nothing is perfect. Despite your best intentions, something is going to go wrong. When community calls on you to make a change, know that it is out of love. Sit with the feedback. Do independent research. Ask questions to clarify. Reflect on how you got here. Call on your support system. Then react.
• Know your limits
  • You can’t be and do everything. Recognize those limits and be clear about them so people don’t have expectations that you cannot meet. If your space only has the capacity for five people, or your lead mechanic is a cis male, or you don’t have childcare… you need to first disclose these limits, and secondly attempt to mitigate them. E.g. There is limited space so we have a reservation system. Our lead mechanic is a cis male so we have FTW facilitators and are in constant communication with the mechanic that we have trained. We don’t have childcare because of safety issues but have some family friendly rides. Get creative and do what you can!

L. Kling (they/them) has been riding and wrenching on occupied Dakota and Anishinaabe land (Minneapolis, MN) since 2009 with a great group of FTW called Grease Rag. Low enjoys slow rides with jams, leading bike camping trips, and everything Grease Rag. Instagram: @greaseragbikes @yolowzines greaserag.org

FTW stands for
FEMMES! (Not “feminine”)
TRANS! (The whole Trans fam!)
WOMEN! (Trans and cis!)

FTW means NON BINARY and TWO SPIRIT!
FTW means people who are NOT cis-men-benefiting-from-cis-male-privilege.
FTW means we are intentionally NOT centering cis white hetero women, because all “women’s” spaces are places where they can feel safe and included.
FTW never ever ever ever means ladies! Fine if you like that term for yourself, but we recognize that it is transphobic to gender people in a space that claims to be for FTW, so we will never use it to define us as a group.
FTW is not something you use to make your event sound “cool” or because you think it will fix your “too straight, too cis, too hetero, too white” problem! FTW MEANS SOMETHING. It’s not a tagline or a marketing strategy.

Personally, I have come to define these terms after a lot of self-exploration, good intentions, messing up, unintentionally excluding and marginalizing myself and people in my own community, and then trying again. Language, like identity, is a beautiful and ever changing ocean. As we step into spaces as our full selves, as we claim our fair share, as we choose family and names and gender that hold us, we adapt and discover new language to describe the world we need and deserve.

FTW community,
Never stop questioning.
Never stop learning.
Never stop finding our commonalities and differences, as a way of truly getting to know ourselves.
Never stop exploring what FTW means to you.

In response to that, Open Shop facilitators and all around awesome folks Casey W and Anne S put together a training for new members and facilitators! They did a tremendous job, and their effort was matched by the enthusiasm of Shruthi, Emily D, Cyndi, Elizabeth, Joy, Ali, and Lucy.  It is our intention to hold at least two of these “trainings” a year.

Training in new volunteers and facilitators

At the beginning of the evening, we went around and shared our names, pronouns, and asked people, “What kind of things have you done with Grease Rag#8221;

We discovered that we all have different experiences with Grease Rag. As a social rider, volunteering at events, space facilitators, skill share leaders, trip leader, ride leader, bike camping, bike mechanics. And that is the very BEST thing about Grease Rag! Our perspectives and differences.

Our goals for the evening were to get to know each other, give people some tools and confidence to lead events, facilitate open shops, and to become designated safety folks.

We asked people to consider the following…

Why are you interested in facilitating/volunteering with GR?
What do you want to contribute to GR?
What do you want to take away from this training?
How can we help each other?
How do you want to grow?

Resources for volunteers, facilitators, and designated safety folks

Brief history of Grease Rag

We started as a monthly open shop with a very slow group ride. We started to put in a lot of work to get people to come and to organize ourselves and develop our mission. We work toward safer spaces for “WTF- women/trans/femme,” and have recently changed to “FTW- femmes/trans/women” to decenter cis-women. We hosted a Winter Skill Share that first year, and have continued to hold “skill shares” as our favorite way of sharing knowledge and expertise. Grease Rag Open Shops are FTW-only, do-it-yourself, facilitated bike repair events and happen multiple times a month in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. We have expanded to a number of shops in partnership. We keep changing to adapt to the needs and desires of our community. We are 100% volunteer.

What is a facilitator?

A facilitator is the point of contact for an open shop location/leader of a group ride/person making a Grease Rag space. We like to have at least two facilitators for each event.

• Set the VIBE and FORMAT for a space- Does an event have one hour of instruction and then one hour of open shop? Do we ask people to bring snacks, etc.?
• GREET everyone coming in and make them feel comfy in the space
• ENFORCE safer space rules- We try hard not to police bodies or allow sexist, racist, or transphobic behaviors. If you see something, speak to a facilitator!
• Facilitate a GO-AROUND to give people an opportunity to share their names, pronouns, and maybe answer an icebreaker question
• COMMUNICATE with other facilitators and volunteers as needed
• ASK FOR HELP or resources when needed

Despite the responsibility that the facilitator has, we don’t want to create too much of a hierarchy between the “facilitator” and the rest of the team/volunteers. The title mostly means this person is a leader.

Safer spaces and pronouns

Our job is to be welcoming and respectful of all of our identities, and to facilitate a safer space.

“Hi! Thank you all so much for coming to Grease Rag! We are so happy you are here…

A safer space is an agreement between all of us that we are not going to perpetuate oppressions like sexism, racism, transphobia, ableism, classism, etc. And if we do experience these things, we will do our best to call them out, and when called out we will apologize and not continue that behavior because we all have to work together to keep this space safe.

Sharing names and pronouns is the first thing we do to create a space where all of our identities are being seen and respected.

Let’s go around and share our names, and, if you feel comfortable, your pronouns. Examples of pronouns are she/her, he/him, they/them, and there are others too.”

Consent

• These are learning spaces, above all
• Don’t assume people’s skills or needs
  • Instead of, “What’s wrong with your bike? What kind of bike is that#8221; Try, “Nice bike! How long have you had it? What brings you in today#8221;
  • Ask people where they’re at! Do they need to be talked through something, or need to be shown, or have they been to the shop before?
• Be in agreement about what’s going to go down before you touch someone or their equipment- Is it okay if I shift through your gears?
• Ask people if things work for them, rather than telling people how it “should” be- does that saddle position work for you?
• Ask people if they want advice or feedback before you jump in
• Don’t take tools from people’s hands without their consent
• Constructive criticism
  • When someone corrects you or tells you they don’t want you to do something, accept that it takes courage from that person to speak out and say something, and we need to learn from it and move on
  • Take a minute. “I’m sorry for doing that thing. I won’t do that again.” And then don’t do it again!
  • If we can’t admit to not knowing something, our ego is getting in the way of safety
• Ask each other, the internet, books, ask the mechanic. Refer them to a local bike shop if we can’t do something for them.
• Be clear about expectations- how far, how fast, etc.

Managing the space

• Brush up on your safety training (link above)
• Have a safety plan/know the safety plan for your space
• Always designate and identify the safety person
• Physical safety is number one, but there are other kinds of safety, too
• Buddy system
• Stay sober, stay alert
• Identifying yourself as a person that people can come to, and if there is a conflict
  • Let people work out interpersonal stuff. Unless there is an abuser or something that is making people unsafe.
  • Offer a conversation, offer to mediate

Open shop

Grease Rag Open Shops are FTW-only, do-it-yourself, facilitated bike repair events and happen multiple times a month in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Events calendar Open shop nights were the first events that Grease Rag put on, starting July 7, 2009. An open shop night is a free event where all FTW cyclists, regardless of knowledge or experience, can bring in their bike and learn how to do their own mechanical work. We have one or two professional mechanics on site, but most of the learning is done by helping each other out. It can be surprising how much we collectively know, even if we aren’t individually experts. Each location dictates the exact format of the open shop, so if you try one location and it isn’t your style, try another! Or better yet… start your own! All you need is a space, some tools, and enthusiasm!

• Help assess problems, do what you can!
• Bike parts/vocabulary
• Fix a flat
• Replacing brake pads and recabling… shift vs brake
• Connecting the parts

And then we role played “open shop” and Anne lead us through the parts of a bike, and how things connect.  Brilliant!

Things we want to learn in the future

• More bike mechanics stuff
• More space facilitation stuff
• How to welcome people
• How to wrap my handlebars
• Bike vocabulary in Spanish
• Train the trainer- “how do I teach…?”

Grease Rag Facilitators (the people who greet you at open shop, lead rides, and are familiar with our safer spaces policies) and Organizers (the people who are doing Facebook moderation, admin, fundraising and collectively make decisions) had a meeting to discuss safety and security.

Grease Rag cannot guarantee complete safety. We can only work together to provide safer spaces for each other, so we can all feel free to live our truths.

This meeting was called because we need to be ready to defend our safe spaces. Over the years, there have been a few safety concerns, and the list of people (abusers) banned from our spaces keeps growing. A recent incident motivated Julia to organize this meeting and share her de-escalation skills with us. Julia works with kids with aggressive behaviors and has many de-escalation skills that transfer to Grease Rag’s safer spaces.

This is just a general guide, because each situation is unique, each person is different, and we all have our own style of confrontation. Listed below are some of the specific skills that we talked about and practiced at our meeting.

Safety training

General Considerations

• Your safety and the safety of the participants comes first!
• Do not approach the acting out person alone. Take the other facilitator with you.
• Move the conversation with the acting out person away from the participants or space.
• Do NOT approach the person too closely or put hands on them, in any way, ever.
• Use your best judgement about when to call the police or not. Keep in mind that there are can be huge – sometimes FATAL – ramifications for calling the police to intervene. *More in the section below
• Try to be aware of what triggers your flight, fight, freeze. Is it safe for you to be confronting someone right now, in this way?
• Don’t try to confront someone if you have been drinking.

If there is a confrontation or incident happening

• Alert the designated security, and otherwise get backup
• If there are children in the space, get them safe
• If you can’t remove the problem, clear out the group to make the space safer
• Don’t surround the person being confronted. Give them a free path to the door.

Language

Escalated people can’t be talked down. When you are escalated your brain can be shorting out and it is hard to process what’s happening. (It’s similar to when you are really hungry or tired and you can’t make decisions!)

• Use as few words as possible.
• Speak clearly
• Use a neutral tone
• Don’t shout- Shouting matches can escalate into physical violence
• Don’t argue with them

• 1. State the facts: “This is a Grease Rag Event and you are not allowed to be here.”
  2. Set simple, clear expectations: “You need to leave.”
  3. Time to process: Allow 10 – 15 seconds
  4. Repeat until followed

Some language you might want to use

This is a Grease Rag space.
You need to leave.
What do you want?
What do you need?

Body Language

Neutral stance

• • Feet apart
  • Hands at your sides or folded loosely in front of your body
  • 3 – 4’ away
  • Body at 45° angle away

Direct but not aggressive eye contact
Neutral face

Team Approach

• Do not approach an acting out person alone
• Someone needs to take the lead. You can tag in or out as the lead, but one person should be leading.
• When you ask for backup, set expectations. “Come out and observe, don’t touch them or yell at them. I’m the only one speaking. If you want to be tagged in, touch my shoulder gently and I’ll let you know if I’m ready to switch out.”
• Only one facilitator should speak at a time.
• Do not repeat what one person has just said – give the acting out person time to process.
• Follow the other person’s lead.
  • If someone has taken the lead on addressing the situation, follow their directions and support them appropriately.

After A Confrontation

• Let’s check in with each other
• Make sure no one is left alone or goes back to a dangerous situation
• Having safe people and safe spaces that you have access to at any hour. Let people know that you’re available to be their safe space- give them a key, let them call you at 3am, etc.
• Letting people talk it out, but not making people tell the story a bunch of times which can be retraumatizing
• Let the group know about the incident

What are some things we should consider to make Grease Rag events and spaces safer?

• Consider security and safety at all events and spaces
• Develop a security plan for each open shop location
• Perhaps designate a security person for each event and space
• Create a checklist that includes security information for leaders who aren’t at this meeting
• Don’t give out anyone’s information without their consent: Last names, when they are on vacation, contact info, etc.
• Don’t publish end location for group rides, especially if it is ending at someone’s house
• Make sure everyone gets off to home okay. No one leaves alone.
• A tight space can be dangerous. Try not to have confrontations where you don’t have room to move.

Question and Discussion

Q: When would you call/not call the cops?

We might call the cops when…
someone is harming themselves or others.
there is a weapon present.
there is an order of protection in place already.
We wouldn’t call the cops when…
there is only property damage.
in a mental health crisis situation. (Need resources here)
there is a chance that the cops will escalate the situation. (LIKELY)

Q: Should you use your phone in a security incident?

Pros: It can document things in a more objective manner, it might shame someone into better behavior if they think someone is watching
Cons: It can escalate the person

Q: What does Grease Rag already have in place?

A ban list that Grease Rag members have added abusers to. Abusers are all notified. (There is no discussion outside of notification.) Sometimes relevant shops are notified. All Grease Rag organizers are notified. The only way someone can get off the list is if the person who initially added them asks for that to be revisited.
A safer spaces policy
Community partner agreements for open shop partner locations

Q: Who will act as security at Grease Rag events?

WE. US. Grease Rag!
Everyone who was at this meeting has some tools to de-escalate a security situation. We can be designated as security leads at different events and spaces.
We will train others.
This winter, we will take self-defense training. We will continue to work on our de-escalation skills.
We will have each other’s backs.

_________________________________________

There are so many things happening in the world, to refugees, to immigrants, to trans folks, that make us unsafe. Targeted. We have to work and commit to making Grease Rag a safer space for us, in spite of this reality.

I feel so supported, and I feel so grateful for the time and energy of everyone at this Grease Rag meeting. All of your skills, all of our experiences, have taught us everything we need to handle situations that come up. Together, we’ve got this!

Babes in Bikeland is the largest all-WTF alley cat bike “race” in the whole world.  Likely, with 670+ riders in our 10th year, Babes is the largest alley cat in North America.  Through this event, Grease Rag has been able to create safer spaces and educate the many many people interested in the Babes event.

What is Babes in Bikeland’s safer spaces policy?

BABES IN BIKELAND IS A SAFER SPACE

WHAT THE HECK DOES THIS MEAN?
A Safer Space means that we’re working hard to make the space feel safe and welcoming for EVERY BODY, regardless of their gender/race/ability/orientation, etc.

WHAT DOES A “SAFER BIKE EVENT” MEAN?

It means that we are trying to stop those little things from happening.
The safety and comfort of our Babes is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

BUT I ALWAYS FEEL SAFE AT BIKE EVENTS? WHAT’S THE POINT OF THIS?!
You might always feel safe at bike events, but not everyone does.
Women/Trans*/Femmes (WTF) identified people often don’t feel safe at bike events.
WHY? Things like constant sexual advances; hearing homophobic or transphobic “jokes”; hearing racist or homophobic language; using insider lingo or negatively commenting on someone’s gear or ability…
These things can make bike events into a hostile, stressful and dangerous place for some people.
It’s not just the one bad apple, it’s lots of people doing little things that pile up to create a threatening space.
Pay attention to your own words and actions and make sure you’re not contributing to the pile.

HERE IS WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DO:

DON’T be a creep. We’re not here to impress, but to RIDE. Get enthusiastic consent before touching a Babe.
DON’T make homophobic or transphobic “jokes” or use language that is grounded in hate or discrimination.
NO gender policing. Don’t know a Babe’s gender? That’s fine — you don’t need to know.
RIDE safe and steady with a helmet and lights. DON’T take unnecessary risks. We want you in one piece at the party later.
LEND a hand to those who need it.
BE EXCELLENT to one another.
We are all here to have a good time. Bring your best self and KEEP IT CLASSY.
If you feel uncomfortable, PLEASE tell someone working the stop or the closest Babe.
DON’T brush it off or excuse it away. We want to address these things as they happen.

WE ARE BABES! THIS IS OUR BIKELAND! THESE ARE THE RULES:

DON’T BE A JERK
CELEBRATE YOUR WTF FRIENDS
BE EXCELLENT TO EACH OTHER

How does Babes in Bikeland work with volunteers to create safer spaces for WTFs?

Stop Facilitators are the people you see on the race course.  As racers, you only see us organizers at the start, and finish.  This makes it extremely important that we train our volunteers, many of whom are cis men, to be great allies.

Vouching

Stop Facilitators are people who have been personally vouched for by a WTF we trust.  These Facilitators are encouraged to vouch for volunteers they’d like to have at our stops.  This keeps people we don’t know and don’t vouch for away from our Babes.

Visibility

We gave all stop volunteers a bright bike pin, and all Stop Facilitators were given a bright tshirt, so racers knew who to go to for information or if there was a problem at a stop.  Identifying these volunteers is a crucial part of creating a safer, accountable space.  Each stop had an “approved” list of volunteers who were able to be there- we don’t allow random folks to come and hang out at the stops. (We’ve had problems in the past.)

Training

We hold a mandatory orientation for Stop Facilitators where our goal is to support them in being A+ supporters of WTFs.  We give concrete examples as tools to support you. Instead of “Be respectful,” we say, “Don’t make ‘jokes’ about gay or trans people, because it is disrespectful.” This is a handout we made for our Stop Facilitators that gets very specific.  The last sentence is, “We’ve got your back.” We want to support and respect our volunteers, because that is the way that our racers will be respected and supported.  I’m only a phone call away if something comes up.

I encourage everyone to read it, and give feedback about what is missing.

What are other safer spaces that Babes in Bikeland creates?

Starting line

When you rolled up to the starting line, there were a line of cones set up on the grass.  This was the “WTF ONLY ZONE!”  WTFs can go wherever they like, but cis men should not be in the WTF-only area.  This is to create physical space for WTFs!  Route, hang, snack, whatever!  This is your space, this is your race.

86 list

After feedback from racers and volunteers, we instituted a no abusers, no perpetrators 86 list. We as a community have some broken steps in our staircase.  If you know about the broken step, you can step over it and you’re personally in no danger, but by not calling out our abusers and perpetrators of abuse we allow them access to our community.  We made a list, NO QUESTIONS ASKED, of people our WTF community named as “unsafe.”  We take this very seriously.  The list was given to Stop Facilitators and volunteers, and at to our security at First Avenue.  We cannot guarantee the safety of every person, but we are committed to making a safer space through our best efforts.

Safer spaces agreements for vendors and service providers

Safer spaces means that all people promise to treat each other in ways that promote their safety and fight various oppression.  We wrote these agreements so our vendors and service providers would have clear expectations about how to treat our Babes, and also how they can expect to be treated by you.  Please check out the expectations in this agreement.

• Vendors will not be inebriated
• Vendors will not make comments about people’s identities (race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.)
• Vendors will not use gendering language like “ladies,” or “ma’am.”
• Vendors will not make comments about or touch people’s bodies
• Vendors will not make assumption about ability, skill level, or knowledge (Ask, don’t assume!)
• Vendor signing this agreement will communicate the expectations to everyone working the event
• Vendors will be treated with respect! Any reported harassment will be taken seriously and dealt with swiftly.
• Babes in Bikeland organizers will be available for questions, and if anything comes up during the evening
• First Ave security will be on hand for security issues
• Is there anything else you would like to add to the list?

WTF only dance floor

We made several announcements throughout the night that WTFs were the only folks on the dance floor.  What a magical time, dancing under purple lights, doing the wobble with Sweetpea!  We did not have the ability to put up physical barriers, so some cis men did make their way onto the floor.  If we knew them, we said something to them and asked them to tell their friends the same.  If we did not know them, we do not make assumptions about people’s gender.

All-/no-gender bathrooms

#peeinpeace We had signs that indicated “Stalls” versus “Urinals,” and announced that bathrooms were all-/no-gender!  Next year I would like to organize bathroom buddies for extra safety.

How does Grease Rag contribute to safer spaces at Babes in Bikeland?

Our goal is to find ways to support each other before, during, and after this event.  Because Babes is one day, but WTF is forever.

Pre-Babes Wanderabout

We had 68 wonderful Babes come out for our Wanderabout this year.  Our team works hard to learn names and pronouns, say hello to everyone, and our team is all about creating welcoming spaces.  I hope you felt that!  We do go arounds, skill shares, and all of the things that Grease Rag does best.  We are especially friendly for Rookies, but if you are into friendship and slow rolling, you should join us next year!

Photo by Kat

Babes be brunchin’

Every year we have a long brunch bunch where people can just drop in and have some snacks, hydrate, and get questions answered.  You are able to take off whenever, or say until the end and group ride to the start together!  Anne was a our brunch host at Seward Cafe this year!  Thanks, Anne!

Flags and buttons at the Grease Rag tent

That big purple tent is your safe space, Friends!  Bug spray, snacks, buttons, flags… We try to create a meetup safer space that is just for you WTFs!

Anneka made a flagging system to support Babes during the race:

• Green flags- can help if you feel lost
• Orange- basic mechanic skills with a multitool or a pump
• Polka dots- open to riding in a group!

Anne made these beautiful pronoun pins.  You can’t abuse my pronoun if it is a growling bear, right?!

instagram.com/greaseragbikes

Education and language

Grease Rag has been making language and educating ourselves and our Friends on what it is to be WTF-friendly since 2009.  We wrote a lot of the language that Babes uses, and continue to lead our community to the front and center.  WTFs to the front.

Tell us how to do better

We never stop learning.  babesinbikeland at gmail or fill out this survey!!

“Why or why don’t you use pronoun introductions in a professional setting#8221;

I am so happy I started this conversation! I was able to offer up some thoughts and experiences to help people get more comfortable with the practice of using pronouns. I encourage you to start this conversation with the people in your life.  I recommend reading more on our Pronoun page, or on this post with ways to respect pronouns. We would also love to hear your thoughts and knowledge on this dynamic topic.

Some people used pronouns in introductions all the time, and felt very comfortable with the practice. Some people needed more information about how to explain that in a languages other than English, or how to answer questions that might come up, or how to deal with people not respecting the process, e.g. “I don’t care what you call me! I never think about gender identity so you can call me ‘mud’ if it makes you happy!” #cisprivilege Another person said they just don’t think about it, and honestly, would never ask/offer in a professional setting.

Pronouns as “unprofessional”

Let’s take a moment to think about what it means to hear, “I will not discuss pronouns in a professional setting.” Hearing this reminded me that, for some people, there is no place for transgender people in professional settings. Basically, any non-cis gender identity is “unprofessional.”

“Professional” is a code for a classist, masculine, patriarchal system. A place where a strict and expensive dress code reinforces the binary where women are expected to wear makeup and have their hair done, men are expected to wear boring suits and a uniform haircut. Women are called “aggressive” and “bitchy” for behavior which might cause a man to be lauded as a “strong leader.” And there is no room in this binary for trans people. This is not news to me. But we can do better by making spaces safer for trans folks.

How do pronouns make safer professional spaces for trans folks?

Pronouns are not the same as gender neutral bathrooms and inclusive bathroom policies. They are not the same as having trans people in well-paid, decision-making positions. They are not policies that protect trans employees from bullying and discrimination. But respecting pronouns is the minimum we can do.

I go to a lot of meetings and I am able to introduce myself over and over in the workgroups, listening circles, councils and boards. And I always share my pronouns. This is in solidarity with my trans friends who are not given space to do so.

This might sound like: Hi, I’m Low, and I use they/them/theirs pronouns.

Out of all of my self-introductions where I have shared my pronouns, it is very rare that anyone else joins in and shares their pronouns. Being the only pronoun-sharer is sometimes difficult.  It is sometimes awkward.  It can sometimes cause people to ask very insensitive, triggering, and disrespectful questions.  Sometimes people scoff, laugh, or completely dismiss what you just disclosed. And that is exactly the reason why I will never stop stating my pronouns in professional spaces.  Because if I don’t, there will never be any place for trans folks.

Most times people look at me curiously and keep the introduction circle going, free of any pronoun-sharing. Sometimes I’m an absolute loner. ONCE, a Queer Black Women stood up and said, “I want to do this introduction circle over again, and this time everyone should share their gender pronouns. This is important!” My heart grew three sizes that day.

Making space means learning and growing

Every time I go to an event where I get a blank name tag, I feel excited. There is space for my pronoun! Every time I am asked what pronouns I use, I feel honored. Every time someone uses my pronouns, I feel heard and seen. The least I can do is try to provide that space for others.

Cis Friends, I’m writing this because I want you to start doing this.  Make yourself uncomfortable.  Leverage your cis privilege for positive change and safer spaces for others.  Be intentional. So have this conversation with your coworkers, with your friends, with your family. “Why or why don’t you share pronouns#8221;

I would love to know why you do or do not use pronouns in your introductions! Do you need more tools in order to feel confident? Do you not understand what it’s all about? Please ask!!  This is an invitation to learn and grow together.

Let’s define some terms

PRONOUNS

That’s a fancy word for, “How do you like to be referred to#8221; As she? As he? As they? (And there are others, too! And it’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable sharing that with me.) Why is it important? Because we all experience gender in different ways, and using someone’s self-identified pronouns is a great way to honor their experience and identity.

If you need a primer on “gender,” check out Gender Unicorn.

“Cis”

Short for “cis gender,” and refers to folks who identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Genders assigned at birth are related to how hospitals classify babies into two categories, male and female, even though there’s nothing that indicates genitals and gender have anything to do with each other. If a baby is designated “female” is assigned “girl/woman,” and then identifies as a “girl/woman,” then that person is a cis woman.

Cis-privilege

If you are cis, you have cis-privilege!  Not sure what that looks like?  Check out this privilege checklist.

Bike shops are a part of the “bicycle ecosystem” in Minneapolis. They make us a beautiful and rich city, and they need us to survive. Over the years, I have heard complaints by WTFs about ALL shops. Every. Single. One. So if you are working in a shop or own a bike shop and you hear a complaint about another bike business, do yourself a favor and assume the same happens in your establishment. Because it more than likely does.

What does this mean? What can we learn from this? How do we work together to make positive change?

When we discuss white supremacy and “whiteness” as an undeniable oppressive construct in our society, this does not mean all white people are “bad.” Although the heavy lifting for anti-racist work should be done by the people who benefit most from white supremacy. When we talk about patriarchy and masculinity as oppressive constructs it does not mean all cis men are “bad.” Although the heavy lifting for anti-sexist/trans-inclusive work should be done by the people who benefit most from male-dominated systems. Keeping that in mind, saying there are problems in bike shop culture does not mean all shops are “bad,” it does mean there is a pervasive systemic/cultural problem that needs to be addressed. This means that because of the systems in place, if bike shops are not actively working toward a solution they are a part of the problem.

I think it is important for us to enter this conversation of “What can we do? How do we change this#8221; in agreement on two ideas.

1. ALL bike shops are not safe for ALL people.*
2. Complaints about ALL SHOPS indicates there is a systemic or cultural issue that needs to be addressed.

*I would also like to add that it is not just WTFs complaining, there is the self-described “newbie” contingent and also people who don’t speak English that complain regularly about substandard treatment in bike shops.  I focus on WTF inclusion here because that is what Grease Rag is all about.

I am not interested in having conversations with people who want to argue, “But I’m a good guy/ally and I work in a bike shop so there is no problem,” or “I’ve never felt treated unfairly in a bike shop before so there is no problem,” as reasons why we should not be trying to work together for a friendlier community. (Check your privilege, please.) I am interested in having conversations that move toward, “How can we work together to make bike shops places that are friendlier to more people#8221;

What work has already been done?

“Women” are a large part of the retail market that the bike industry is interested in catering to. In addition to the bottom line, some shops are interested in creating safer spaces for WTFs because they see the value in being welcoming community institutions.

For one or more of these reasons, we know bike shops want to (or at least pay lip service to) get better at being welcoming and comfortable for WTFs. Grease Rag’s community partner shops went the extra step and asked Grease Rag/me (partnered with Brian F.) to do a “Listening Circle” event where we talked about how to respect WTFs in the shop, including how to talk about bodies and how to respect pronouns. General consensus was that there were some good tactics discussed. All of this is documented online for your benefit.

Recap of the Listening Circle event, by Holly

Full write up on how to make your own Listening Circle event with bike shop representatives and WTF experts

A collection of experiences our WTFs have had in EVERY bike shop, with recurring themes: marketing, expertise-seeking, follow up, don’t minimize with “just,” respect physical space and barriers- bikes can be extensions of bodies, microaggressions, don’t only address my boyfriend, I do not want pink “because I am a woman,” condescension, assumptions, no POC or WTF staff, age and ability and expertise assumptions and lack of accommodation.

No one said this would be easy.

I have mixed reactions to the Listening Circle event. One of the pieces that left me with a bad feeling was overhearing one employee/shop representative in attendance mention they were there because they “drew the short straw,” and they refused to participate in go-arounds. So, in a small circle of Grease Rag partner shops, we have at least one person who views discussing treating WTFs like human beings as punishment. And that’s all it takes, right? One bad employee hitting on WTF customers, misgendering/gendering customers, and making assumptions about needs and abilities makes the entire shop unfriendly.

For shops that really do care about WTFs as humans worthy of equal respect (in addition to wanting those sweet retail dollars) it is a hard task to single out these underdeveloped people for dismissal or more training. The season is only so long here in the Twin Cities and I understand you need staff who require minimal training to get up to speed. When you realize there is a bad apple, at what point and how do you deal with it considering you’ve already used up valuable resources getting the bapple up to speed? At what point do we decide that it is more valuable to teach respectful people bike shop skills than it is to train people with bike shop skills to be respectful of others?

This is one of the challenges a business must face. Ignoring and dismissing the problem does not make it go away.

Next steps for bike shops and employees

Gather, organize, educate (yourselves)

Gather yourselves. Organize a meeting with your supervisors and staff. If everyone in the room agrees with the two assumptions stated at the beginning of this post, great. If not, do some work to educate on privilege, affinity spaces, and anti-sexism and trans-inclusion. A big part of the education piece is recognizing that it is your responsibility to learn about the part you play in excluding WTFs and participating in a problematic culture. In addition to our Listening Circle which was extensively documented for your benefit, many people smarter than me have written extensively on the subject of welcoming WTFs into a male-dominated bike shops and industry.

“The Bike Industry is Sick and Hiring More Women Won’t Fix It”

Why is the bike industry broken? Here are steps on how to “fix” it, by a woman with a ton of industry experience, Arleigh Jenkins. I like that this article calls out that the root of the problem is not gender exclusion, it is the symptom of a very broken culture.

“Bike Shops for Everyone: Strategies for Making Bike Retail More Welcoming to Women”

The League of American Bicyclists surveyed over 150 bicycle dealers across the country, and cites the following programs and policies for helping bring women into their shops: Sponsor women’s racing teams and events, challenge assumptions about women and cycling and confront sexist behavior and beliefs head on, hire more women, create stores that are welcoming & inclusive to all, host women-only instructional clinics and shopping events, invest in store’s aesthetic feel, commit to high standards of data collection at the point of sale. But don’t stop there. Tactics like these are beans next to systemic change.

When I get emails that say, “I know nothing. I’ve done nothing. Will you come and train us to respect WTFs#8221; My answer is 100% of the time, NO. You need to be able to assess where you, your staff, and your organization are along the path toward accepting inequities exist and pursuing meaningful change. That work needs to be done by you.

When I am contacted with requests that include, “We’ve been working at this but we recognize we could do more. We know you have resources. Would you point us toward resources or work together with us to build a better place#8221; YES. Understanding your privilege includes not asking minorities/oppressed groups to do your work for you.  Being effective means seeking out new resources and expertise as you progress.

Policies and training

What anti-sexism and trans-inclusive policies do you have for your business? What are the consequences for violating those policies? Is anti-sexism and trans-inclusion a part of your employee training and orientation? These are formal ways that businesses can support WTF employees and WTFs customers.

Space for valued feedback

If the first time you have thought about sexism in your bike shop is when a Facebook thread blows up with 30 women saying they have had terrible experiences at your shop, you are not doing enough to solicit honest and constructive feedback. Because all male-dominated bike shops exist in a culture of WTF exclusion, and if the lines of communication are open you will hear feedback.

Where do customers go when they have a problem with your staff, facilities, or policies? Is it possible to give anonymous feedback? Is it possible to request a follow up if you give feedback? Is there a process for addressing feedback? What are the penalties for not being accountable to the public?

Have you ever been biking and a company truck cuts you off and tells you to get off the road? You call the “How’s my driving#8221; number to complain. Your opinion of that company is not formed by one jerk driver- your opinion of that company is formed by how the company handles your call reporting the jerk driver. The difference between, “Yeah. Sure. Bye,” and, “We will take this very seriously because our drivers represent our company and we would like to make sure that all of our drivers are safe and respectful- thank you for reporting this,” is HUGE. Huge. You can’t police all of the bad drivers out there, but when there is a system of accountability you can help people feel heard while also addressing problems in the ranks.

Invest in the communities you want to welcome

You hired a mechanic specifically to overhaul mountain bike forks because this person is really good at what they do!  Worth the money to have them on board, right?  Their expertise and experience attract new customers, and you are selling even more squish bikes!  And while that employee is working, you can train in other employees on how to be better with suspension systems.

There’s a false “scarcity” narrative around qualified WTF and POC bike mechanics. We are here. We might need skills development (just like your other employees) and we need to be assured that our workplaces are not toxic environments (see steps above for a start).  But we are here and we are worth investing in.  Especially if we have specialized skills like we can speak more than one language, or if we are the type of people who WTFs and POC bee line to if they see us in uniform.  Making a safer space in your shop for everyone starts with your employees.

Next steps for WTFs

You called out to us, wanting direct action. Stay tuned. We will be organizing a revolution with you. Join our Google Group and let’s make this happen.

All this text is in solidarity with my friends out there who are not always comfortable in bike shops and other white cis male-centric spaces, and with hope towards respectful change from my friends who work at and own bike shops in this city. No one is asking anyone to be perfect, we are just asking to be heard, validated, and for culture change to follow recognition that ALL bike shops are not safe for ALL people.

If you are on the receiving end of an oppressive action, comment, or “joke,” one of the options you have for dealing with the situation is to “call out” the person or group that did an oppressive thing.  Because that’s what it is- Oppression.  From unintentional microaggression to hate crime… there’s a whole spectrum of ways that people actively oppress one another.

And what do you do when you’ve been called out?  Because you feel terrible!  It wasn’t your intention to perpetuate oppression!  But it happened.  It’s time to listen, learn, and apologize.

“That’s not funny.”  The Art and Risk of Calling Someone Out

I recently had a situation where I had to call someone out for making a joke about race that cut me down and made me feel awful.

Calling someone out is NOT FUN. I feel like we are all conditioned to take the path of least resistance and we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves or make waves, and I am no exception. But I know that I have to work with this person in the future and to support our relationship and nurture an environment of mutual respect and trust, I followed my own steps for calling someone out.

I like to take a person aside, and follow the following script.

When you said/ did this, it made me feel like this. Right now, I am expecting this action from you. In the future, I would like you to do/ not do this.

“When you made a joke about my race, that made me feel really invisible and excluded. I don’t need anything from you right now, but an apology might make me feel better. In the future, please don’t make jokes about race, because no one wins at that. I’m letting you know how I feel because I respect you and I want us to be able to communicate with each other, not because I think you are a bad person.”

This maneuver is not without risk!  You can lose a friend, make a work or social environment difficult, or not get a respectful response.  For more tactics on the Art of Calling Someone Out, please read Rookie’s post.  (It is written for teens but I find it helps me reflect on whether or not I want to risk calling someone out.)  If you want more concrete advice on how to talk to someone who might need persuading or might not be as open to owning their oppressive behavior, I appreciate this quick guide to persuasion when calling someone out, and dealing with potential fallout.

It is an unfortunate reality that the burden of calling out falls heavily on the oppressed.  Which is why this behavior still exists, right?  If you are being dismissed and held down, your voice isn’t very loud IF you can even find an opportunity to call out bad behavior.  The next time you find yourself saying, “Well, I thought that joke was funny, I don’t know why they’re so upset,” check yourself.  Is this about you?  Is this about your feelings?  Or is this an opportunity to listen to someone that doesn’t get the mic very often, and ask them how you can support them?

There are many other ways people can “derail” your conversation, when calling someone out.  Derailing means people with privilege minimize and dismiss conversations that attack their privilege.  Does, “I think you’re being too sensitive,” or, “You’re too angry about this,” sound familiar? That’s Derailing for Dummies. Reading through Derailing for Dummies is great because it deconstructs a lot of common arguments used to silence people and the more you know, the more you can avoid using these tactics and the better you can defend yourself.

How to Say, “I’m Sorry.” Because Sometimes You’re Going to Be Wrong

The person I called out for making a racist “joke” apologized, but could not offer a sincere apology. The cognitive dissonance between “I am not a bad person” and “I said a bad thing” would not allow them to say, “I’m sorry,” or even own what they did. Their apology was focused on their intention, rather than their impact. In other words, instead of owning, “I am sorry my actions were wrong and made you feel bad,” they could not get past “But I did not mean to make you feel bad.”

There are so many people smarter than I that have talked about how to apologize, so I’m going to leave it to them.

When someone gets called out they are going to be defensive, and focus on their intent, rather than the impact of their actions. “A real genuine apology is made up of two parts: the first part is you take responsibility for what you’ve done, and then the second part is you make a commitment to change the behavior. “

The most important part of this video, for me, is this:

Also, when you acknowledge what went wrong, you wanna try and make sure to avoid the words “but” or “if” because that puts conditions on your apology, or why you did it, and again, we really aren’t trying to talk about intent here. Something that I try to do and I would love to impart on you guys when it comes to sincere apologies is to say thank you. Just a super simple, “thank you so much for bringing this to my attention.” Because it takes a lot of courage to call somebody out. It’s scary and not fun, and it’s a great way to like, soften the experience a little bit.

The last thing to remember when you’re making this apology is don’t just say it – do it. Remember that actions speak louder than words. And you can say sorry ‘til the cows come home, but if you keep engaging in that sort of behavior, or saying those sort of things, then your apology just doesn’t really mean anything.

Jay Smooth also really drives the “intent” vs. “impact” difference home in this video. “What you did” and “who you are” are different conversations. e.g. “That thing you said was racist” vs. “I think you are a racist.”

I came upon this long article justifying a formal “Saying I’m sorry” process for children in the classroom. I’m sharing the highlights in this post because this is a great exercise in taking accountability for adults. (Although I personally do not believe that needing or wanting external forgiveness is necessary.)

I’m sorry for…
This is wrong because…
In the future, I will…
Will you forgive me?

1) I’m sorry for… 
Be specific. Show the person you’re apologizing to that you really understand what they are upset about.

2) This is wrong because…
This might take some more thinking, but this is one of the most important parts. Until you understand why it was wrong or how it hurt someone’s feelings, it’s unlikely you will change. This is also important to show the person you hurt that you really understand how they feel. I can’t tell you how much of a difference this makes! Sometimes, people want to feel understood more than they want an apology. Sometimes just showing understanding– even without an apology– is enough to make them feel better!

3) In the future, I will…
Use positive language, and tell me what you WILL do, not what you won’t do.

4) Will you forgive me?nbsp;
This is important to try to restore your friendship. Now, there is no rule that the other person has to forgive you. Sometimes, they won’t. That’s their decision. Hopefully, you will all try to be the kind of friends who will forgive easily, but that’s not something you automatically get just because you apologized. But you should at least ask for it.

A big life goal for me is to not be the kind of person that just complains, without making an effort to change. Talking about what happened publicly, without shaming or negativity, and offering resources is how I’m working toward changing the negativity that I felt over that “joke.” I can’t make people less racist, but I can help good people do less racist stuff. Also, I’m including myself in that group! The more I learn, the more I know.  I’m no expert.