archery cancelled 3/21

[aelfgifu Carlson]

I need to cancel archery today, some stuff came up. Sorry about that. Also attendance has been low so I might cancel till summer. If anyone's interested in doing archery who subscribes to this group will you please contact me-ae...@wildmail.com so I know whether I should keep doing it? thanks-aelfgifu

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[Free Skool Olympia]

Hey Aelfgifu.

You said you wanted the Archery class to continue through April, right?
Do you need us to change anything as far as time, place and descriptions?

-Momo

[aelfgifu Carlson]

Yeah, actually, if it's not too late, I want to cancell for april and start again in May or June. Anyone who wants to or anyone who's come before can arrange with me to do it at the sceduled time and i'll do it, I just don't want to go out there unless I have someone coming for sure because it's far from where i live so kind of a bummer to go out there if no one shows up. When I sceduled this class I had a co-facilitator but she moved away suddenly. So if anyone wants to do archery, email me, I'll do it, but if you can take it off the calendar, that would be great-thanks-Ae

[Gabe Vonderschnickle]

Hi,

i think I have a problem with Aelfgifu advertising a trans-inclusive space. I think it is inappropriate for Aelfgifu to hold a space claiming to be "trans supportive." Aelfgifu has indirectly and directly been transphobic towards myself and others in this community. If Aelfgifu wants to hold this class for just cis women, that'd be fine. If Aelfgifu wants to educate herself on how to be a trans ally, trans oppression, and how to be trans inclusive, that'd be fine too.

Is there a system set up in the free skool for such complaints? Is there any type of action that can be done from here? Because my suggestion would be for Aelfgifu to use this time she is not teaching this archery class and educate herself. And then, after a lengthy discussion, deciding whether or not it is appropriate for her to facilitate a class specifically for transexuals and cis women.

I would have the same problem if we were talking about a white person teaching a class advertised for people of color and I knew this white person to be racist. The thing about a free skool is, there is no screening process. Everyone can teach whatever they want, but why the fuck would I want to learn archery from someone who is going to mis-pronoun me? I'm not saying the free skool needs a screening process, but neither can it be allowed that self-proclaimed "allys" start holding safer spaces for oppressed groups. Because these spaces are NOT safer and the free skool can not guarantee them to be.

Do you have any questions for me?

gabe

[Alex Husted]

That's completely valid, I don't really have any questions about it.
 
I'd like to ask, if you're comfortable doing so, if you have any suggestions as far as resources go. There's a lot out there as far as gender theory goes. I'd like to do some reading up on it too. I feel like what I have educated myself on as far as gender needs some re-evaluating or at least some more depth. But again, if that's something you're not comfortable with I can find stuff on my own.

To answer some questions:
There's not really a system for complaints. I'd like to set up a system of resources for facilitators. It's difficult learning how to navigate making a space that's open for people to start unlearning oppression without making it a space that is oppressive (if it's even possible). I guess any action taken would have to be by consensus of the organizers?
But really there are only three folks commited to organizing right now. So, until we have more help we'll have difficulty getting any sort of system set up.

There's isn't really a formal screening process, you're right. I think that we'd block, as a group, any class that is inherently oppressive. We can talk about the archery class at the next meeting? (I may not be there, but I'm comfortable with whatever folks decide)

-Momo

[aelfgifu Carlson]

This class is cancelled entirely. Also I'm probably moving away before summer so it won't continue. I think it's a valid discussion but personally I have decided that I want to discuss this with other freinds of mine who are trans to gain a larger scope of opinion than just one person's, before i decide how i want to reply, therefore I might have some more to say about this in the near future but I'm going to refrain at this moment. The only thing I want to say is that, to my knowledge I did not mispronoun Gabe but someone else who wasn't present, in a discussion overheard by Gabe in the kitchen, about my frustration with the childcare situation. When corrected(by Gabe) I apologized.I admit that was insensitive. My reasons are that I didn't know that person's pronoun and I forgot to check being in an intense discussion. That's insensitive but not malicious. I'm not clear what else may have led to my sensitivity being questioned. I'm not willing to exclude trans people by making it a women's only class and for my own anti-oppression needs, I wanted a safe space from cis-male socialization around "weapons", so I'm not sure what would have been the best course other than to cancel my class which would suck for people who really want to learn archery.(theoretical anyway since this class no longer exists). But if based on what seems to me, not alot of information, you deemed this class inherently oppressive, that would be ok with me and I will try to get more educated on the subject(again, by talking to trans people I know and reading). I don't actually have any freetime despite the cancellation of archery. I am a single mom raising twins below the poverty level. But I'm open to being pointed toward resources.
I actually wrote this other email awhile ago and didn't send it because I am a generally very shy person and didn't feel comfortable expressing my feelings of marginalization, I just opted not to come to free school stuff anymore, but I think if you all are going to be discussing structures which are inherently oppressive this should be considered as well. I decided to send it. And sorry if things have changed with the childcare situation since I haven't been around but if you don't have a childcare system in place, and are claiming to provide childcare, then all of your classes are excluding parents and I would appreciate that being discussed as well. that message follows.