Yes, sexual and domestic violence assault survivor here as well. When on the
trail and seeing approaching lone or suspicious males, I hold my binoculars
firmly in my right hand, and wrap the strap around it in case I need an
improvised defense item. Now, what males have to do that? Jeff Gilligan et al
are you listening?
________________________________
From: Beverly Hallberg <mapsout@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2021 9:30 AM
To: Margaret Stephens <mlstep@xxxxxxx>
Cc: Teresa Hertzel <teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx>; BOO List <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [boo] Re: Discussion
Greetings Booers!
I saw this post on Facebook a few days ago while the OBOL rhetoric was getting
difficult for many including me. I thought it might be useful to share this
here. As a survivor of multiple acts of sexual abuse or violence (sometimes
believed by authorities and sometimes told to shut up), I have had to
incorporate many of these behaviors into my daily life. An early example of
birding while being a woman, was when I was out alone in the Tillamook wetlands
and 2 men in a fishing boat began to pay too much attention to me while I was
watching Greater Yellowlegs, Black Phoebes, White-tailed Kites or whatever.
After that trip I went out and bought the most drab, oversized coat I could
find so I could pass as a man while birding. Another time I had to call my
husband to come "rescue" me - accompany me out of a trail I was trapped on by a
creepy dude who was blocking my passage. My husband roared down the hill on
his bicycle staying on the line with me the whole time (15-20 minutes) and I
was grateful for his support and intervention. And these are a few examples of
birding while female. I am pretty confident that most women can relate to this
list below.
Beverly
Drew
McKenna<https://www.facebook.com/drew.mckenna.77?__cft__[0]=AZVxQqurAQWT039mQSL3UnXZM9iJ_ex0VTxm67dhYdCBx5UBozgaVUSIjiZ042XTnIRqt5xBdtDhIqUz41hXA7XYgPDmK7iZMak7CNKOrocp_4E8QiLGBT9X8luyZ4kbk90ffKTVVCDsPiHpjZu3IrlSq6GCnLIi9_O68fkum7-VrA&__tn__=-UC%2CP-y-R>
September 29, 2018 ·
<https://www.facebook.com/drew.mckenna.77/posts/10205122441577732?__cft__[0]=AZVxQqurAQWT039mQSL3UnXZM9iJ_ex0VTxm67dhYdCBx5UBozgaVUSIjiZ042XTnIRqt5xBdtDhIqUz41hXA7XYgPDmK7iZMak7CNKOrocp_4E8QiLGBT9X8luyZ4kbk90ffKTVVCDsPiHpjZu3IrlSq6GCnLIi9_O68fkum7-VrA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-y-R>
<https://www.facebook.com/drew.mckenna.77/posts/10205122441577732?__cft__[0]=AZVxQqurAQWT039mQSL3UnXZM9iJ_ex0VTxm67dhYdCBx5UBozgaVUSIjiZ042XTnIRqt5xBdtDhIqUz41hXA7XYgPDmK7iZMak7CNKOrocp_4E8QiLGBT9X8luyZ4kbk90ffKTVVCDsPiHpjZu3IrlSq6GCnLIi9_O68fkum7-VrA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-y-R>
Men ask why women are so pissed off, even guys with wives and daughters.
Jackson Katz, a prominent social researcher, illustrates why. He's done it with
hundreds of audiences:
"I draw a line down the middle of a chalkboard, sketching a male symbol on one
side and a female symbol on the other.
Then I ask just the men: What steps do you guys take, on a daily basis, to
prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? At first there is a kind of
awkward silence as the men try to figure out if they've been asked a trick
question. The silence gives way to a smattering of nervous laughter.
Occasionally, a young a guy will raise his hand and say, 'I stay out of
prison.' This is typically followed by another moment of laughter, before
someone finally raises his hand and soberly states, 'Nothing. I don't think
about it.'
Then I ask the women the same question. What steps do you take on a daily basis
to prevent yourselves from being sexually assaulted? Women throughout the
audience immediately start raising their hands. As the men sit in stunned
silence, the women recount safety precautions they take as part of their daily
routine.
Hold my keys as a potential weapon. Look in the back seat of the car before
getting in. Carry a cell phone. Don't go jogging at night. Lock all the windows
when I sleep, even on hot summer nights. Be careful not to drink too much.
Don't put my drink down and come back to it; make sure I see it being poured.
Own a big dog. Carry Mace or pepper spray. Have an unlisted phone number. Have
a man's voice on my answering machine. Park in well-lit areas. Don't use
parking garages. Don't get on elevators with only one man, or with a group of
men. Vary my route home from work. Watch what I wear. Don't use highway rest
areas. Use a home alarm system. Don't wear headphones when jogging. Avoid
forests or wooded areas, even in the daytime. Don't take a first-floor
apartment. Go out in groups. Own a firearm. Meet men on first dates in public
places. Make sure to have a car or cab fare. Don't make eye contact with men on
the street. Make assertive eye contact with men on the street.”
― Jackson Katz, The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can
Help
(The first man to minor in women's studies at the University of
Massachusetts-Amherst, holds a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School
of Education, and a Ph.D. in cultural studies and education from UCLA.)
[42895149_10205122759825688_2286027881240854528_n.jpg]
On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 8:49 AM Margaret Stephens
<mlstep@xxxxxxx<mailto:mlstep@xxxxxxx>> wrote:
I don't understand what you found funny....
________________________________
From: boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on behalf of Teresa
Hertzel <teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx>>
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2021 8:22 AM
To: Margaret Stephens <mlstep@xxxxxxx<mailto:mlstep@xxxxxxx>>
Cc: BOO List <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Subject: [boo] Re: Discussion
Margaret, you are too funny. Thank you for a good laugh! It has been suggested
a few times now that we post the guidelines once a month, and my first instinct
is that once it gets into a rhythm of appearing on the 1st of each month,
people would no longer "see it."
But I have an idea, based on having been in a Catholic school for 1st grade.
The day would open with the teacher picking a random child and saying, "Joe,
the 3rd commandment!" Then poor Joe would have to stand by his desk and recite
the 3rd commandment. The following day, she would pick another child and
another commandment. In this way, you can bet we all learned our commandments
quickly and thoroughly. How about if I pick ONE guideline to highlight each
month and post it?
On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 10:13 AM Margaret Stephens
<mlstep@xxxxxxx<mailto:mlstep@xxxxxxx>> wrote:
First, the OBOL list is somewhat better than it used to be, when neophyte
birders could get their heads bitten off for posting innocent questions or
comments that were then sneered at by the "elite". I certainly have been,
hesitant to post because of this. Thank you to vigilant moderators!!
On a related note, about birding or being alone in nature (or anywhere) as a
female: I don't think that men, especially white men, can fully understand the
fear that marginalized community members, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA people, and
women, generally experience being alone, and then seeing a male stranger
nearby. Will they attack because they see someone vulnerable who can be taken
advantage of violently, will they attack because they see someone that doesn't
fit their idea of what that person should look like, will they attack because
they think their color doesn't belong? This is REAL. As a female, when I see
a lone man, or a group of men or males, and I am alone, the adrenaline shoots
up and I am on guard and will generally go out of my way to avoid interaction;
I am sure this is true for others that are targeted; unfortunately, this limits
the enjoyment and experience of solitude in natural areas. White men probably
do not have to think of this. Not picking on white men, but privilege comes
with being born that way, generally. And look at the perpetrators of most
violence....for example, the Capitol mob on January 6. Therefore, there is a
duty for the privileged to work on any lack of awareness on their part; which
involves, first: LISTENING and self-education and knowing when to at least shut
up.
Do you think the OBOL guidelines need to be changed? It should be changed so
that moderators can post guidelines and reminders of the ethics of this list
and birding in general. See below.
Do you think the Board violated their own policies by posting a statement about
violence against women on the birding listserv? - No. Moderators need to
moderate.
How should OBOL handle people who are perceived as bullying others? Warn them
once, and if it occurs again, ban them permanently. Maybe they can go on
Parler instead.
How can OBOL be more friendly and welcoming? - Moderators could post a
statement on the listserv at the beginning of each month that has reminders for
respectful discussion, states the consequences if posts violate the guidelines,
states the basic ethics of birding, and includes the assertion that birding
should be actively inclusive and safe for all (?) and that birders have a
responsibility to help make nature study inclusive. State that this post is a
moderator post that is not open for discussion, and delete any posts in reply.
OBA has a few hundred members, I think it's right around 300, but I don't have
the exact number. OBOL has almost 2,000, so the vast majority are not OBA
members. Do you think OBOL should be broken off from OBA and no longer be under
their umbrella? Don't know about this.
________________________________
From: boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:boo-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> on behalf of Teresa
Hertzel <teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx<mailto:teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx>>
Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2021 4:01 AM
To: BOO List <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>>
Subject: [boo] Discussion
BOOers,
Here are some questions for you, although you certainly don't have to stick to
these topics.
Do you think the OBOL guidelines need to be changed?
Do you think the Board violated their own policies by posting a statement about
violence against women on the birding listserv?
How should OBOL handle people who are perceived as bullying others?
How can OBOL be more friendly and welcoming?
OBA has a few hundred members, I think it's right around 300, but I don't have
the exact number. OBOL has almost 2,000, so the vast majority are not OBA
members. Do you think OBOL should be broken off from OBA and no longer be under
their umbrella?
Treesa