Striving for Excellence in Climbing
This week I, along with many others, shared what I think is an excellent analysis of what enabled Joe Kinder to bully women climbers. I’ve spent my career studying organizational cultures that enable sexual harassment and bullying, and the analysis reflected what research reveals about these dynamics: Harassers and bullies are empowered by the culture around them. The article was not so well received by everyone, however. One straight white New Zealander male climber described the analysis as “a revolting piece of tripe,” and said the claim that the climbing community “actively promotes misogyny, white supremacy, ableism, rape culture, homophobia, transphobia, body shaming, and the erasure of native narratives” lacks all credibility. His basis for asserting this, despite having no experience as a female, minority, disabled, or gay member of the climbing community, includes that World Cup Events have “Alternating Male and Female finals, equal prize money,” that there’s excellent