We, the people: A series. || Anti-Oppression

We, the People: Anti-Oppression

By Jess Thompson and Kate Moore

So first, you always know that YOU are part of this series right? If you don’t know what we’re talking about, here’s the link to the introduction post of this series We the People. Next, we talked about what it means to be ANTI-DIET CULTURE as our very first pillar of the way we do things here at getFIT615 and what that means for you. 


Next up, is pillar #2 of our 4 pillars: Anti-Oppression. 


Our 4 pillars are:

  • Anti-Diet Culture

  • Anti-Oppression

  • Pro-Compassion

  • Pro-Belonging


Anti-Oppression is INCREDIBLY layered, and not an easy topic to talk about, write about, learn about, unlearn about, and especially DIVEST from. But we’re willing to give it a go and know that you can too!


So what IS oppression?! Systems of oppression are all those things that keep us from being able to BE HUMAN and to be treated as HUMAN by the other people around us because of what they automatically believe about us when they see us - it’s all the -isms, and biases, and even LAWS that keep certain people thriving and others literally dying.


So, Kate here! Hi! I founded getFIT615 in 2014 and I’d love to tell you some ways that I’m oppressed AND some ways that I’m NOT oppressed (aka, some ways I have privilege). I’ll tell some stories:

  • One time a guy came into getFIT615 and told me that there weren’t any trainers that he could trust because we were all women at the time… he literally told ME, the OWNER, and FITNESS professional that I couldn’t help him because of my gender. I showed him the door and told him he wasn’t welcome back… ever.

  • One time I went out to lunch with a Black Woman who’s near and dear to my heart, a place that she suggested and wanted to try, and the white man who was our server only talked to me… even when she was ordering he looked at me, like, as if she couldn’t read or had never been to a restaurant before. I’m white too.

  • One time, a boss told me that women are considered one of two things in the music business: push overs or bitches. I just had to be ok with being called a bitch.

  • Financially, I’ve always had access to fitness and food that makes me feel good.

  • My size of clothing is available in all stores. I can shop anywhere I want, online or in person.

  • One time I was drunk and leaving a bar and the male bouncer was helping me find a lyft. Moments later, a trans woman came out to find a lyft and they told her she had to leave and couldn’t stand in front of the bar to wait for a ride. She and I left together and found a lyft that took us somewhere safer. I’m cisgender.

  • Everyfucking time I have to do something that deals with cars….

  • One time I had to break up with a guy because he told me that women get too angry and we shouldn’t be in positions of leadership. When I dumped him and told him that I couldn’t date someone who doesn’t believe me when I’m angry, he told me I proved his point by being angry. He still texts me 3 years later to tell me that he misses me and that he’s grateful for the lessons I gave him.



Do you see the point? In some situations I’m oppressed: people don’t believe me, or trust me, or think I know shit about shit. Other times, I’m the one people look to as an expert because they think I’m better than someone else. It’s a both, AND thing for all of us. We all have privileges and we are all oppressed. It’s called intersectionality. Look it up :)

So, when we think about the ways we divest from toxic diet and fitness culture, we have to be cognizant of how oppressive systems limit access to those who belong to marginalized groups. And in that, we create space with our own privileges to invite others a path to the same opportunities.


So let’s start by thinking about some of the labels that you have. NOT in a way to create shame, but in an effort to understand how these systems of oppression apply to us and a jumping off point for what we can actually DO about it when we are faced with it in the world. 

*Here is a good jumping off point to identifying your own layers. And while this isn’t an exhaustive list, because there are endless identifiers we can use to classify a human, it is a good foundation.


Who are you?

-Race

-Gender Identity

-Class/Income

-Religion

-Nationality

-Body identification

-Education level

-Marital status

-Sexual orientation

-Geographic location


Again, this is just a starting point. And we can add so many more micro categories to this, but we have to get clear on the baseline first.


And then we break it down even further. Of these identities and layers to who we are, which of these are visible? Can someone look at me and see that I’m XYZ? In most cases, we are judged by a snapshot of who we are and not the full picture.

Well, why is this important?

When we ask ourselves about our road to care as it relates to wellness, we have to understand that all these factors create either more access or less. And in the grander scheme of things, the system asks of us all these identifiers and puts us in buckets of the deserving and the undeserving.


I know that may sound really harsh, but that is the reality.



Here’s why it matters at getFIT615 and what we’re doing about it.

-We offer discounts to certain groups who have been affected by the pandemic or who may have limited access to our space based on any of the aforementioned categories.

-We offer Pay What You Can classes for those who would otherwise not be able to try our space. AND this is to create the opportunity for those who DO have more access to pay to afford someone else the space to move with us.

-We have real conversations about who our members are and how they identify. We are committed to knowing each person in their wholeness.

-We will not continue to create barriers, we are creating new opportunities of entry. We want to continue to offer all these services AND to pay our staff a livable wage. It’s all connected.

- We are connected to and knowledgeable about the political climate of Nashville (our city), Tennessee (our state), the South (our region), and the country (the greater body we occupy.)

-We don’t back down from our mission. We are in this together.


BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR PRIVILEGE AND REDISTRIBUTE EQUITY WHERE WE CAN. When we’re alone, redistributing our privileges and divesting from systems of oppression can feel like really heavy and hard work, but here’s something we are certain of because of our experience: when WE do it TOGETHER, the weight of it all gets distributed. We get to help each other. We get to lift each other up. We get to hold space for healing, for learning, and for community.


Anti Oppression means Pro-Equity.


Stay tuned for our next post in this series of We the People. Up next: Pro-Equity!


Jessica Thompson