Clothing manufacturer censure woman for liking bad tweets

[jemari]

This is Chloé Dygert who is a five-time World Champion at the age of 23.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlo%C3%A9_Dygert

She had a nasty accident in September which required surgery, and a few days later this person was going through her Tweet likes (some 10,000+ of them):

twitter.com/badgerbaroudeur/status/1311219397323878400

She had liked a tweet from Candace Owens (who is black) about not allowing men in women's shelters, and another from Owens about Colin Kaepernick saying that Kaepernick was 'scamming the black community', another from Charlie Kirk saying 'in America hard work & choices determine success, not the color of your skin', and a fourth with Donald Trump tweeting some of his campaign posters.

Anyway, she was signed recently to a new cycling team and made to apologise for liking politically unacceptable tweets, which she did on her Instagram a couple of weeks ago

www.instagram.com/p/CHlPNmBlxV1/

This team happens to be sponsored by Rapha, who make very expensive cycling kit, which sells mostly to men. In 2016, according to Wikipedia they switched from the leading men's team to Dygert's new team

" On 3 November 2015 Rapha announced that their Team Sky sponsorship would end after the 2016 season. In an effort to grow and promote women's cycling, Rapha began supplying clothing to the UCI Women's WorldTour team Canyon-SRAM"

Anyway, Dygert hasn't SAID anything, but she did like tweets which people find offensive.

However, expensive clothing brand didn't like her liking bad opinions, and EMAILED their customers to tell them this.

This email reads as follows:

"As you know, earlier this year we committed to fighting discrimination within cycling as part of our wider effort to promote diversity, inclusion and greater equality in the sport we love. It’s absolutely imperative that as we develop our relationship with this subject, we do so with integrity. So we are writing to you today to clarify our position on the actions of new Canyon//SRAM Racing rider Chloé Dygert who, back in June, endorsed racist and transphobic views on social media. Rapha wholeheartedly condemns these actions as they were offensive, divisive and have no place in cycling or society.

Since we became aware of this incident, we have taken time to fully investigate what happened, consulting with the rider, Canyon//SRAM Racing and other partners in order to take informed action in response. Having undergone that process, we believe that Chloé has made very serious errors of judgment, which were compounded by an apology she issued that was not sufficient. However, we also believe that trusting the ability of people to change is key to reaching any form of meaningful reconciliation. Having spoken to her at length, we believe that Chloé has the capacity and the will to listen, learn and to change.

All of us, the team and each of its partners, have acknowledged that we need to take action following this incident to ensure that this never happens again. Canyon//SRAM Racing have already taken clear steps to work with Chloé and is engaging with an external Diversity & Inclusion consultant in order to develop a comprehensive programme of diversity and inclusion training that focuses on dialogue and education. This is something that we believe will have a considerable impact within the team and beyond. Exact details of the program will be published by the team in the coming weeks.

As a result of our conversations, the willingness that Chloé has demonstrated, and the meaningful actions that Canyon//SRAM Racing is putting in place, Rapha will continue to support the team. Acknowledging that they, like us, must do more to promote diversity, inclusion and equality, Canyon//SRAM Racing has been instrumental in promoting women’s cycling over the last five years, and the continuation of this work should not be jeopardised by the actions of one person. This incident has been an opportunity for all of us to learn and understand how much more we can all do.

Finally, we would like to reiterate our stance on this issue once more. Discrimination has no place in cycling or society, and we are committed to fighting it in all of its forms by promoting diversity, inclusion and equality in the sport. There is no issue we take more seriously, and should there be any subsequent breach of these standards, the team will review the position outlined immediately. As part of this process, we will be reviewing our own working policies and practices to prevent similar incidents in the future. The last two weeks have served only to intensify our commitment to improve, starting with the actions outlined here."

So she will be forced to undergo 're-education', and if she should like any more tweets suggesting that men don't belong in women's shelters, or like tweets they deem to be racist, they may take their sponsorship away from the team.

Yes. First they tell you what you can't say. Then they tell you what you have to say. That is what this email is.

This is terrifying. Liking one from the actual (the actual) president of the United States gets her into trouble.

So we all have to be Stepford wives on the internet. Or porn stars because she’d have got less shit for joining only fans.

@ChakaDakotaRegina

This is terrifying. Liking one from the actual (the actual) president of the United States gets her into trouble.

So we all have to be Stepford wives on the internet. Or porn stars because she’d have got less shit for joining only fans.

70 million people voted for Trump, as they are entitled to do. I do not believe all 70 million are evil.

Having spoken to her at length, we believe that Chloé has the capacity and the will to listen, learn and to change.

What. The. Actual. Fucking. Fuck?

Feminists have always said xyz whoever is sexist and talks a lot of shit but don't generally call for them to be 'cancelled' do they?

If they had everyone would have laughed though.

Two things come to mind.

One was when Mike Tyson (convicted rapist) was coming over for something and women said come on he's a convicted rapist we don't have to let him come in. Esp not when it's something high profile to earn lots of money.

Another one where women said don't let him in was a PUA who was well iffy.

That's a bit different though I think?

I mean a confirmed MRA who said to achieve equality more women should be sent to prison until the numbers are the same as men, is on our government women and equality committee. Or he was. Assume he still is.

It's strange times.

She’s been sent for re-education. What progress.
I hope the tossers at Rapha aren’t too busy monitoring and reprogramming their female cycling team to keep an eye on their mentions on forums like MN.
Hi sexist twats 👋

She may hold some opinions that aren't popular - but if she's not breaking the law, I don't really see how it's anybody's business (given this predates the involvement of this company). Fair enough to say from now on, for public facing SM please follow these guidelines.
But no, and that email really shows Rapha as authoritarian bullies.
I guess that's reasonable behaviour and not covered by the Inclusion and Diversity training. Hence perfectly ok. Riiight.

@Beamur

She may hold some opinions that aren't popular - but if she's not breaking the law, I don't really see how it's anybody's business (given this predates the involvement of this company). Fair enough to say from now on, for public facing SM please follow these guidelines. But no, and that email really shows Rapha as authoritarian bullies. I guess that's reasonable behaviour and not covered by the Inclusion and Diversity training. Hence perfectly ok. Riiight.

But she doesn't hold opinions that are unpopular (assuming liking a tweet is the same as signing up to the view it expresses) she holds opinions that are very, very popular and entirely mainstream.

True. Perhaps it would be better phrased as unwelcome by the new sponsor.

Fucking hell it’s there to see in black and white - agree with the companies views on everything or you will be fired.

Here’s a message for you Rapha -
FUCK OFF WITH YOUR MISOGYNISTIC FACIST BULLSHIT

Women will not roll over so go and get fucked. Oh and I will be ensuring that the many many men who I know who spend an absolute fortune on cycling and sports kit never spend a penny more with you.

Bloody hell. I used to 'like' tweets with videos I wanted to watch later on, so they'd all be in one list. It didn't mean I 'endorsed' them. Some people get bollocked just for following other people on Twitter - I used to follow Trump who I think is one of the most abhorrent people on Earth.
It's all just ridiculous. And even if she did like a Trump tweet, so what. He was chosen as the president [somehow], it's not that weird.

Ok I own up - I liked a Trump tweet condemning Antifa. I'm sure many other people did too.

I'm very glad my twitter name is fake with a burner email not used for anything else.

I must admit that as a sort of natural lefty person who was a feminist before I even knew the word

It's a very interesting experience to be the one whose opinions are outrageously bigoted. (Even though they were I'm sure in accord with most of the population if they were actually asked). And threads on feminism defending the right of free speech for people whose opinions I don't agree with at all.

This is another back foot thing isn't it? Lefty women put in a position where we end up defending the right of people who we find repellant, to express their views.

It's amazing how it's come to this tbh. But here we are.

It's like that cup and ball trick. We keep getting misdirected and diverted and confused and it's all so frustrating.

Bottom line is. Both the left and the right 'cancel' people, now. Both engage in bald faced lies to make half arsed points and etc.

Women's rights have always cut across all women. Yes women can be right or left wing but we have shared experiences. We all know what men can be like. In general stuff to do with children falls as a 'women's issue' as well. If we are not at the table, irrespective of politics, our stuff is not on the radar at all. Yes you get women who actively fight against women's rights but they are no worse than the men. If you have 50/50 representation for example even if 5% of the women are arses, the rest will have some interest in women's stuff irrespective of politics.

So what I think I'm trying to say is that the women who have dodgy views are no worse than men with those views but they get vilified more.

And we're in this sort of mire struggling with a short of, hoist by own petard type situation. At least that's how I feel.

Still we've been here before. I think we will get through it. In the meantime this left/ right bad views/ good views/ free speech stuff is really uncomfortable.

Being into cycling I saw this discussed quite a bit. The funny part is, this is Rapha, overpriced hipster trash. Well, 'funny', nothing funny about a young woman being blasted in public for voicing an opinion.

She didn't even voice an opinion though that's the thing.

She pressed like on some stuff over the last few years.

Someone has trawled through her history and this is the result.

If she had written a thing or gone on telly it something and said xyz recently then people who disagree, fine, have a conversation, ask her why she things those things etc.

This reaction to just pressing like on other people's stuff.. is another level.

And the things she liked are mainstream views in the USA.

Do these people ever think what if it was the other way around. And people who liked BLM posts years ago had to do this etc? Because in plenty of countries it is that way around.

There is a line somewhere I'm sure, and the arguments about where that falls could go on forever. But wherever most people would put the line, she's nowhere near it. And she didn't actually say anything.

What are they doing about the people who posted the stuff she liked? Anything? I'm guessing not.

I got that email too. Totally shocking.

When the company started the designs were unique and changed how cycling wear was designed (made it more stylish). Now the market has responded and Rapha is just overpriced.

I find it chilling - and odd - that a company would switch to supporting women's sports, presumably wanting to appear like they support women, and then pull this re-education, thought-police shit. Makes me now wonder whether there will be a man joining their women's team, or if they're actively working behind the scenes to make that happen.

I wonder if the customers they send this to will push back?
Maybe they have forgotten to consider that their purchasers may not actually have the same perspective that they do.

It would be interesting to know the % of people who work at this company who are BAME & also women & also what positions they hold. Do they practice diversity & inclusion?

Just noticed that I also have this email in my trash, not just DH.
I have sent a response and unsubscribed.

Disciplining someone (because that is what this is) because they liked a tweet by the 2016-2020 president of the US. Presumably liking tweets by the 2008-2016 president and the 2020-2024 president will be okay.

Thank goodness for secret ballots.

I don't think I've ever liked anything Trump has ever tweeted, but other people still shouldn't have their likes policed by employers. What next? Disciplining people for letting it slip that they voted for the Republican candidate?

I've just told my husband about this (very keen cyclist who has some Rapha jerseys). He won't be buying from them again. He was quite tempted to burn the ones he has.

Who the fuck does this creepy, authoritarian company think they are? Are they in political power or are they manufacturing a product?
Is there some kind of ideology test before you’re allowed to work there? Does employment law cover this relationship with this woman they are re-educating?

The solution to this is for companies to simply ignore emails from unhinged activists of every stripe - exactly like they used to. Probably the best way to get there would be to stop buying and tell them this is why.

This feels so much like right wing moralizing with all the pearl clutching. Who Do they think they are telling people with mainstream views to go back to church and find God? There’s a reason I’ve never taken to religion and this is no better.

Just spooky that the first we hear of this is disciplining a female cyclist, when men’s cycling is so massively much bigger and well funded, eh?

Positively mystifying.

’It's a very interesting experience to be the one whose opinions are outrageously bigoted. (Even though they were I'm sure in accord with most of the population if they were actually asked). And threads on feminism defending the right of free speech for people whose opinions I don't agree with at all.’

So true.