When I first started my journey at The Rock Club, back in 2006, a significant part of my life remained unspoken at work. Only a close circle knew I was gay. As a newcomer to Westchester and to teaching and coaching children, the advice was to keep my personal life private. It was a different time, and I was genuinely concerned about potential biases from parents, a fear that they might judge me differently or question my trustworthiness. The gym environment, like many places then, was unfortunately filled with casual homophobic slurs.
The turning point arrived during a seemingly small incident. A desk staff member made a dismissive, homophobic remark about another colleague. In a moment of resolve, I simply asked him to choose different words. His reply, “I have gay friends, and they don’t care,” was met with my direct statement, “Well, I’m gay, and I do care.”
This seemingly minor confrontation sparked a significant shift at The Rock Club. Shortly after, my then-partner Danielle and I initiated a group called CRUX – NY’s LGBT climbing group. What began as a small gathering has since flourished into a thriving non-profit organization with thousands of members. Gradually, attitudes within The Rock Club began to transform profoundly. We made a conscious decision to cultivate the most inclusive and welcoming climbing gym in the nation. Inclusion, in all its forms, became a core principle integrated into our Junior Programs, Team Rock, staff training, and member interactions. Over time, it solidified into our very culture – the essence of our community. Inclusion, diversity, community: this is what The Rock Club stands for!
I often reflect on how fortunate I am to be openly gay and a woman in this industry, feeling genuinely supported. It’s easy to take for granted the remarkable diversity of our staff, perhaps one of the most varied you’ll find in any climbing gym. The overwhelming volunteer support for our community events is something I cherish. Our commitment to giving back to local schools through thousands of dollars worth of climbing opportunities is a source of pride. And the countless comments from newcomers about the welcoming atmosphere and incredible “feel” of our gym – these are testaments to the community we’ve built at The Rock Club.
This upcoming Tuesday, as we celebrate PRIDE, it’s an opportunity to remember the journey we’ve undertaken. This celebration extends beyond the LGBT community; it’s about The Rock Club as a whole. It’s a moment to acknowledge our roots and to loudly proclaim to the climbing world and our local community that discrimination of any kind has no place here.
I sincerely invite you to join us in standing tall and proud, adorned in rainbow colors 🌈, to demonstrate why The Rock Club is such an extraordinary place to call home.
#trcpride #TheRockClub #InclusiveClimbing #CommunityGym
