That look that says âyou donât belong hereâ   â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â  â â â â â â â â â â â â â "Now boarding all passengers in zone 1," a voice says over the loudspeaker. The couple standing directly behind me in line suddenly snake around me and march toward the flight attendant, who is waiting for boarding passes with an outstretched hand. â¦as though I wasnât standing right in front of them, also waiting to board the plane. I donât look like your typical business class passenger.
Maybe itâs my ripped jeans. Or the crop top. Or the floor-length yellow robe that screams "I know where the droids are." The rest of the passengers are mostly middle-aged white guys in polo shirts. The couple are hurrying down the jetway in front of me, and I notice the Gucci handbag and expensive-looking panama hat. Suddenly the cowboy hat on my head feels very economy class. [a picture of Tarzan wearing a brown crop top and cowboy hat]( They mustâve assumed I was standing in the wrong line. My brother-in-law, who is a Black man, told me a story recently about going to the Opera as a young man, and how much it meant to him to see a Black man on stage singing opera. To know that that was also available to him. Itâs so easy to take things like that for granted as a white person. I see myself represented in all professions and at all levels of government. For just a millisecond, in that moment that this couple snuck past me, I saw all of their judgements about me, but specifically that I'm a young woman standing somewhere she doesnât belong. One reason I like to fly business class is for the airport lounges. The food is totally mediocre, but when Iâm travelling I have less bandwidth to make decisions, especially around food. Give me a coffee bar, a soggy fruit buffet and some crappy pastries and I will pay your outrageous markup. I also appreciate having a quiet place to work with an actual table. An hour or two on my laptop is pretty much guaranteed ROI. But even so, I rarely visit these lounges. Thereâs this nagging feeling that someone is going to bust me. That Iâll be found out. Or that my boarding pass doesnât have the right letters on it and Iâll be turned away. Business class is not a place you see women well-represented. I see a lot of wives in panama hats, and the occasional corporate woman, but almost never young women like me. There is a near-total absence of Black, Brown and Indigenous women. The future I am working toward is one that includes way more women in business class, and especially women of colour. I often reminisce about the one time I sat next to a Black man in business class, even though absolutely nothing remarkable happened. Just once Iâd like to see someone in a Hawaiian shirt. (Thereâs probably a rule about that somewhere: Thou shalt not wear polyester at the front of the plane.) If you want to work toward this future with me, one way that we can do that is to put more of our money into women- and BIPOC-owned businesses. Buy their programs. Invest in their companies. Scoop up their one-on-one offers. Promote their programs as an affiliate. Give to their causes. We have to relentlessly question our assumptions about who belongs where - who gets a seat in business class, who sings the leading role in La bohème, who stands first in line. And, depending on all the layers of privilege you hold, be willing to stand aside so someone else can be the first person to board the plane. Tarzan P.S. P.S. My friend Selena Soo, a publicity + marketing expert, is looking for a part-time copywriter.
For the right person, this could be a dream opportunity. Itâs consistent, ongoing work for a leader in her industry. You'd be working directly with Selena and join a fun and supportive team. [Check out the details here]( Want to access your fave emails on the go? Subscribe to the [Tarzan Reads Her Emails]( podcast]( to, well, hear Tarzan read her emails. 🤷ââï¸ [New recordings released every Tuesday and Friday. Exclusively for my email subscribers]( Enjoy the email? Why not share it with a friend? Â
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