Heavy Athletics, tradition and the kilt - questions

[MacFhearchair]

Why do you throw at the Games, and not at track meets? What is the attraction of Highland Games versus the simpler, but probably more focused activity of throwing shotput and/or discus and/or hammer?

Long dramatic novel to follow. You asked for it. :P

I never had an interest in track at all. For me this has all been about reclaiming my heritage and answering personal questions. As an adoptee who knows only half of her lineage, I found it therapeutic to embrace the known half whole-heartedly. You'll notice my join-date is Nov. of 2010. In 2008-2009, I was researching my lineage and traced it back to Perthshire, Scotland. I researched the name and discovered we were Scottish-rooted (I grew up with my dad telling me we were Irish). The movement of my ancestors was consistent with the history of their clan; they left the highland areas of Braemar shortly following Culloden, probably they were pushed out. With their culture and traditions stolen, they eventually left the country altogether. So little of their culture survived the generations that the last generation didn't even know where they'd come from. I sort of took it upon myself to rediscover us. I think I started reading XMarks here and there to try and gain understanding about what Scotland is today - as a lurker - to prepare myself for a potential future visit.

In May/June 2010 I went to Scotland on a 2.5-week solitary backpacking adventure. I travelled by foot and by bus, and besides my favorite distilleries on Islay, I visited our family's ancestral lands; Braemar and Inverey. Braemar is known for one thing; the Highland Games. I took an interest in the games then, when reading about Braemar in the visitor's center, and wondered if women ever participated. It seemed so awesome and yet foreign and inaccessible (Having always been a rather... robust female, having my ancestral lands be the Highland Game capital of the world seemed to answer all sorts of questions all at once). I didn't imagine there would ever be a welcome for me in it, though, and I felt dispair.

I came home a completely different person. I had adjusted so quickly to a simple life in Scotland, where I camped outside and had one change of clothes and hoarded simple luxuries like paper towels and ziplock bags because they were endlessly useful for my rugged new lifestyle. Coming back to a world where I had access to things like cars and smart phones made me feel like I'd become some kind of savage. It was harder to come back than it was to go.

...and that's approximately when I decided to say "screw it" and embrace my heritage as fully and unapologetically (and with absolutely no concern for gender-norms because I've never liked those anyway) as I desired. For example, I'd always wanted a tattoo, but I could never settle on any image for long enough - nothing represented me permanently because I'm forever adapting and changing, but it occurred to me that I would never change my name. I'd partially changed it once, and I regretted it immediately and wasn't happy until I changed it back. It was then that I decided that I wanted the crest on my back, and the secondary motto, which I try to live by, on my forearms.

I decided I could wear a kilt if I damn well pleased, and I would, and any problems anyone had with me doing so would be entirely theirs. I'd even wear one at my own wedding! "and just try and stop me!" I would proclaim in my own head (Let me just say that empowerment feels really good when you've grown up in a household where you were told you could never be president because women were just too emotional for the job. Additional backstory: my dad always wanted a boy and never got one - I was always the next best thing because I wasn't terribly girly, but there are a lot of things he never taught me or that he didn't expect of me because evidently my genitals make up most of who I am - and the kilt thing is another way of rejecting all of THAT garbage flat-out).

...And so when I moved to California and later saw some kilted guys on the field at Stanford, throwing what looked to be Heavy Things, I was torn. There were no ladies among them; I might get laughed at. Then again, I couldn't come this close to getting involved and not at least *try*. ... so I did. Alan was more welcoming than I could have hoped, and I've been determined to become good at it; I've been showing up for practices and even training in the off-season, which Alan encouraged me to log here so I could get some support and feedback. So far it fits like a glove.

2. Did you get into wearing a kilt first and then start throwing, or was your first kilt something you got because you needed it to throw?


See above. TL;DR: I wore the kilt first.

3. Besides wearing a kilt on the field at the Games, where else do you strap on your kilt? Do you go to other kilt-wearing activities?


I wear it whenever I feel like it. I don't always feel like it because it's the Real Deal and it's heavy and hot, but I get it out a few times a year for events or whenever I need to prop up my ego. I don't wear the sport kilt except for practice or competition. I always get positive feedback on the look, even though all the guys seem to like to say kilts don't look so good on ladies. Then again, I got mine to measure, so it fits right - maybe that's why? *shrug*

[MacFhearchair]

But my question is still, what brings you to X Marks? Did you come here looking for stuff about kilts and then found Alan's little corner of the forum? Did Alan threaten to toss you over a bar if you didn't join up?

I was already here, but Alan suggested I log my off-season. So far it has been really helpful for keeping me focused on the fact that The Games exist (even if they don't exist right now) and I shouldn't just be sitting on my **** waiting for them to happen.

Do you want to know all the stuff about kilts that we talk about in the other 183 sections of this forum?

Yeah, and I've done a fair bit of reading about them here. I still use this site as my #1 go-to source for answers on kilt stuff and also, occasionally, on questions about Scotland or Scottish people.

I suspect that it is really that swoon factor from the ladies when they see you braw lads in your kilts.


Everyone likes a bit of attention, I think.

Or is it "They make me wear a skirt"?

Being someone who wears a skirt from time to time, I can tell you there is a psychological difference between wearing a kilt and wearing a skirt. A skirt is often designed to inhibit motion and *look inherently effeminate*, while a kilt seems to be designed to permit motion in a way that not even pants or shorts can do without necessarily being gendered. That's why I get so flustered when people argue that women should just be happy with their skirts because kilts are the last refuge of clothing for man or some such silliness.

[Alan H]

[I]
Being someone who wears a skirt from time to time, I can tell you there is a psychological difference between wearing a kilt and wearing a skirt. A skirt is often designed to inhibit motion and *look inherently effeminate*, while a kilt seems to be designed to permit motion in a way that not even pants or shorts can do without necessarily being gendered. That's why I get so flustered when people argue that women should just be happy with their skirts because kilts are the last refuge of clothing for man or some such silliness.

I, for one, would like to hear more about this part of what you wrote.

I've never worn a skirt...a tunic as a halloween costume, yes, but not a skirt, so I have no frame of reference.

Not only that, but I think that this topic is something of wider interest to the forum than just here in "Athletics" but I know full-well that there will be a significant number of guys who will absolutely go blue in the face at the thought. Still and all, it's a good topic to explore.

[MacFhearchair]

I sure would like to talk at length about it, Alan, but as far as I can tell around XMarks, the subject has been a point of contention and that discussions surrounding it tend to get unceremoniously shut down and discouraged. Fortunately the sort of overall theory seems to be "we welcome *anyone* who wants to wear a kilt", but that welcome is just a bit prickly at best, it seems.

As a woman trying to live as well as possible in a still-very-sexist world, I have found a lot of my own confidence and bravery in seeing other women doing what they want, unapologetically, and without a second glance at the line society likes to draw between the sexes. Now that I've sort of got a foothold of confidence and enough spare not-give-a-damn to be who I want to be, I would really like the opportunity to sound off in support of other ladies doing the exact same thing, since I know from personal experience how effective it is at destroying the inhibitions that are so frequently coupled to femininity.

That said: stirring the pot is rarely welcomed, and I don't want to alienate myself; this community has been a really positive thing in my life. ... so I occupy my corner, do my thing, and choose my battles.

[o1d_dude]

Given the history of tartanwear, I tell anyone who will listen that as Scots it is not only their right to wear their clan kilt, it's is their DUTY.

Tartan Day is coming up. 'Nuff said?

[MacFhearchair]

BTW I didn't mean to completely shut down this discussion with my whining. It feels like I get few opportunities to vent my deep frustrations about such matters, and so I tend to try and take what I can get.

This was a pretty good thread; I hope it keeps going.

[Steve Ashton]

MacFhearchair,

I honestly did not know you were a girl type person. If you wish to wear a skirt that is your own business.

The only restriction we have on X Marks is those of the male persuasion who choose to wear what is usually accepted as feminine clothing.

A little history as to why.

In the beginning there was "Tom's Cafe" where the discussions about modern kilt wearing started. Hamish was one of the founding members.
After two years Tom's Cafe was discovered by cross dressers, female impersonators, the fetish groups and those who choose to wear clothing usually associated with the opposite sex for sexual or fantasy reasons. These folks completely took over Tom's Cafe. They became very vocal and drove kilt wearers off with flaming attacks and personal threats.

Hamish and others went over to the Bravehearts Forum which had just started up. Again, in a short time those who viewed the kilt as a sexual fantasy item took over, vocally driving out the kilt wearers.

Within two months Hank started X Marks. What started as a personal site for one man to post photos of the ways people dressed at Highland Games, soon became a haven for those who chose to wear, and wanted to discuss just the kilt. The rules at the time specified that X Marks would not tolerate discussion of cross dressing or fetish wear. No up-kilt photos were allowed. And proper acknowledgment was given to those who chose to wear the kilt for heritage reasons.


This has been the case ever since. X Marks has kept to the original intent of Hank. We discuss the kilt. We do encourage females who wear the kilt to participate. We understand that some females also wear skirts.

Where X Marks will draw the line is when a male comes here and wants to post about his Tartan mini-skirt which he likes wearing with Mary Jane shoes and lace panties.

This stance is not sexist in nature as much as a stated preference that we wish to limit our discussion to the wearing of the kilt as it is usually accepted by the general public.

You, as a female, who participates in Highland Games Heavy Events and therefore must wear a kilt, or as a female who plays in a pipeband and wears a kilt, are welcome.

We would also grant you, as a female member of the forum, the leeway to post pics or discuss your Tartan skirts, dresses or other outfits as those garments would not be too far outside of the realm of such things as Highland Games. (We would ask politely, that if you are a female who wears a Utilikilt at Burning Man, and go topless, not to post pics out of respect for your fellow members who log on with their small children at their side.)

If you, as a female, wish to discuss why you prefer a garment made like a kilt over one made like a skirt then, as the owner of this forum, I give you my personal permission to "Bring it on".

[Alan H]

There ya go.

[Martin Roy]

Steve, can you please post a link to the Burning Man photos?

[MacFhearchair]

Respectfully, Steve, there are several threads about women wearing the kilt that I can dig up in the archives. Usually these threads get locked due to conflict or are shut down in advance of what appears to be inevitable future conflict.

One point that bothers me the most - that discussion never safely gets past, and that I keep see being made is that since XMarks is unwelcoming to male cross-dressers, it's unfair if it is welcoming to women wearing the kilt since the kilt is such a traditionally male garment and has not been widely popularized as a garment for women, women who wear the kilt might arguably be called cross-dressers.

Those people admittedly have a point that this makes the rules not fair to both sexes, but my argument is that the history of "traditionally male" and "-female" garments has served largely to maintain a gap between the sexes that is disadvantageous to women - a practice that is not in theory considered appropriate anymore but that still has strong footholds in ways society is reluctant to admit. However correct they are to say this forum isn't fair to men, the playing field can't be leveled to exclude women who wear the kilt without causing harm to women.

Now, the folks who are gender-queer or transsexual have their own battle to fight, as society openly continues to treat them like 2nd-class citizens. However important it is, the fight can't drown out everything else, and so I understand that some places have to be deemed inappropriate as battlegrounds, and that XMarks is reasonably filed in the category of unsuitable places.

So I'm not entirely sure how to make it fair all-around while still maintaining the site's function and purpose without limiting discussion on women's clothes entirely (except insofar as they relate to the kilt) or banning discussion on garments that are closer approximations of lingerie than they are of kilts. In any case, until I can safely argue that this site treats both sides fairly, I don't know if I can hold my own in an argument about why XMarks is right to endorse women wearing kilts.

...and having just typed up this post, I think I have come upon my thesis for a thread regarding women in kilts vs. skirts, and what XMarks' role in these matters might be.

Funny how these things work out sometimes.