Behaviour
SEXISM
ALIVE AND WELL IN SCUBA DIVING!
Text and Photography by Jill Heinerth
ioneering Scuba diver Marjorie Bank never made it to my age. She died prematurely, the result of a massive heart attack. As a
younger diver, I was inspired by her career and charisma. She was a prolific speaker at conferences such as Our World Underwater in Chicago. Marjorie would share her photography and stories from trips filming sharks, and hanging out with the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. She was never afraid to speak her mind, and as a shy
16 Magazine
young diving professional, I took note of her assertiveness. After seeing a dozen of her talks, I finally summoned the confidence to ask her for advice. She pulled me close and pinned a button to my shirt. Looking me in the eye she said, “Be confident in your dreams and know that you can do anything you want in the diving industry.” I was overwhelmed by this and with a smile on my face, I thanked her, noticing that the button she’d pinned on me read ‘No Bimbos’. Marjorie let the world know that
she was sick and tired of trade show babes-in-lycra using sexuality to sell the sport of SCUBA diving.
She was exhausted from being marginalized as a large woman in a man’s world. She wanted women of adventure and achievement to be recognized on their merit – not their appearance. She was calling out the diving industry on sexism. When asked to write this piece,
I was torn. Though I have endless stories of the challenges I have faced forging a career in diving, I felt a bit squeamish about airing dirty laundry. I want to believe that things are improving and with that in mind, considered declining the assignment. I thought this is one to leave well enough alone. But the opportunity to educate
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