Call out the bad banter

I love the little shoot where I go beating, but there is a person there who is becoming increasingly sexist, rude and argumentative. I am not the only person there who finds him objectionable and I don’t want to cause problems, but feel I need to say something. Who do I approach and what should I say?

You are right to call out this sort of behaviour. There is no place for it on shoots anywhere, regardless of size. If you feel unable to approach this person directly, speak to the keeper or shoot captain, or both. They may be unaware of the problem and until someone says something nothing is going to change. Sexism and rudeness are often passed off as harmless banter, which they are not.

Most of us are happy to have our legs pulled and it is very much part of a day’s shooting, but it crosses the line if it makes any of the group feel uncomfortable. I am certain the people running the shoot will take your concerns seriously and will be grateful to you for bringing it up. LB