Gatekeeping

Navigating all levels of government bureaucracy, healthcare, and educational systems often involves jumping through hoops, clearing hurdles, and overcoming barriers, including onerous paperwork and applications, prerequisites, and even occasional subjective conditions invented by the agency or organization. These challenges can make it difficult to access essential services, create positive changes in your life or the world, and achieve your dreams. But in many cases, that is precisely the point.

Most of those rules and regulations are directed toward our most vulnerable - those living in poverty, people of color, older folks, LGBTQ+, the disability community, anyone living with trauma, women, etc. And by proxy, the charitable organizations dedicated to helping them.

I have a theory that all forms of gatekeeping come from the widespread societal fear that someone may get something they didn't earn or generally deserve. However, it also comes from training.

Motivation is culturally perceived as something external. From a young age, we are conditioned to expect rewards (stickers, prizes, etc.) for doing what others want, and if we don't do "the thing," there will be punishment.

In this ubiquitous scenario, we often overlook that humans are born with internal motivation. We automatically do the things that increase our potential for survival and contribute to our happiness. As toddlers, we learn how to walk not because someone dangled a reward in front of us but because it gets us where we want faster. The same can be said for every other part of our lives. Each of us instinctively knows what is best for us.

The only reason to complicate life for others is to exert power and control. In other words, as a society, we intentionally obstruct people from obtaining what they need to ensure they remain in their "assigned" places. This is the main goal of gatekeeping.

Everyone deserves the opportunity to live comfortably, receive the services that will increase their chances of well-being and personal success, work toward big dreams, and have access to scientifically accurate information to make the best choices for themselves so they can live their best lives. This should all be regardless of whether they meet fabricated criteria and others' approval or not. 

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Thank you!
A huge thank you to Kevin Felt for answering our request and donating and delivering a dishwasher! Ours gave up the ghost in April, which meant we hand-washed dishes for 15-20 people every day. That gets pretty old after a while! 

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