Dori, columnist go head-to-head over people of color yoga class

They might not agree with each other, but they can at least understand each other. And in the end, they can at least sit down and talk about the controversial issue.

That was the result of a back-and-forth between KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson and a Seattle writer who disagrees with the radio host’s reaction to a People of Color yoga class held at Rainier Beach Yoga.

Related: Dori has a problem with people of color yoga class

Reagan Jackson wrote an article in The Seattle Globalist that called out Dori for spreading vitriol over an issue with Rainier Beach Yoga.

Jackson argues that Dori is missing a big point: the reason why such a class is needed. She told Dori that while he can’t control the actions or responses of listeners, there is a responsibility when he reports a story as he did.

“I think it’s less about what I disagreed with and more about the response,” Jackson told Dori. “Following your show, the yoga studio where people of color yoga was going to be, actually received death threats in addition to the people who were going to instruct that class. I have a huge problem with that.”

Not only did the studio and instructors receive death threats, for the first time in the five years the class has been running, but all classes at the studio have been put on hold as a result.

“I told people to lay off the yoga studio,” Dori said. “But I can’t control the response when we cover stories like this.”

And to a point, Jackson agrees with Dori.

“It’s not so much that I think you can control everyone and their reaction, I think you can control and have a more nuanced discussion,” Jackson said. “You were putting your opinion out there, which is a valid opinion, and that was it. There was no real discussion on why there was a need for a people of color class.”

“One of the things that really bothered me about the way you chose to engage this is that I felt like you completely invalidated that this class would be useful to somebody,” she said. “Because it’s not useful to you, or it’s something that you don’t want to attend, you completely dismissed it and didn’t go into why someone might actually want a safe space to practice yoga.”

Jackson notes that it is not uncommon for gyms or other organizations to create safe spaces for certain groups, such as gyms that host all-woman workout times, or pools that organize similar sessions.

But Dori maintains a different perspective, and says another point is being missed: his original one. Dori said that he has no problem with the class and he doesn’t care if a business chooses to host one. Rather, his sights are set on government’s response to discriminatory business practices. His aim is to relate classes like the people of color yoga class &#8212 which he views as exclusionary &#8212 to news stories of bakers and florists that have come under legal action for denying services to gay couples for weddings.

“The government chose to go after a florist in the Tri-Cities that didn’t want to do a gay wedding,” Dori argued. “It’s hypocritical to go after a business owner who wanted to exclude based on their religious faith, but say nothing about a business owner who wanted to exclude based on the color of a person’s skin.”

“I support Rainier Beach Yoga having a people of color yoga class that excludes whites,” he said.

But again, Jackson contends that Dori is missing a point.

“I take exception to that is how it is framed; that it’s something that is exclusionary when that is not the original intention,” she said. “The intention is to provide a safe space. You’re framing it as something that is excluding white people; it makes it sound like we are hiding out somewhere trying to hate.”

“But I’m not infuriated at Rainier Bach Yoga having a no-white yoga class,” Dori said. “I’m infuriated about our government deciding which businesses that exclude are going to be sued.”