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I like my interest groups full of women, and I can't imagine chasing them out of the group which is supposed to be about the common interests, not a dating site. I want an environment in which they can be confident that they are meeting friends, not getting a lot of pressure or big expectations.
So you can predict my growing shock, alarm, disgust, and facepalm, at hearing about guys making unwanted advances, and even sexual assault, toward women at OSCON, OLS, or other open source related events. It's wrong to not take no for an answer. It's unthinkable to get all handsy, and I wouldn't tolerate it if I saw it happen. I would make sure they get kicked out. I keep worrying if it's happening at Penguicon and no one's reporting it.
For a geek event, Penguicon has an unusually large percentage of women attendees, organizers, and presenters (on all topics, not just tech). Our attendance has got to be somewhere between one third to one half women. They are just as passionate about the convention. If that went away, it would no longer be anything like the con we have come to know. The shocking behavior at other events related to open source is sparking an organized backlash which is long overdue. Unfortunately I think we're going to get lumped in. We already have a harassment policy, requiring that you leave people alone when they ask you to, forbidding touching without express permission, and promising the victims of abuse that the con will back them up. But I wouldn't mind expanding the policy.
The really cool Geek Feminism Wiki has a boilerplate Tech Conference Anti-Harassment Policy Document. It's really good. I would only make three changes for our circumstances.
( Switch 'safe feeling' to 'comfortable environment'. )
( Remove the broad, nearly-meaningless 'offensive'. )
( Modify the prohibition on sexual images. )
In addition to the recommendations for the policy, I have an open question and an impassioned plea:
( An open question. )
( An impassioned plea to men looking for a woman. )
So you can predict my growing shock, alarm, disgust, and facepalm, at hearing about guys making unwanted advances, and even sexual assault, toward women at OSCON, OLS, or other open source related events. It's wrong to not take no for an answer. It's unthinkable to get all handsy, and I wouldn't tolerate it if I saw it happen. I would make sure they get kicked out. I keep worrying if it's happening at Penguicon and no one's reporting it.
For a geek event, Penguicon has an unusually large percentage of women attendees, organizers, and presenters (on all topics, not just tech). Our attendance has got to be somewhere between one third to one half women. They are just as passionate about the convention. If that went away, it would no longer be anything like the con we have come to know. The shocking behavior at other events related to open source is sparking an organized backlash which is long overdue. Unfortunately I think we're going to get lumped in. We already have a harassment policy, requiring that you leave people alone when they ask you to, forbidding touching without express permission, and promising the victims of abuse that the con will back them up. But I wouldn't mind expanding the policy.
The really cool Geek Feminism Wiki has a boilerplate Tech Conference Anti-Harassment Policy Document. It's really good. I would only make three changes for our circumstances.
( Switch 'safe feeling' to 'comfortable environment'. )
( Remove the broad, nearly-meaningless 'offensive'. )
( Modify the prohibition on sexual images. )
In addition to the recommendations for the policy, I have an open question and an impassioned plea:
( An open question. )
( An impassioned plea to men looking for a woman. )
