Speaking from personal observation and NOT as a board member, I thnk the fact that there are so many women at PenguiCon is one of the reasons we apparently have a low harassment rate. Women aren't some rare creature at which to gawk, nor are they isolated. The sheer number of women in corsets or short skirts or garb makes it clear that they are doing it for themselves and not as some bid for male companionship. And the couple of times I've seen some guy try to make an unwelcome invasion into a woman's personal space, people have stepped into the conversation before it got to the point of harassment. So I think women at penguicon feel empowered and comfortable.
That's not to say we should ever feel smug or think we are insulated from the possibility. But I do think we start from a position of relative strength.
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Date: 2010-12-04 04:27 pm (UTC)That's not to say we should ever feel smug or think we are insulated from the possibility. But I do think we start from a position of relative strength.