[clug] Being polite on the list - or: Geek Feminism 101

[Kristy A. Bennett]

Um...

Extract from Linux Digest wrote:

****
Message: 12
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 2009 14:39:12 +1000
From: Brendan Jurd <direvus at gmail.com>
To: Alex Satrapa <alexsatrapa at mac.com>
Cc: CLUG List <linux at lists.samba.org>
Subject: Re: [clug] Being polite on the list - or: Geek Feminism 101
Message-ID:
	<37ed240d0907202139w45a0908r35ef72f822e7fcdd at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

2009/7/21 Alex Satrapa <alexsatrapa at mac.com>:

> > On 21/07/2009, at 10:25 , Lana Brindley wrote:
>   
>> >> Bingo!
>> >> (For those who don't get *that* joke, see here:
>> >> http://viv.id.au/blog/20070414.431/anti-feminist-bingo-a-master-class-in-sexual-entitlement/?)
>>     
> >
> > Yup, I must be anti-feminist! I should just take myself out the back and
> > shoot him right now.
> >
>   

Yeah, me too.
****

Um, me three - and dang it I am a chick too!

Seriously, I am of the view that some people take terms of reference far 
too seriously.  I have three sisters, no brothers, and I use all sorts 
of untoward terms for them.  Yes, if I say the guys are kicking the ball 
on the oval it may well be my mother and/or sisters.

I am also known for referring to my sisters as 'the clan' distinct from 
the African American hating variety.  They are also known as 'the gang' 
as distinct from the street crime varieties.  All politically incorrect 
but terms used to inclusively refer to the females that make up my family.

Back in high school I was the only 'chick' to infiltrate an all-male 
friendship group known as the 'fellas' (aka a self-proclaimed group of 
blokes).  Being one of the 'fellas' was a badge worn with pride because 
it said far more about my personality and interests than anything else 
that could have been interpreted by outsiders.  And seriously, I miss 
the days of 'shielas' because they were the days when it was not 
politically incorrect to call a room full of men a 'bunch of d1cks'.  No 
offence intended at all (to any men who may also be into political 
correctness).

People, even the execs that I consult to, often make a reference to 
staff as 'guys' without any gender bias intent whatsoever and there are 
three potential ways to deal with it that I see regularly.  The first is 
to jump up and down and scream about the political incorrectness and how 
they can be sued for it, the second is to jump on board with 
illustrating their shortfalls using cartoons and blogs posts 
illustrating a point that could be made perfectly well via a third 
method which is to simply state that perhaps 'term x' (eg team, 
engineers, administration, certified professionals) is a term which you 
would use to be more inclusive, use that term yourself and move on.

Seriously, this thread has spanned too many digests already.  I suggest 
that those with the time sit down and watch 'Remember the Titans' just 
to understand how the word 'them' has been used as a discriminatory 
term.  And then, make the choice to be proactive in your own voice 
rather than using humiliation or intimidation as a tactic to get blokes 
to understand the feminist cause or anyone to understand any other 
plight of discrimination for that matter.

My 2 cents,

-- 
Kristy A. Bennett
"You make the meal.  I'll bring the perspective." Ego - Ratatouille
*****
E kristy at kristy.id.au
U http://www.kristy.id.au
*****