Re: [boost] [IBD] Help request, A Woman's Point of View

From: Edward Diener (eldiener_at_[hidden])
Date: 2007-07-06 14:28:22

Matias Capeletto wrote:
> On 7/6/07, james.jones_at_[hidden]
> <james.jones_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>> From: "Stjepan Rajko" <stipe_at_[hidden]>
>>> Anyway, I'd really like to applaud Matias for actively trying to
>>> address the gender imbalance, since if it wasn't for the female
>>> dancers that were encouraging of my participation in dance, I wouldn't
>>> be a dancer now (and I suspect not nearly as happy a person).  I think
>>> that until you start to fix the gender imbalance, you don't even
>>> realize what kind of useful feedback, opinions, and participation you
>>> might be missing out on.
>> You may find that women find it creepy for 50 guys to be, in effect,
>> calling out, "Hey, join us! Come on, we're nice people! And we'll
>> listen to you - here, you can sit next to me!"
>>
>> Don't force it.

Bravo !

> 
> I think we have been clear enough. We are not forcing anything.
> To me it is just odd that Boost is a men only business, so I
> respectfully want to show them that we are open and invite them to
> work along us.

Women don't need for you to show them that they can work with men. They 
know it already and, if they don't, they are living in such a backward 
culture where nothing you say to them, as someone far outside their 
culture and concerns, is going to make a difference anyway.

> 
> Why it is so hard not to be marked as a sexist? Come on, we are only
> trying to make boost a better place for all of us. Please do not put
> words in our mouths.

You are not being marked as sexist. You are being patronizing. That's 
much worse. No woman wants to be pointed out as a "token" being asked to 
join Boost so that Boosters can say they have a woman's point of view.