It was useful and informative and well-organized, and now Valerie Aurora is profiled in the Guardian. It’s got lots of good information about how men can be good allies to women, too.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
Please forgive me in advance as this post is only distantly related to the topic:
Speaking of men being good allies to women, etc., I need fellow posters here to talk me back from the ledge. I am terrified about Drumpfh.
Please talk me back . . . .
@1
Well, you could try to spin it positively…
In my job/work I test how sustainable something (usually methodologies or systems of some kind) is by subjecting it to stress and seeing what falls out.
Assuming things turn out alright next week, you might reasonably take away that US democractic and electoral institutions have undergone a major stress test, and there is much to be learned from what falls out of that…?
Now back away from the ledge. First responders have better shit to do than hold your hand.
Great article.
If people get the chance to take Valerie Aurora’s workshops, I highly recommend it.
I try to be an ally. I would love to participate in this sort of workshop. I know I’m not perfect, and that I probably make women uncomfortable sometimes.
One criticism, and, I hope someone will enlighten me if I am mansplaining anything, but isn’t the Lean In approach helpful on the women’s side until every man has been through Valerie Aurora’s workshops? I’m not saying every woman needs to, but some women could utilize that approach along with her allies to get more done. Now that I’ve said that, though, I guess if there are allies a woman wouldn’t need the Lean In approach at all?
Hey! I went to college with Valeria Aurora! She’s a truly awesome person, and an excellent programmer besides. She’s a prime example of how sexism can hurt the software industry, because any software company would be stupid to turn her down for a job. I’m glad she’s doing this work, but it also bugs me because I know how good a programmer she is, and it feels like she’s wasting time on something that as she rightfully points out is the responsibility of men, and sexism shouldn’t be happening in the first place.
@4 re: “I guess if there are allies a woman wouldn’t need the Lean In approach at all?” – Precisely. In an ideal world sexism wouldn’t even be a thing.