Posted by LizaK on June 14, 2010 at 6:17pm
Start:
2010-06-17 18:30 - 21:30 America/New_York Organizers:
Event type:
User group meeting
Calling all New York ladies! Announcing NYC's inaugural DrupalChix meet-up.
UPDATE: Drupal rockstars (and current visitors to our fine city) Angie Webchick Byron and Addison add1sun Berry will be in attendance. Don't miss!
Are you a DrupalChix in or near New York City? Then come to our first DrupalChix NYC meetup on June 17. Let's have DINNER together from 6:30 to whenever — place TBA. We're not going to publicly list where we are going to meet. Please do signup ahead of time, and we'll send you the details.
Just to be clear, this dinner is for women in the Drupal community. And please pass the link to this invite around — help spread the word.
Sign up here.
Comments
Aye!
Looking forward to it! Thanks for organizing.
So sad to miss this, but have
So sad to miss this, but have fun, ladies and non-ladies in attendance! ;)
I'm probably going to get flamed for this, but...
I'm very disappointed by this meetup proposal.
I feel like many in our community have been working really hard to promote an inclusive environment in the NYC group. So what happens next? A meetup is suggested and I'm pretty much told point blank this is a drupal meetup that I'm not allowed to attend.
I think this may be the first time in the NYC group where an event has been posted where a specific portion of the community was explicitly told "you are not wanted here".
I see it differently
I really don't have a problem with this.
So, they are clearly interested in being inclusive of supportive men in their g.d.o group.
Especially given the recent events here, I have no problem with women in the drupal community setting up a meeting where they are guaranteed to have a safe space, where they can focus on issues without having to worry about the boy's club distracting them.
I understand
But...
The drupalchix mission statement clearly (and vigorously) does not exclude anyone, while this event does.
I understand why this event explicitly excludes men. But I'm very sad that it does. And I find the timing of posting an exclusive event in a group that is having major problems encouraging inclusiveness in the group to be questionable.
Safe space =/= exclusion
Echoing and adding to what ericG wrote. The DrupalChix NYC meetup isn't a response to what's been going on in this community or a declaration that not enough has been done to promote an inclusive environment, though it frankly wouldn't be shocking if it was such a response given the long-standing history here. Recent efforts have been commendable and are doing much good, but they don't wipe everything away and suddenly make the NYC community feel like a totally safe and inclusive space. These things take time.
Even if there was no history of blatant and overt sexism in the Drupal NYC community, DrupalChix and associated meetups would have good reason to exist. I'm a strong proponent of the right of people who are part of marginalized or oppressed groups to gather together, be it for socializing, support, organizing, or simply doing the work that the larger community is doing (i.e. Drupal) in a setting in which marginalization and prejudice are less likely to be a factor. In such safe spaces, people who go through life with a particular sort of power and privilege (in this case, gender privilege) are asked to respect the construction of a space where, for once, they are not on the short end of that stick. Objecting to such spaces or demanding that they not exist is, in fact, further exercise of one's privilege.
Some suggested reading on this topic:
http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Safe_space
http://radgeek.com/gt/2000/09/30/what_you/
http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/10/01/the-dos-and-donts-of-being-a-go...
A side note: I'd say that framing disagreements as flames before you even get them is kinda poisoning the well...
Re: Disagreements as flames
Yes, good point. To be clear I don't take your or Eric's disagreements as flames. Sorry about that oversight.
I'm surprised by the issues
I'm surprised by the issues raised. As members of the NYC Drupal group, you undoubtedly know about the embarassing problems that the group has had - from police involvement due to real life threats of violence against women members, to DA involvement due to help needed in policing it's leadership.
As a woman who is actively involved in Drupal and a resident of NYC, I believe that it is a reasonable expectation to meet with other DrupalChix in an environment free of threats or criticism.
It is obviously within the best interests of both the NYC Drupal community and the community as a whole for women to feel safe in our world. Just look at the attendees - Drupal is inarguably a better community for having these women in it. The NYC Drupal group isn't currently providing a comfortable environment, but hopefully once the general NYC group has worked out it's issues, we can work together to provide an environment that is welcoming to all. I'd love to see a strong, welcoming DrupalChix NYC group, and a strong, welcoming general group as well.
Meanwhile, I agree with you - we should not have to build exclusionary groups. It's a real shame, but us ass-kicking DrupalChix still have a right to meet (and feel safe doing so). The community as a whole will benefit. It is the intention of this group to provide a safe space for women, and eventually open the group up to all of those who support the cause of Drupal being more inclusive to women.
Winston, if you'd like to talk more about this, let's have a beer.
what ever happened with this meetup?
i ended up canceling my signup for this at the last minute since i never saw anything posted about where or when the dinner was taking place. was there some kind of secret bat signal in the sky that i missed or did it turn into an invite-only thing?
very confusing.