inch by inch

[firecat]

http://pyfound.blogspot.com/2012/12/psf-moves-to-require-code-of-conduct.html

The second resolution passed by the board serves as the [Python Software] Foundation’s requirement that all Python conferences and related events create and apply a Code of Conduct. Without a code in place, the Foundation will not fund the event."
...
PyCon’s Code of Conduct is structured after one created by The Ada Initiative and others, available under the Creative Commons Zero license at http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Conference_anti-harassment/Policy.

Comments

[bcholmes]

Cool.

[eggcrack]

Excellent!

[selki.livejournal.com]

Yay!

BTW, looks like I'll be learning some Python for my job (maintaining someone else's scripts, not writing from scratch).

[lorres.livejournal.com]

I feel sad that the policy obviously addresses an abuse of sexuality. I presume that the abusers have been men - is this so? I feel sorry that they are so shameless and clueless about their misogyny and crudeness.

It's sad that now sex is a bad thing at Python conferences. I think it's terrible that such rules have to be so restrictive that it will quell behavior that could be friendly, and normal people will feel insecure. It's a case of the fuckwits ruining it for everyone.

I'm glad, however, that the abuse is being addressed in a code of conduct that is explicit.

[firecat]

You know what? I don't think individual fuckwits are to blame. Culture is to blame. Our culture teaches people that it's normal and OK to make jokes about and behave in ways that threaten and objectify women and "other" people who aren't young white men. Explicit policies about what is OK and not OK help change the culture to be more inclusive.

There's a long history of harrassment at conferences and conventions of various kinds. It demonstrably affects how many women and minorities are willing to attend and contribute to these events.

"Sex is a bad thing" seems like an odd way to describe the policy, especially when the policy also explicitly bans harrasment based on other things such as appearance, religion, and disability.

I think it's terrible that such rules have to be so restrictive that it will quell behavior that could be friendly, and normal people will feel insecure.

If normal people will feel insecure in expressing friendliness, then we really need to work on teaching everyone in our culture how to be friendly in ways that don't make their would-be friends feel threatened.

Most of the sexual harrassment complaints I'm aware of at conferences addressed public talks that had content which objectified and sexualized women, and cases where a man made repeated sexual advances toward a woman after she said no.