December 2011: I'm working at IndyHall and I start chatting about tech culture with my pod-mate (meaning our desks touch) for the day. Now, I love IndyHall, but I was talking about how I wished the culture would feel .. different. The crowd often has a "bro" feel, and while it seems most members are involved in tech, many of the women members aren't.
Which leads to the eternal question: What are you going to do about it?
How do you articulate that something just doesn't feel right? There's a reason that Friedan termed "the problem that has no name". And it hit me –
The essence of feminism today is making everything better for everyone – welcome the new people, keep the regulars/experienced involved, and most of all, introduce everyone to everyone.
When I realized this, I (happily) found that I'm already on track for doing just this kind of thing. I organize events with Girl Geek Dinners Philly (join us!), I teach/assist/love GirlDevelopIT Philly (learn from us!), and I'm pondering volunteering with a women's cycling group.
Maybe you're thinking "That's not feminism!" Well … it is for me. The best way to make things better for women and marginalized peoples is to make everything better for everyone. Make it more open. Make it more accessible. Make people happy. That's my kind of feminism.
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