02 March 2013

Geek culture harassment

Maddy Myers' long post Harassment in nerd spaces, and encouraging honesty:

“The fighting [video game] community is so welcoming,” he assured me. “I've never heard of people being that rude!”

The fighting community had been very “welcoming” to me indeed ... if touching me without my consent, alternating between interrupting my conversations and refusing to leave me alone or completely ignoring me to cut me in line, assuming I don't game and acting over-the-top surprised about it when I say that I do, or referring to me as a “cheerleader” without so much as a “what's your name” count as being welcoming … which, they don't.

But I didn't say that.

If you've been paying attention, none of this is remotely new to you. Myers doesn't have a solution to offer. She just reminds us that these stories need to be heard.

She's right. So I encourage folks to read it.

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