THE SCROLL: 'Women in tech' conference launches investigation after alleged fake 'non-binary' men turn up
Videos circulating on social media show the backlash after attendees of the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing were surprised to see men in attendance at the Sept. event in Orlando, Florida.
”The Scroll” is Campus Reform’s serial coverage of social media postings and debates that relate to liberal bias in higher education.
Feathers were ruffled after a popular conference for professionals and students in the tech industry was reportedly overrun by male attendees claiming to be “non-binary” and accessing the event’s exclusive networking opportunities and career fair.
”To honor Grace Hopper’s legacy and inspire future generations of women in tech, Dr. Anita Borg and Dr. Telle Whitney founded Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) in 1994,” according to the organization’s website.
But in the current age, the event advertises itself as “the world’s largest gathering of women and non-binary technologists.” Tickets cost $1,300, but the organization provides scholarships to “women and non-binary” students, faculty, and professionals to attend virtually
Videos circulating on social media show the backlash after attendees of the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing were surprised to see men in attendance at the September event in Orlando, Florida.
Males took over a women in tech career conference by registering as non-binary. pic.twitter.com/CcGByMt4H1
— Ren (@rottengirl) October 3, 2023
Attendees have speculated that ‘cisgender’ men may have exploited the system by pretending to be non-binary or selecting “prefer not to answer” on their entry forms.
The conference organizer, AnitaB, has promised an investigation.
”This is a space for women in tech,” said one woman in a video posted to TikTok. “This is one of the few limited resources that isn’t for you. It’s for us.”
Another user claimed that the “majority” of men who were seen at the event had nametags presenting “he/him” pronouns and had “no searchable history” of ever having purported to be non-binary.
Indeed, video footage of the event shows plenty of men, presenting as men, taking advantage of the career resources offered by the women’s space.
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In September, former NCAA athlete Riley Gaines told the crowd at Family Research Council’s Pray, Vote, Stand Summit to stop using the word “biological” before “woman” and “man.”
“That’s admitting that there’s an unbiological alternative and there’s not,” Gaines said. “There is man and there is woman.”
Gaines is the namesake of the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, the parent organization of Campus Reform.
