This is a list of links, in no particular order, that you should read in no particular order. But read all of the words at the end of these links. This is just ten minutes’ worth of looking for content to link to about a very common issue:
- A Woman in SQL 2023 – Deborah Melkin
- A Woman in SQL 2021 – Deborah Melkin
- Doing the bare minimum to stop toxic behavior – Eugene Meidinger
- It’s 2021, so why are you reading this? – Randolph West (yes, this is me)
- Your event needs a Code of Conduct. You need a plan and process for enforcing it. Here’s why. – Cathrine Wilhelmsen
- The Curious Case of… community – Paul Randal
- Publishing a Code of Conduct isn’t enough – Andy Mallon
- Women’s History Month – Melody Zacharias
Some of you may also know that a while ago, I got into a very public fight with a conference organizer for asking “where are the women?” when they promoted their pre-conference speakers. And because I used a word with four letters starting with “f”, my argument was considered by several people to be unimportant. Fuck that.
Additionally, I recently abandoned Twitter so I don’t have a link to the post I recall reading, but there was a person who attended the PASS Summit in 2022 who was completely ignored on account of being a woman. Just … stop doing that.
I may be a very loud queer person, but I’m still white and present as male, so I am just about at the lowest difficulty setting in life. I will continue using my position in whichever space I’m in, to make people feel uncomfortable about uncomfortable things, until things change or I die.
Women are equal to men. Queer people are equal to straight people. People of colour are equal to white people. Children are equal to adults. Trans rights are human rights. These are facts, not opinions. You (yes, you) need to make space for people who are different to you, and you need to help them out and give them the advantages you didn’t have to fight for.
Most of all, when someone who isn’t a white male tells you their story, listen to them. You might learn something.
P.S. When you’re watching a TV show or a film, count how many lead characters aren’t straight white dudes, as a percentage of the cast. Count how many people who aren’t straight white dudes have speaking roles, and count the number of lines they have. Do this with your favourite movies.
Photo by That’s Her Business on Unsplash.