does anyone else ever have a moment where you're standing in a Fred Meyer oats aisle and listeninig to an apocolyptic broadcast about how to prevent transmission of "the virus" interrupting Call Me Maybe and the five frat bros buying spiked tea wearing their favorite bro masks don't even flinch and its all- just so weird to pause and actually process and pretend like you just started tuning in because the world we are living in is I mean SO fucking weird
Aaaand just food for thought: https://m-cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm/245710-underrepresented-minority-considered-harmful-racist-language/fulltext
Truly changing power structures in society depends on the presence of oppressed groups, not just in policy making and offices, but in the other facets where biased decisions are made. I would argue that is every profession, and if you don't believe STEM could be subjective, I have some news (and suggested readings) for you. Furthermore, power is harnessed in fields with overrepresented populations, providing a bubble for them to continue hurtful behaviors and attitudes.
While we're at it, women in math. Women who like math should be empowered to do it! But if they aren't we're fucked. If women are left out of math we lose having gross attitudes held by men called out before they are too old and powerful to learn, moral persepctives, role models for girls who don't know if they belong. We end up with more biased science and it hurts all of us. It gives the patriarchy a weapon for oppression that CANNOT be checked.
Non-CS feminists tend to have attitudes like, awe CS Women©️ breaking the glass ceiling! But forget that representation of women and NB folks in CS is something that is actually a core feminist issue. Having mostly white men design our healthcare was devastating for human rights; are we really not concerned that the products that are shaping our entire society today are being made by mostly straight-passing white men?