True Diversity

Some people think I'm not diverse because I'm not a woman.

This week, yet another event was canceled due to online backlash. The organizer was accused of having a speaker lineup that consisted of "only men" and was, therefore, considered "not diverse." I understand that the event will be relaunched later, likely with a more gender-balanced lineup and thus "more diversity."

Let me start by acknowledging that a mix of sexes and/or genders is usually a Good Thing. It is ridiculous that many sports competitions have separate male versus female teams. I am always pleasantly surprised to encounter a woman pilot, surgeon, or neuroscientist. And as far as I'm concerned, most restrooms should be gender-neutral by default. (I'm still hoping for a female prime minister in our country, which is long overdue.)

However, there are two problems with the accusations of "only men" and "not diverse" regarding the lineup of conference speakers.

First, the accusers confuse sex with gender. Just because a group of speakers appears to consist of males doesn't mean they all identify as men. I personally know individuals who were assigned male at birth but identify as women. From this, I've learned that one cannot judge gender simply by looking at a set of photos. This should be particularly relevant to those who claim to stand up for diversity. If you make a big deal about proper representation on a conference panel, why not do it properly and ask panelists how they self-identify? If you don't, you're letting your own bias seep into your accusations, and you're no better than anyone else. I consider the remark "I see only men" an uninformed and potentially offensive observation.

Second, people often confuse gender issues with true diversity. If a group consists of people of only one gender, it doesn't necessarily mean the group lacks diversity. What about different cultures and backgrounds? What about LGBTQ+ members? What about neurodiverse individuals? What about those who are physically less abled? What about people from different industries or educational backgrounds? Does all of that not count as diversity on a conference panel? Is cognitive diversity less relevant than physical diversity? Apparently, for the online critics, the Diversity Scorecard has only one required checkbox, which says "women." Everything else is entirely optional.

More than once, a group that I was part of was deemed "not diverse" because it featured only men. And one woman once told me that my opinion on diversity had no merit because, as a white man, I was privileged and could not possibly have anything meaningful to say on this topic. Indeed, I'm a gay man with mild autism, an interesting form of synesthesia, and I'm married to a person of color. What could I possibly say about diversity? Apparently, I should step back and let women do the talking for me!

For this reason, I refuse to participate in any initiative that claims to be about diversity, while in practice, the only thing being discussed is women's issues. I will repeat: I am fully in favor of removing all impediments for women and promoting women in environments dominated by men. Gender equality is crucial and important to me. But it's a different topic. Don't call that diversity because it isn't. When you add a "for women" label to your event, that's great. I applaud you. But I will feel excluded because you're tackling a gender issue, not a diversity issue.

It's June. This is Pride Month.

How about we make an effort to understand what true diversity really is? If you publicly cancel an event because of a "lack of diversity," when you see a picture of a group of males, it seems to me you don't really understand diversity. You don't really care. You're just virtue signaling.

The next time you see a conference panel that seems to consist of only men, be kind and lead with questions rather than accusations. You could ask the organizer, "In which ways have you ensured the diversity of the speakers?" Indeed, maybe you found a diversity problem; maybe you didn't. But for sure, there are better ways than simply counting body parts.

I very much welcome more women at conferences. But don't judge all men for not contributing to diversity. It's rather offensive.