[Linux-aus] An Open Letter to the Open Source Community

[Paul Antoine]

Richard Neal blurted:
> Before I let loose on this subject let me explain my personal position.

...or to be read as meaning "I'm about to insult you all, men and women"

> I can see were your coming from but as a proud "male" who is also proud to "be 
> male" with all the qualms and limitations that the tag comes with I cant help 
> but feel slighted by your diatribe on this list.

Poor you... slighted by someone asking for equal consideration and 
pointing out that there is evidence of inequality.  How dreadful it must 
be to have your male ego bruised so by someone asking nicely to be 
treated with respect.

I did *not* see any "screaming at someone" from Melissa; instead it was 
very well expressed, tolerant and patient really.

> For starters "both sex's" can be sexist, and just because your "female" 
> doesn't mean your the only one to suffer from this issue.

The term "misandry" is the inverse of misogyny.  Unfortunately *some* 
women have seen this as a way of redressing the present imbalance, and 
it appears to me as a male that such behaviour becoming more prevalent. 
Sad but true (in part a consequence of many years of oppression) and we 
must demand better from those women who succumb to the lure of 
retaliating this way.

> A good opposing example is males make up 0.5% of knitting clubs are all males 
> being locked out ? or could is it because  males due to gender or cultural 
> differences don't really have much interest in knitting ?

This would only be a valid analogy if there were many men trying to be 
involved in knitting but being turned off by the aggressive, sexist, 
invasive behaviour of the incumbent bunch of knitting women!  Unlikely, 
n'est ce pas?  This lack of participation is not about gender or 
cultural *differences*, it is merely about offensive behaviour!

> PS Also get thicker skin, I was the only male in an all female work place for 
> 14 years and sexist remarks were common, I never took them personally 

Ahhh... the last cry of the knuckle-draggingly insensitive... to demand 
that everyone *else* be less sensitive rather than demand change. Yes, 
demand is the right word.  Being "tolerant" gets you ignored - you have 
to admit women were previously *very* tolerant! Demanding politely and 
loudly is the only way to effect change.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of tolerance: tolerance is bullshit. 
  Tolerance connotes "judgement in the negative without action against". 
Until we completely *accept* diversity we will not have moved forward.

I will *not* tolerate tolerance... acceptance is it, or you'll be 
hearing LOUDLY from me (albeit politely :-)

It would have been entirely within your rights to ask those women you 
worked with to stop behaving inappropriately around you.  Indeed you 
*ought* to have done so to ensure your boundaries were well-protected 
and respected. But your own double-standard tripped you up :-)

Paul