[Noisebridge-discuss] I got groped at noisebridge at hackmeet

[Danny O'Brien]

Hey Susan,

I'm Danny, Liz's partner -- we talked for a while about screen
captures, merkel trees and such on Friday night. I look like this:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3075/3156631915_cd4ee84acc_o.jpg

I'm really sorry this happened. I was at Hackmeet, but not until
later. I was looking out for you because Liz had said you were there,
but didn't see you. Hackmeet was very full with over 80 people, most
of whom I didn't know, and only a small handful of Noisebridgers. I
think we should have set things up so that it was clear who people
could talk to if there was a problem, either Noisebridge people or
Hackmeet people. As is often the case, it was really hard to see who
had (temporary) authority, and I think that would have helped you.
Again, I'm unreservedly sorry.

If you want to talk about this some more, you can either mail me, or
Liz has my phone number. You're exactly the person that I like meeting
and talking to at Noisebridge, and I want you to feel welcome there
(or anywhere, really).

Anyway,
d.

On Sat, Oct 20, 2012 at 7:19 PM, Susan Werner <heinousbutch at gmail.com> wrote:
> I went to hackmeet today, tried to join in a few conversations, and got told
> to fuck off because I don't already know people. As I was crying and talking
> to someone on the Internet about how these kinds of events are intentionally
> hostile to people who don't already have significant social connections, some
> guy walks by me, and rubs his hand on my right breast, and calmly walks on as
> if nothing happened.
>
> I got groped while I was crying at noisebridge, during an event with lots of
> people at it, and nobody did anything. Nobody spoke a word to me. Nobody
> offered any kind of help whatsoever, and lots of people walked by me, as I was
> there for about half an hour after that happened.
>
> I'm done with noisebridge, done with its community which enables sexual
> assault, done with events which are intentionally hostile to newcomers, done
> with all the bullshit about it being an "anarchist space" where nothing can be
> said about entitled jerks who make the space hostile for others.
>
> Until someone works on the whole "hostility to newcomers" bit of hacker
> culture, harassment will be endemic. As long as newcomers are seen as people to
> be excluded and hazed, no amount of non-harassment policies or codes of conduct
> will do anything substantial.
>
> Kicking out the people who grope isn't enough and won't cause systemic change.
> Change the culture which encourages treating newcomers and outsiders like shit,
> and ignores anything anyone does to newcomers, don't just kick out people who
> further this sort of culture.
>
> Have fun with your hackerspaces and your shitty-ass subculture based on
> exclusion and abuse. I don't even need to talk to people like y'all and I'm not
> going to spend a moment of extra time with a bunch of people who can't even
> look at me after I get groped in front of fifteen people.
>
> I have a key to noisebridge. If anyone wants it, let me know.
>
> --
> Susan
>
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