Richard Stallman's Possibly Sexist Remarks at GCDS
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 9th Jul 2009 12:09 UTC
Talk, Rumors, X Versus Y During the Gran Canaria Desktop Summit, Richard M. Stallman of the Free Software Foundation (and the Superfluous Introduction Award goes to...) gave a keynote speech. Said keynote speech raised a few eyebrows in the Free software community because of a number of questionable remarks regarding women in technology. David "Lefty" Schlesinger, member of the GNOME Advisory Board and active in the mobile open source community, took issue with RMS' remarks and decided to call him out on it. The response he got was... Less than satisfying.
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RE: What's wrong with sexism?
by google_ninja on Thu 9th Jul 2009 20:47 UTC in reply to "What's wrong with sexism?"
google_ninja
Member since:
2006-02-05

Sexism, a term coined in the mid-20th century,[1] refers to the belief or attitude that one gender or sex is inferior to, less competent, or less valuable than the other. It can also refer to hatred of, or prejudice towards, either sex as a whole (see misogyny and misandry), or the application of stereotypes of masculinity in relation to men, or of femininity in relation to women.[2] It is also called male and female chauvinism. Historically and across many cultures, sexism has resulted in the subjugation of women to men. Many men and women espousing feminism, masculism and other ideologies have worked toward dispelling sexist beliefs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexism

Reply Parent Score: 2

PrimalDK Member since:
2005-07-12

Yeah...that's exactly the point, ninja:

"...one sex or gender..."

So, *either* gender can be the subject of jokes. And prejudice is certainly a wonderful tool in comedy - look up "Faulty Towers" if you need proof.

I also refuse to believe that sexism is the culprit. People have a need to categorize, and the categories they invent will sometimes be anything but isomophic to the way mother nature orders things - and so what?

We are still in the process of mapping out the universe, and the fact that people tend towards all kinds of prejudice is statistically backed up by so much evidence that it's ridiculous to suggest we're not - and so what?

People have their needs for safety, and prejudice is most probably a side-effect of evolution (what else?), something we'll have to work our intellect to get over, that is, *when* appropriate.

Want to restrict freedom of speech? No? Then accept that *some* things someone *will* say *will* offend you and move on.

Your self-established high moral ground is a multi-facetted and shaky form of prejudice, at best.

Reply Parent Score: 1

google_ninja Member since:
2006-02-05

So, *either* gender can be the subject of jokes. And prejudice is certainly a wonderful tool in comedy - look up "Faulty Towers" if you need proof.


It is also quite efficient to use black people as slaves, look at the old south if you need proof.

People have their needs for safety, and prejudice is most probably a side-effect of evolution (what else?), something we'll have to work our intellect to get over, that is, *when* appropriate.


...which will never happen if we just ignore it.

Want to restrict freedom of speech? No? Then accept that *some* things someone *will* say *will* offend you and move on.


If we are talking about this specific thing (which wasn't a huge deal), I agree with you. But we aren't, we are talking about prejudice in general, and sexism in specific. Women should be able to go through life and not get treated as inferior based on the fact that they are women.

Your self-established high moral ground is a multi-facetted and shaky form of prejudice, at best.


I am talking as someone who thinks it is really sad that there are so few female developers, especially since the few I have worked with over my career have been universally phenomenal. I don't think its even a moral highground, it is more a moral baseline. Judging or hating people based on arbitrary arbitrary differences is wrong, plain and simple, and that is what sexism is, by definition. By defending sexism, that is what you are defending.

Reply Parent Score: 2

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