The Conference

If an invitation to a conference from a professional group had said, “We invite Caucasians aspiring to leadership positions …”, what would you think? My guess is that many would consider such an invitation as racist.

If it said, “We invite heterosexuals aspiring to leadership positions …”, I suspect that many would be calling it homophobic.

What if that same professional group had in one of its communications, “We invite Muslims aspiring to leadership positions …”? Might that be deemed as religious exclusivity?

How about this one? “We invite men aspiring to leadership positions …” Definitely sexist.

Well, the invitation did not say any of these phrases. It did say, “We invite women aspiring to leadership positions …”.

What would you say if this professional group had many activities specifically for women and none exclusively for its male membership? What would people say if the situation was reversed?

Oh, and by the way, this professional group says it has a great concern for social justice and equity.

Maybe I have it all wrong, but I feel that equality and equal opportunity means just that. We have worked hard to take words out of the English language that depict gender. Chairmen have become chairs. Manning a table has become staffing it. Mankind has been changed to humankind.

Then why is it not sexist when it appears that men are not welcome? I have checked with this professional group. Men are not allowed at this conference.

Why is there this double standard? It is like saying only white people can be racist.

I am not saying that there shouldn’t be conferences and seminars that are geared towards the interests of women. What I am saying is that everyone should be allowed to go to them as long as they are members of that association.

When I was the Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Journalists, we had several caucuses, including ones for women and gays and lesbians. I remember one journalist who was neither a woman nor gay, but he joined both of them. Nobody batted an eye.

A part of me is tempted to register using my name in French, Jean, which looks like a woman’s name in English, and then show up. A part of me wants to stand up and fight against something I feel is wrong. Another part of me says I have had too many battles of this kind in my life. Swimming against the stream too often gets you nowhere and you often get swept over the dam.

I’ll just think about it for now.