Here's a throw-away account because I know my co-workers and friends are likely to read this. I don't know anything about "girls who code" as a charitable or outreach organization. My comments are directed at two other similar-sounding groups.
A few years ago I lived on the west coast, organized a regular software meet-up, and did some volunteer time at a similarly named group (though not Girls Who Code). I volunteered as a mentor once or twice a month for about half a year, not because it was a place to teach women or children how to use Python but because it was a place that welcomed all marginalized groups: poor children, the elderly, homosexual, and of course woment and girls.
At the start of summer about 3 or 4 years ago I was approached by one of the organizers and asked to make that night my last one. I asked if it was about the quality of instruction or complaints and they explained that the organizers felt the group would be better if the mentor roles were female. Simple as that: your gender mattered if you wanted to be in a teaching role, but I was welcome to donate to the cause through donations. I left and didn't return.
A couple of years later I'd relocated to the east coast and signed up with a bunch of co-workers to volunteer at weekend programming-camp for children. By pure chance we'd assembled a equal mix of male/female and also had representatives from 5/7 continents. A couple of days before the event one of our iOS developers had to drop out so we were a 5/4 split of male to female volunteers. When we arrived at the event we were instructed that they had a requirement that the mentors be at most 50% male and so one of us would have to take a seat. I understand that they think it's important that young people see men and women are "at worst" equally talented, but I can't help but feel like we were accused of being predators that needed a female chaperone. I wonder what their reaction would have been knowing one of the women with us was transgendered…
I left and also stopped helping organize the "parent groups" (a programming language meet-up whos name would make you think it's for women but in practice was more inclusive). The company I work at is still a sponsor of that group and I have no intention to complain about even though I think the tactics of their organizers are questionable.
I realize this is all one sided and sounds like what a bigot is likely to say. I'm refusing to name organizations because I think ultimately the goal of sharing that joy I found as a young person with my first computer is a good one. My issue is with the organizers of these two particular groups who are—in my opinion—attempting to do the right thing the wrong way.
A few years ago I lived on the west coast, organized a regular software meet-up, and did some volunteer time at a similarly named group (though not Girls Who Code). I volunteered as a mentor once or twice a month for about half a year, not because it was a place to teach women or children how to use Python but because it was a place that welcomed all marginalized groups: poor children, the elderly, homosexual, and of course woment and girls.
At the start of summer about 3 or 4 years ago I was approached by one of the organizers and asked to make that night my last one. I asked if it was about the quality of instruction or complaints and they explained that the organizers felt the group would be better if the mentor roles were female. Simple as that: your gender mattered if you wanted to be in a teaching role, but I was welcome to donate to the cause through donations. I left and didn't return.
A couple of years later I'd relocated to the east coast and signed up with a bunch of co-workers to volunteer at weekend programming-camp for children. By pure chance we'd assembled a equal mix of male/female and also had representatives from 5/7 continents. A couple of days before the event one of our iOS developers had to drop out so we were a 5/4 split of male to female volunteers. When we arrived at the event we were instructed that they had a requirement that the mentors be at most 50% male and so one of us would have to take a seat. I understand that they think it's important that young people see men and women are "at worst" equally talented, but I can't help but feel like we were accused of being predators that needed a female chaperone. I wonder what their reaction would have been knowing one of the women with us was transgendered…
I left and also stopped helping organize the "parent groups" (a programming language meet-up whos name would make you think it's for women but in practice was more inclusive). The company I work at is still a sponsor of that group and I have no intention to complain about even though I think the tactics of their organizers are questionable.
I realize this is all one sided and sounds like what a bigot is likely to say. I'm refusing to name organizations because I think ultimately the goal of sharing that joy I found as a young person with my first computer is a good one. My issue is with the organizers of these two particular groups who are—in my opinion—attempting to do the right thing the wrong way.