I strongly support the aims of this petition—to end the unjust exclusion of women from conferences and edited volumes. And I agree that aggressive action is needed, since it’s just too easy for people to be complacent about the problem. I do worry, though, that this campaign, should it take hold, will mean even fewer keynote invitations to people of color. I would therefore prefer a broad based inclusiveness campaign (one that takes into account race, ethnicity, gender, disability, etc.) over a gendered campaign. Still, no such action is perfect, and I support this one, but with one qualification. I’m a senior black male philosopher, and so I would not refuse a keynote invitation solely on the grounds that the other keynote is a white man. (And I sincerely hope that no conference organizers will decide not to invite a man of color just to ensure that at least one of their keynotes is a woman.) I do however pledge to use whatever leverage I have (should gentle advice and encouragement prove ineffective) to ensure that the conferences, volumes, special issues, and so I participate in are suitably inclusive.--Tommie Shelby (Harvard)
The petition is here (with almost 900 signatures!); the call for action is here; the Gendered Conference Campaign is here.
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