3 ms·

This is just SJW stuff par the usual. I was at the event. First of all, it was an optional after party hosted at a dance club - from what I understand, Microsof

This is just SJW stuff par the usual. I was at the event. First of all, it was an optional after party hosted at a dance club - from what I understand, Microsoft paid for the full package that the club offered, which includes dancers. The club normally has dancers, most dance clubs do. Most dancers are female. Not only that, but dancing is tedious and thats why most dancers dont wear turtlenecks, they would sweat with covering attire on. I would go further and explain that women also like the female form, that the female form is more aesthetically pleasing and the difference between arousal of men by vision and women by emotion but I'm afraid the concept would be lost on idiots who think clubs should employ male dancers. This whole women equal men thing is just sad. For rights, of course. But we are not the same biologically and in terms of career preference. Dance is one of those.

beeboop 11y ago
I would assume a lot of this isn't about the gender/sex of the dancers, but rather they are taking a professional event and making it sexually charged. This is uncomfortable for a lot of people, and awkward when viewed from people who understand it makes it uncomfortable for some people. I am not sure you can try to rationalize the costumes as being practical when it's showing midriff, they're wearing push up bras, and showing lots of cleavage. Those elements exist only to be sexy.
- goldenkey 11y ago
  Its a dance club. No one had to attend the after party, it was optional. Right, dance clubs hire women to dance in sexy outfits. I dont see anything wrong.
  - beeboop 11y ago
    Again, the issue isn't the dance club or what the women were wearing. The issue is that Microsoft chose that as their venue. "No one had to attend" isn't the point, the point is that Microsoft was alienating people that they have a professional responsibility to be inclusive of. If this was some small startup and they chose this venue as their after party location, it would say bad things about the owners of that startup. No one would really care though, because it's a small startup, and their impact in the tech scene is pretty small. Some people might just choose not to work for them because of it. Microsoft employees 120,000 people, 30% of which are female. Their decisions make a big impact on the culture of the tech industry. Acting professionally in 2016 means not discriminating, harassing, or alienating your employees. Choosing a venue with sexy dancers for a professional event does all three of those things. Microsoft realized that and apologized because of it.
    - belorn 11y ago
      This was not the Conference venue, but an associated event. I have attended several software conferances over the years, and there has always been a associated bar event before or after. People there talk about beer, whiskey, wine, cheese (Debconf!), and dancing. The event is placed late during evening and last until several hours after midnight. Nothing of that is professional. It is very alienating to people who don't like drinking, second hand smoking, loud music, or talking about beverages. I would personally be happy if software conferences took a professional responsibility and made such side events inclusive for everyone, but I doubt that is ever going to happen.
parenthephobia 11y ago
Microsoft paid for the full package that the club offered, which includes dancers. The club normally has dancers, most dance clubs do I don't believe a club with podiums dancers is necessarily the best location for the after-party of a technical conference, regardless of the sex of the dancers or the party-goers. Not everybody likes being in a cramped, hot, dark, noisy room full of drunk people. most dancers dont wear turtlenecks, they would sweat with covering attire on They would sweat without covering attire, too. There are clothes other than school-girl fetish outfits or turtlenecks. People have been dancing for a long time and, implausibly enough, we know how to manufacture garments which cover skin but which can be sweated through. But we are not the same biologically and in terms of career preference. Dance is one of those. Are you saying that women are biologically predisposed to careers as podium dancers?
- Turing_Machine 11y ago
  "Not everybody likes being in a cramped, hot, dark, noisy room full of drunk people." Yeah, I don't care much for those things, either, so I don't go to dance clubs (which are almost defined by the things you said). I'm not really seeing the problem here.
- goldenkey 11y ago
  Yes, that's what I'm saying. Most clubs choose female dancers because both men and women find the aesthetics of a woman more pleasing and less risque. It's a sexual thing. Podium dancers are sexualized.

beeboop 11y ago

I would assume a lot of this isn't about the gender/sex of the dancers, but rather they are taking a professional event and making it sexually charged. This is uncomfortable for a lot of people, and awkward when viewed from people who understand it makes it uncomfortable for some people. I am not sure you can try to rationalize the costumes as being practical when it's showing midriff, they're wearing push up bras, and showing lots of cleavage. Those elements exist only to be sexy.

goldenkey 11y ago
Its a dance club. No one had to attend the after party, it was optional. Right, dance clubs hire women to dance in sexy outfits. I dont see anything wrong.
- beeboop 11y ago
  Again, the issue isn't the dance club or what the women were wearing. The issue is that Microsoft chose that as their venue. "No one had to attend" isn't the point, the point is that Microsoft was alienating people that they have a professional responsibility to be inclusive of. If this was some small startup and they chose this venue as their after party location, it would say bad things about the owners of that startup. No one would really care though, because it's a small startup, and their impact in the tech scene is pretty small. Some people might just choose not to work for them because of it. Microsoft employees 120,000 people, 30% of which are female. Their decisions make a big impact on the culture of the tech industry. Acting professionally in 2016 means not discriminating, harassing, or alienating your employees. Choosing a venue with sexy dancers for a professional event does all three of those things. Microsoft realized that and apologized because of it.
  - belorn 11y ago
    This was not the Conference venue, but an associated event. I have attended several software conferances over the years, and there has always been a associated bar event before or after. People there talk about beer, whiskey, wine, cheese (Debconf!), and dancing. The event is placed late during evening and last until several hours after midnight. Nothing of that is professional. It is very alienating to people who don't like drinking, second hand smoking, loud music, or talking about beverages. I would personally be happy if software conferences took a professional responsibility and made such side events inclusive for everyone, but I doubt that is ever going to happen.

parenthephobia 11y ago

Microsoft paid for the full package that the club offered, which includes dancers. The club normally has dancers, most dance clubs do I don't believe a club with podiums dancers is necessarily the best location for the after-party of a technical conference, regardless of the sex of the dancers or the party-goers. Not everybody likes being in a cramped, hot, dark, noisy room full of drunk people. most dancers dont wear turtlenecks, they would sweat with covering attire on They would sweat without covering attire, too. There are clothes other than school-girl fetish outfits or turtlenecks. People have been dancing for a long time and, implausibly enough, we know how to manufacture garments which cover skin but which can be sweated through. But we are not the same biologically and in terms of career preference. Dance is one of those. Are you saying that women are biologically predisposed to careers as podium dancers?

Turing_Machine 11y ago
"Not everybody likes being in a cramped, hot, dark, noisy room full of drunk people." Yeah, I don't care much for those things, either, so I don't go to dance clubs (which are almost defined by the things you said). I'm not really seeing the problem here.
goldenkey 11y ago
Yes, that's what I'm saying. Most clubs choose female dancers because both men and women find the aesthetics of a woman more pleasing and less risque. It's a sexual thing. Podium dancers are sexualized.