A significant number of men misrepresented their gender identities to attend last week’s Grace Hopper Celebration, an annual convention and career fair intended for “women and non-binary technologists.”
“We are committed to providing a celebratory space for women and non-binary technologists and we hear your concerns around male participation,” the non-profit organization AnitaB, which organizes the convention, wrote on social media. “This year at GHC, we have seen an increase in participation of self-identifying males.”
According to the AnitaB organization, there were 30,000 attendees and over 400 speakers at the 2023 convention. The career fair portion allows attendees to connect with the event’s sponsors and patrons, including high-profile corporations like Apple, Amazon, Capital One, Deloitte, Disney, Goldman Sachs, Meta, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Tesla.
“Yesterday, it became clear that there are a far greater number of cisgender men participating than we anticipated,” said Cullen White, the chief impact officer at the AnitaB. “Simply put, some of you lied on your gender identity to register.”
Video recordings released on social media show the overwhelming presence of men. Female attendees claimed on social media that the male attendees cut the lines and shoved participants. Some attendees allege that males reserved one-on-one meetings with recruiters, then sold the time slots for $1000.
Bo Young Lee, the advisory president of AnitaB, released a video statement on social media.
“Many of you are feeling unsafe, physically and psychologically, and you’re feeling unheard,” she said. “We tried to create a safe space, and this week, we saw the outside world creep in.”
The AnitaB organization said that it could not prohibit male attendees due to federal anti-discrimination law.
“In regard to calls for AnitaB.org to ban males from attending GHC, Federal Non-Discrimination requirements prohibit any U.S. based organization from discriminating based on gender,” the organization wrote. “Not only must we comply with federal law, we also believe in the power of providing an inclusive space. Male attendees, along with every attendee, Sponsor, Patron, Partner, and Staff member, are expected to uphold and embody a commitment to the mission.”
In-person tickets for the conference range from $649 to $1298, not including travel and lodging.
A Change petition titled “Enforce Fairness and Refund Women: Strictly Prohibit Men from Participating in GHC” was formed and accumulated nearly 2,500 signatures in less than a day. The petition demanded refunds for female attendees and called on the conference committee to “establish clear guidelines stating that only self-identified women or non-binary individuals may participate.” The petition is no longer available.
The 2023 convention was hosted in Orlando, Florida, as has been done in previous years. The convention’s organizers have condemned Florida for its legislation, and the 2024 Grace Hopper Celebration will be held in Philadelphia.
“In 2023, the constant affront to human dignity in Florida (and many other states) continues,” the organization’s statement reads. “We vehemently oppose the efforts in the state to further erase the identities and dignities of people belonging to intentionally marginalized and excluded groups including Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.”