[panglott]

It's possible that men feel unwelcome in female-dominated areas for the same reason women may in male-dominated areas: it can be intimidating to enter a group of people of the opposite sex, with their own norms and microaggressions and who feel entitled and encouraged to be there, when you have received numerous social signals that's weird for you to be there or even want to be there. Unless those people and institutions specifically welcome you in.

[krath94]

"microaggressions"

You mean someone saying something completely normal with no ill intention and someone else, for whatever reason, getting offended?

[pksohn]

It's not about getting offended or not. It's the small assumptions that, when repeated ad infinitum, build up social beliefs and structures that make it harder for certain people to succeed or fit in. The fact that folks on HN or Reddit constantly refer to their anonymous peers with male pronouns might make a female programmer a little less welcome. It may offend her, it may not, but it certainly doesn't help.

[panglott]

"for whatever reason" says it all. If you can't even pretend to care what they think, don't try to pretend you've been welcoming.