[baddox]

As far as I can tell, it's a big deal because a lot of people hold as a normative axiom that the proportional representation of people groups (genders, nationalities, ethnicities, etc.) in organizations (businesses, governments, YC classes, etc.) ought to match their proportions in the general population. I suspect this is either an axiom, or a close conclusion from a broader axiom like egalitarianism.

As an axiom, there's not really a way to argue that it is illogical. You can only attempt to persuade the person to change their axioms.

[anthuswilliams]

I think this axiom only applies to inclusion in desirable groups or roles. It's hard to imagine even the most egalitarian thinker working to improve the male:female ratio among death row inmates, for example.

[baddox]

I don't know. I suspect many would think that. The disproportionately large number of African Americans in prison and on death row is certainly widely considered (by myself included) to be a bad thing. Of course, for me personally, I don't want it to be resolved by adding more people of other ethnicities to the group.

[Crito]

The issue is fuzzed when you consider less extreme cases than "death row inmates". That is something of a special case since there are many people who think that nobody should be a death row inmate.

A more normal case might be "gender imbalance among garbage collectors" Nobody is going to argue that this imbalance should be corrected by reducing the number of garbage collectors, since they like their trash to be collected. Would they instead argue that the imbalance should be corrected by adding more female garbage collectors? Doubtful. In practice, they will just ignore that imbalance completely. It won't be discussed.

[GFK_of_xmaspast]

Personally I think a great way to improve the ratio would be to get everybody off death row.