[josefresco]

Sexual != sexist. I feel like this concept needs more attention. Anecdotally, I hear just as many sexual jokes from females as I do males - the concept that "they feel comfortable" and happen to be surrounded by similar people (while/male) does not make it sexist, or even threatening.

[mtrimpe]

Involuntary sexualization is sexist though.

What if the picture on screen was a woman saying 'I want to be judged on my merits not my gender' and the guys were saying 'Nice tits' out loud and laughing? Would that be sexism?

I'd unequivocally say yes and, while inarguably less offensive, the dongle joke was still similarly sexist.

[josefresco]

What if the picture on the screen was a male, and they cracked a joke about his "package" - who should be offended then? The presumably straight women listening in the next row? Any gay men within earshot? Everyone?

The game of what is considered sexually "offensive" or sexist gets very complex when you start considering sexuality outside the "norms". Suddenly, traditional "sexism" and the assumption that everyone is a straight male and straight female seems laughably archaic in a discussion of modern ethics.

[mtrimpe]

As a bisexual gender dysphoric man and I can tell you that this strawman of alternative sexuality doesn't hold up at all.

What people who don't fall within the norm are mainly concerned with is ridicule, condemnation, threats, abuse and violence from those considered 'normal.' Whatever part of your identity is non normative doesn't significantly change that.

The main thing that changes is that the degree of disdain/disgust/superiority towards your group tends to determine how severe the abuse is; leading to statistics such as that 1 out of every 8 black transgender men end up being murdered.

Tragically enough nerds are also definitely on that spectrum yet somehow the abuse they suffer often doesn't translate into empathy for those even further down the food chain.

[bluehex]

> ... the dongle joke was still similarly sexist.

How so? As I understand it the joke wasn't directed at the picture on the screen or anybody in particular.

[mtrimpe]

If I understood correctly it was directed at a talk about diversity in tech and getting more women involved in technology.

[cantankerous]

Where in the article were they directing it at the talk? I didn't catch that happening anywhere? It seemed like the two guys giggling amongst themselves to me.