This is a bit of strange post for me to write, it’s a topic I’m quite inexperienced in. I’ll warn you straight up: there’s going to be a lot of talking about my thought processes, going off on tangents, and a bit of over-explaining myself for good measure. Think of it something like high school math, where you had to “show your work”, demonstrating how you arrived at the answer. 20 years later, it turns out there really is a practical use for high school math. 😉
I’m Gary. I come from a middle-class, white, Australian family. My parents both worked, but also had the time to encourage me to do well in school. By way of doing well in school, I was able to get into a good university, I could support myself on a part time job, because I only had to pay my rent and bar tab. There I met many friends, who’ve helped me along the way. From that, I’ve worked a series of well paid tech jobs, allowing me to have savings, and travel, and live in a comfortable house in the suburbs.
I’ve learned that it’s important for me to acknowledge the privileges that helped me get here. As a “straight white male”, I recognise that a few of my privileges gave me a significant boost that many people aren’t afforded. This is backed up by the data, too. Men are paid more than women. White women are paid more than black women. LGBT people are more likely to suffer workplace bullying. The list goes on and on.
Some of you may’ve heard the term “privilege” before, and found it off-putting. If that’s you, here’s an interesting analogy, take a moment to read it (and if the title bugs you, please ignore it for a moment, we’ll get to that), then come back.
Welcome back! So, are you a straight white male? Did that post title make you feel a bit uncomfortable at being stereotyped? That’s okay, I had a very similar reaction when I first came across the “straight white male” stereotype. I worked hard to get to where I am, trivialising it as being something I only got because of how I was born hurts. The thing is, this is something that many people who aren’t “straight white males” experience all the time. I have a huge amount of respect for people who have to deal with that on daily basis, but are still able to be absolute bosses at their job.
My message to my dudes here is: don’t sweat it. A little bit of a joke at your expense is okay, and I find it helps me see things from another person’s perspective, in what can be a light-hearted, friendly manner.
Diversity Makes WordPress Better
My job is to build WordPress, which is used by just shy of a third of the internet. That’s a lot of different people, building a lot of different sites, for a lot of different purposes. I can draw on my experiences to imagine all of those use cases, but ultimately, this is a place where my privilege limits me. Every time I’ve worked on a more diverse team, however, I’m exposed to a wider array of experiences, which makes the things we build together better.
Of course, I’m not even close to being the first person to recognise how diversity can improve WordPress, and I have to acknowledge the efforts of many folks across the community. The WordPress Community team are doing wonderful work helping folks gain confidence with speaking at WordPress events. WordCamps have had a Code of Conduct for some time, and the Community team are working creating a Code of Conduct for the entire WordPress project. The Design team have built up excellent processes and resources to help folks get up to speed with helping design WordPress. The Core Development team run regular meetings for new developers to learn how to write code for WordPress.
We Can Do Better. I Can Do Better.
As much as I’d love it to be, the WordPress community isn’t perfect. We have our share of problems, and while I do believe that everyone in our community is fundamentally good, we don’t always do our best. Sometimes we’re not as welcoming, or considerate, as we could be. Sometimes we don’t take the time to consider the perspectives of others. Sometimes it’s just a bunch of tech-dude-bros beating their chests. 🙃
Nobody wins when we’re coming from a place of inequality.
So, this post is one of my first steps in recognising there’s a real problem, and learning about how I can help make things better. I’m not claiming to know the answers, I barely know where to start. But I’m hoping that my voice, added to the many that have come before me, and the countless that will come after, will help bring about the changes we need.