Considering the tone of the message board on a wide range of social issues, why is GAF so overwhelmingly white and male? The number of women is pitifully low even compared to other online message boards. The number of ethnic minorities seems to me quite lacking and confined to a few confined threads (in fact, this seems the case for several minority groups).
The board's culture seems to hinge entirely on white guys with self-serving agendas latching on to the social cause of the day under the guise of so-called "allies," surrounded by more allies who look, act and talk exactly the same, speaking, sometimes loudly, on the behalf of us actual minorities on how outraged or upset they are about the next big thing.
It's funny (not really) how now that social issues have become center stage at last with a measure of seriousness and coverage from the mainstream that we are once again drowned about the white boys' club speaking up on our behalf. It just seems so crummy and fake, especially when one considers the Internet at large is not as homogenous as GAF.
Even among certain minority groups like gays and concerns of gay marriage, who are the faces and outspoken voices here and in the public? White men, followed closely by white women (and PoC in the distant background). This is basically GAF.
To be perfectly blunt, what can be done to reduce the number of loudmouth white guys crowding this board and drowning out the people who should be at the center of these discussions? No wait, that's "toxic." I'll speak more politely. What can be done to increase visible diversity on this board?
The board's culture seems to hinge entirely on white guys with self-serving agendas latching on to the social cause of the day under the guise of so-called "allies," surrounded by more allies who look, act and talk exactly the same, speaking, sometimes loudly, on the behalf of us actual minorities on how outraged or upset they are about the next big thing.
It's funny (not really) how now that social issues have become center stage at last with a measure of seriousness and coverage from the mainstream that we are once again drowned about the white boys' club speaking up on our behalf. It just seems so crummy and fake, especially when one considers the Internet at large is not as homogenous as GAF.
Even among certain minority groups like gays and concerns of gay marriage, who are the faces and outspoken voices here and in the public? White men, followed closely by white women (and PoC in the distant background). This is basically GAF.
To be perfectly blunt, what can be done to reduce the number of loudmouth white guys crowding this board and drowning out the people who should be at the center of these discussions? No wait, that's "toxic." I'll speak more politely. What can be done to increase visible diversity on this board?
