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Comment by mtoddh | Hacker News Reader

So a genuine question, are we getting to a point where you need to think so much before actually saying anything

Yes - and many people are going to see this as a good thing (and some won't). I think the best route is to never include any references to gender, (or race, or any hot button issue) in any of your promotional material, slides, talks or whatever. Even if it's intended as light-hearted humor.

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It's interesting that this sort of thing rarely happens with race in tech (not never, but it's uncommon). I think given various bits of cultural history/etc., people have a stronger internal voice saying "uhh, do you really want to say that?" when it comes to making race-related jokes in public, especially connected to anything official.

> It's interesting that this sort of thing rarely happens with race in tech (not never, but it's uncommon).

In many (most?) cultures, sexist comments are still _far_ more socially acceptable than racist comments. Look at dumb blonde jokes; distasteful and offensive, but many people are willing to make them in public; substitute an ethnic minority for the 'dumb blonde' and you'd find that far, far fewer people would be willing to make them.

You see the same with casual homophobia; it's not socially acceptable, but it's far, far less shocking than racism.

Yes, making assumptions about people based on their race, sex, heritage, etc. is not okay, especially not in a professional setting.

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