BostonVR EDI -- Mutual Support for Our Personal Efforts
Details
Every day we feel the effects of discrimination and inequality. Even the people who benefit from it pay a price we cannot easily measure. In this meeting, we will tell our stories and support each other was we strive to make a better society, one little bit at a time.
We have always been a welcoming easygoing club, and we have always had some diversity. But to really be accessible to everyone, we have to actively oppose the barriers to participation faced by people of different races, genders, ages, physical ability, etc.
Some of these barriers are external, like the need to get the word out to communities of color. Some of these are internal, and will require serious introspection. It's not about diversifying our overwhelmingly white male membership--that will come as we remove the barriers. But keeping the gates open will require continual and intentional effort, because we are part of a society that is still more racist and sexist than we would like. Being "neutral" means going along with that. No longer.
The most fun part of this would be thinking about how meeting in VR affects all this! It removes geography, lets you assume a different body, and more. But it also creates new barriers, particularly access to gear.
This monthly session is led by Kendra PeloJoaquin, our diversity advisor. The goal is to educate ourselves on what these barriers are and how they work. Once we can see them clearly, we'll know how to combat them.
We also have an ongoing discussion on slack you can join. The main event will be from 9:00pm to 10:00pm, with 15 minutes of chitchat before and after.
(Photo from https://equalreality.com/)