Where you'd be a fool to tread

Digging through old tweets I was reminded of this one (and a more recent similar assertion about another similar event):

Just been in a really interesting EDI-related seminar within my institution. As far as I could tell, there were absolutely no men present. Which is about par for the course. Dudes: EDI is not "women's work". Get engaged. Please.

— Prof Rachel Oliver 🐯 (@ProfRachelGaN) February 16, 2021

In general I'd say that this subject can be interesting, but a seminar of this sort I'd expect to find applause mandatory whether or not anything sensible was said. Attendance at such an event makes also makes ignorance of what was discussed a less plausible route.

Ever since that incident a few years back where Google fired a guy for comments that those involved in diversity efforts there solicited, and where the CEO said "much of what was in that memo is fair to debate" following the leak of a modified version of the feedback (with sources and data removed) it seems weird to think attendence at such a seminar could possibly be worth it. (By contrast to this case where the guy was fired for comments unrelated to his day-to-day work, they were OK with retaining their "global lead for diversity strategy and research" despite anti-Semitic comments - something which directly relates to his day-to-day employment).