ORLANDO, FLORIDA: The annual Grace Hopper Celebration event, widely recognized as the largest gathering of women seeking careers in STEM fields, has been engulfed in controversy. Scores of cisgender men are accused of infiltrating the event by allegedly misrepresenting themselves as "non-binary" attendees.
The incident ignited fury among female participants who invested substantial sums, approximately $1,300 per ticket, to attend this exclusive job fair with the hopes of networking with recruiters and advancing their careers.
Chaos unfolds at Grace Hopper event
Social media platforms were flooded with videos depicting the chaotic scene as men scrambled to meet with potential recruiters at the Grace Hopper Celebration event, which took place in Orlando, Florida, from September 26 to 29.
The event, specifically designed to empower women and non-binary technologists, was meant to provide a space for underrepresented individuals to connect with opportunities in the STEM field.
Numerous female attendees voiced their frustration, highlighting that some of them had paid a considerable fee for tickets, only to witness cisgender men allegedly exploiting the event to score jobs.
The men in question faced backlash for reportedly skipping panels and seminars, seemingly in a bid to gain a competitive edge in the recruitment process, per the New York Post.
AnitaB, the company responsible for organizing the seminar, released a statement unequivocally condemning the actions of these cisgender men.
Cullen White, Chief Impact Officer at AnitaB, underscored that the number of cisgender men in attendance far exceeded their initial expectations, and some had deceitfully identified themselves as "non-binary" during registration.
“Yesterday, it became clear that there are a far greater number of cisgender men attending than we anticipated,” White said in a statement.
“Simply put, some of you lied when you registered. And as evidenced by the stacks and stacks of resumes you’re passing out, you did so because you thought you could come here and take space to try and get a job,” he continued.
White further revealed that some cisgender men had also taken advantage of discounted academic tickets, which were intended for the event, as well as interview slots that were initially allocated to women and non-binary individuals, who remain underrepresented in STEM fields.
Responding to the situation, White issued a direct and unequivocal plea: "So, let me be perfectly clear: Stop."
Reports of physical altercations
However, the incident did not conclude with mere gender misrepresentation. Reports began to emerge of physical altercations between cisgender men and other attendees.
Lily Li, a product designer who was present at the event, criticized the lack of a safe space for women to pursue their careers without undue interference from men.
She stressed the essential role of women-focused conferences in leveling the playing field in a tech industry still marred by gender discrimination.
“The problem is competition is not fair for everyone, that’s why a women’s conference exists to level the playing field because women are highly discriminated against in tech,” she said.
“If they had a career fair for military veterans, but civilians who have never served in the military crashed it, would you be okay with that?” she asked.
One attendee, Ran An, expressed her dissatisfaction with AnitaB's response and the overall organization of the event. She detailed how, by the time she reached the job booths, many had already closed due to the influx of male applicants.
“It’s disheartening to express that my trust in your organization to aid us attendees has been nearly exhausted,” she wrote on LinkedIn.
“The unfolding scenario this morning is a glaring testament to an unfair and disorganized entry system, where attendees were allowed entry in an unequal and arbitrary manner.”
Social media reaction
Social media was inundated with trolls poking fun at the situation.
"Gee, who would’ve seen this happening? Get what you ask for I guess," one posted on X.
"The patriarchy finds a way. Keep it up liberal women," another wrote.
"Women allowing themselves to be marginalized at this point," a comment read.
"No men attended grace hopper. Only women and nonbinary people did. If you're calling someone there a man, you're being transphobic," someone else joked.
"Women are being replaced in every sector of society. It only ends when women reject this 'pronoun' nonsense," another offered.
