Forbes Discuss Problems With Misogyny In The Blockchain Community

You would hope in this day and age that misogyny would not exist, but sadly, this is not the case. In fact, unfortunately it happens all too frequently, especially within the blockchain community and the tech community – something that is very much viewed as a ‘mans game’. Forbes have looked deeper into this issue – one that people have become much more aware of since Emily Chang had her somewhat controversial article “’Oh My God, This Is So F---ed Up’: Inside Silicon Valley’s Secretive, Orgiastic Dark Side”. They have argued that true misogyny, “hides in the shadows”, although highlight that it is actually very easy to find on the internet, if you know where to look. So, how much has this philosophy actually affected the blockchain and cryptocurrency culture. To start with, they consider those that hide in plain site – namely the terms that are openly used in the community. ‘Manosphere’ is one that is frequently used. But perhaps worse than that, is the term ‘Red Pill’. Reddit user, Cyrus Wu explains;

“The Red Pill is a growing philosophy of virulent, radical men probably influenced by ‘game’ {seduction] and the PUA community, but who subscribe to the idea that the mating game is a harsh landscape that is not in favour of white, heterosexual men…They share advice about evolutionary biology and how to master a biological system to obtain large amounts of sex and therefore win at life”

What makes this so outrageous though is the fact that it is the name of a blockchain-based cryptocurrency, and yet, because of the huge growth of the community, virtual currencies like this have simply become accepted and seen as a normal way in which to treat women. The good news is that Forbes goes on to discuss the fact that this issue has been highlighted, and are moving towards establishing a respectful working environment for everyone – something that in no way should have taken this long to establish. Thank goodness for Beth Weesner, the founder of the Blockchain Circle, who is striving to make a difference. Speaking about her experiences she said;

“I’ve worked with men in technology since 1995. I’m familiar with all of it…Men can be incredibly condescending. I approached an all-male blockchain meeting at a private club in San Francisco. I asked to join and one of the men laughed at me. He was shocked I wanted to be part of it.”

Instead of just accepting this though, she decided to take action;

“I decided to form the Blockchain Circle to bring together women who aren’t in this space to educate them and build a community…Many of these women are already investors. Some aren’t technical, so we go back to the basics of blockchain…It’s not a guy-bashing situation…Women have to have their facts.”

On top of Weesner’s work, there are other groups that are aimed at squashing the misogyny found in this community; another group, Silicon Valley Blockchain Society may have been founded by a man, David Ellington, but he is also striving to make a difference. Progress is definitely slow, but it is moving in the right direction. Forbes concludes by highlighting that more needs to be done than simply recognising the bad behaviour. Misogynistic groups have to be deprived of their power, by stepping up and refusing to tolerate the bad behaviour. Whilst the aforementioned groups are making a difference, more needs to be done. Featured Image Source: Wikipedia Commons