Its (almost) time!
?TNW Pride 2020??.
If youd like to contribute, find details below.
Im a 42-year-old queer technology journalist and the editor ofNeural.
This is my first job working in the tech industry.
Just a few years back I was analmost 40-year-old intern.
Before that, I worked in several different fields including a decade in the US military.
The first thing I noticed as a queer tech reporter is that almost everyone assumes Im straight.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Im fatigued and dismayed, but Im also hopeful.
Becausemy focus, as an editor and reporter, is on technology and the future.
Technology gives queer voices a platform weve never had before.
We can reach each other with incredible ease thanks to social media and the internet.
but before this month ends i want yall to listen closely to c7osure.
Were educating each other and forming communities that have no borders.
But countless queer folks still live in places where their very existence is called illegal.
And still more have to hide their existence forfear of violence.
For everyone who gets to be out, many more remain closeted out of necessity.
I have the remarkable privilege of beingallowedto live my truth.
I dont have to worry about losing my job because Im queer.
Lots of companies claim they support diversity, but Im actually empowered at work.
Im encouraged to speak out by my co-workers and managers.
Most people just assume Im a typical heterosexual white man when they interact with me.
That isnt to say I havent faced adversity because of who I am.
Most queer people do.
On that note, the theme for our Pride coverage this year is Representation.
Im a P as in pansexual, meaning I can theoretically be attracted to anyone of any gender identity.
But Im also an A.
The A stands for asexual or asexual spectrum.
Other terms for this are ace and aspec.
Typically ace refers to someone who experiences no or little sexual attraction.
However I identify as a subset of the ace spectrum called demisexual.
Dave Chappelle warned everyone about the Alphabet People, no one listened.
Most demis simplydont experiencethose sexual urges and feelings toward people we dont feel close to.
This means, for example, many demis wont have a list of celebrities they want to bang.
Im also demiromantic, but thats probably a bit too much to explain in one tiny article.
The tech world, by-and-large,isan accepting place for queers.
Were just notasallowedto be here as heterosexuals.
Thats why the last letter I identify with is Q, which stands for queer.
I dont just want representation for pansexual demis like myself.
I want queer representation throughout the entire STEM world.
And so should you!
Because no matter how you identify, thats what being an ally is.
That only works ifeveryoneis represented (attack helicopters and other trollish nonsense not-withstanding).
Thats why I believe the tech industry needs more than just diversity hiring initiatives and sensitivity training.
As my three-year-old son who watches Paw Patrol would say: Were better together!
