Hundreds Flock To “LGBTQ in Technology” Group That Began With A Tweet
A new online community is attracting hundreds of tech-savvy LGBTQ people. Built on Slack, a platform typically used for workplace communication, the LGBTQ in Technology community now has over 400 members.
The community serves as a safe place to meet and connect with other LGBTQ individuals in technology, and includes over 150 "channels" that members can join, ranging from different programming languages, design, music, politics, news, to startups.
LGBTQ in Technology was started by Laurie Voss, a San Francisco-based web developer originally from Trinidad. Voss is currently the CTO of npm, the company that develops the npm Javascript package manager.
LGBTQ in Technology started back in December when Voss tweeted asking if anybody thought it was a good idea.
"The response was strong and immediate, so I set it up just a few minutes later." recollects Voss, "It grew strongly over the holidays (people need a lot of support over the holidays!) and was solidly established by the time the new year rolled around."
"Any of you who are LGBTQ and work in tech [...] should be in this Slack" —Keith Kurson, an early member of the group.
Voss says the idea was inspired by a Slack he heard about from his co-worker for "Latin@s in tech" and thought an equivalent for LGBTQ people would be an obvious extension given his experience with online communities.
During the beginning of January 8th, various members of the "#frontend" (programming) channel on the group put together a website and Voss registered the lgbtq.technology domain name.
LGBTQ in Technology includes over 150 channels ranging from a variety of tech and programming topics to non-tech topics like music and fashion. Some members have set up location-specific channels such as Los Angeles and Canada.
Slack is typically meant for companies and teams to communicate internally -- not necessarily for "communities" like this -- but new groups like this have been forming recently and it's not something Slack discourages. In fact, one of Slack's developers is a member of the group.
Other than Voss, LGBTQ in Technology is moderated by 7 different admins. "The other admins (there are 7) are all volunteers who responded to my requests for help, and I picked people on the basis of being distributed across time zones, so that there is always usually at least one admin awake to handle things."
The community is highly moderated, making sure it remains a safe place for LGBTQ people. The website outlines its Code of Conduct and has an easy way for members to ping an admin if anyone is violating their guidelines.
A Safe Environment for LGBTQ People in Tech
LGBTQ in Technology is providing an environment for LGBTQ people to network, share stories, and give each other advice.
When asked about the importance of the group, Aria Stewart, one of the group's admins, stressed the importance of workplace diversity and cited the underemployment rates of trans women.
"[LGBTQ in Technology] has been important because a lot of us get left out of broader diversity initiatives; it's easy to get caught up in the easy and broad injustice of women in tech, but we've got race and sexuality and gender presentation to contend with."
A 2009 survey by the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force found that 26% of people lost their jobs because they are transgender. A shocking 97% of respondents also reported that they had experience mistreatment, harassment, or discrimination on their jobs.
The group is by invitation-only but "invitations are freely granted." LGBTQ people who are interested can send an email to [email protected].
Already on LGBTQ in Technology? Join the #equaldex channel to chat about Equaldex!
The community is both accessible on the web and via Slack's mobile apps.
More details can be found at LGBTQ in Technology's website.
