This document discusses gender discrimination in geek culture and what libraries can do to help address the issue. It notes that as geek culture has become more mainstream, there has been backlash against new fans who are female. It provides examples of harassment and gatekeeping experienced by women in gaming communities. The document argues that libraries can help by creating inclusive spaces for all fans to explore interests like gaming and comics without fear of discrimination. Libraries already support these activities through collections, events and advocacy against censorship. Overall, the document calls for the geek community to embrace new fans of all backgrounds as interest in geek culture continues to grow more popular.

1. GENDER
DISCRIMINATION IN THE
“GEEK” COMMUNITY
(AND WHAT LIBRARIES
CAN DO TO HELP)
PORTFOLIO  SPRING 2013
KARA WHEELER

3. THE ISSUE (AS I SEE IT)
• Geek culture has exploded in popularity, attracting the
attention of the (largely previously uninterested) general
public.
• As one might expect, a decent percentage of these new
fans are female.
• Hobbies and interests such as gaming (both tabletop and
video) and comic books are traditionally considered male
interests.
• There has been severe backlash against new fans, for
being both new and female.

4. GEEK CHIC
“Nerds are in. Everyone's embracing the nerd these days. My
very mainstream and fashion forward friend just showed up
to happy hour with a beaded clutch proclaiming "I LOVE
NERDS." ... The geek shall inherit the Earth, indeed. We're
adopting nerd culture faster than Angelina Jolie adopts
orphaned villages.”
--Shelly Mazzanoble (Wizards of the Coast employee,
author)
Confessions of a Part-Time Sorceress: A Girl’s Guide to the D&D Game, p.p. 13-14

5. THE BIG BANG THEORY
(2007--)

6. THE AVENGERS (2012)

7. JOHN (& HANK) GREEN +
NERDFIGHTERS
• John Green and his
brother Hank Green
• Vlogbrothers YouTube
channel
• D.F.T.B.A.
• Very famous on the
Internet
• John Green invited to
participate in a
Fireside Chat via
Google Hangout with
the President (2/13)
• Written up by The New
Yorker (3/13)

8. FIRESIDE HANGOUT
ON GOOGLE+

9. THE “OLD” NERD

10. THE “NEW” NERD

11. GEEK GATEKEEPING
• Backlash against new fans
• Targeted largely at females
• Belief that to be a “true” or “real” nerd, some amount of
(generally social) suffering had to be experienced, or some
(undefined) amount of knowledge or trivia is required
Try to cop my style but I'm the real thing
While you played sports, I played Magic: the Gathering
Never earned your part of nerd society
My Aquaman pajamas prove my pedigree
Watched my Next Gen every night
Wore a headgear to fix my overbite
Your black-rimmed glasses are prescription free, where as me?
I literally can't see my hand in front of my face
--“I’m the One That’s Cool,” The Guild

12. GEEK GATEKEEPING
(CONT.)
• Can take place in any location where the geek community
is found, including physical locations such as comic book
stores and game stores, or conventions

13. GEEK GATEKEEPING
(CONT.)
• Found most vocally on the Internet

14. CROSS ASSAULT

15. “BEAT UP ANITA
SARKEESIAN”

16. “FAKE GEEK GIRLS”

17. “FAKE GEEK GIRLS”
(CONT.)

18. “FAKE
GEEK
GIRLS”
(CONT.)

19. “HALO 4 PUNISHES
SEXISM” -- COMMENTS
• Most likely, they are lesbians.
• [The] Middle East knows where it’s at: bitches should wear
burkas.
• Feminism at work again. Why do women still have rights?
• Suck it up, princess, you already have your week every
month to act like a total bitch and get away with it, so do what
men do. Grin and bear it. Or you can act like a total bitch,
must be that time of the month again.
• Kiki and Ross can go fuck off and get back in the kitchen…
All girls are sluts. That is solid fact… Seriously, they were
only hired into 343 for being girls. These Feminazi sluts need
to shut up and get back to sucking O’Connor’s dick.
• Sexism > feminist bullshit, every time, enjoy your lower pay,
ladies.
• These girls obviously don’t have enough dick in their lives…

20. WHY IS THIS A
PROBLEM?
Aside from the obvious issues that women fans face:
• For game companies and other business interests within
geek culture: alienating 50% of your potential audience is
never a good idea.
• For other fans: having a larger and diverse group of co-
fans is generally a good thing.
And, at some level… I would hope that people want to be
generally decent human beings.

21. A QUICK SIDE NOTE:
Just like it is an unfair stereotype to accuse all geeky females
of being fake geek girls, it is an unfair stereotype to insinuate
that all nerdy males are making these accusations.

22. WHAT CAN WE DO TO
FIX IT?
At it’s core, this is a problem that libraries can’t solve.
The solution is going to have to come from a combination of
sources, including:
• Game developers
• Artists
• The fan community

23. #1REASONWHY

25. GENDERED ARMOR
DIFFERENCES

26. LEAGUE OF LEGENDS –
BATTLE BUNNY RIVEN

27. DRAGON’S CROWN --
SORCERESS

28. COMICS

29. (MOVIES, TOO)

30. THE HAWKEYE
INITIATIVE

33. AND WHAT DO COMIC
PROFESSIONALS THINK?
“i love it as much now as i did the first time i answered this
question. it’s great. it’s hilarious. and it’s important, silly as it
may be. anything that helps raise awareness, for even a
second, to the endemic and systemic marginalization of
women via their hypersexualized representation in comics is
a good thing. anything that makes people stop, for even half
a heartbeat, and think that’s fucked up is good in my book.”
--Matt Fraction (comic book writer) on The Hawkeye
Initiative

34. WHEATON’S LAW

35. BUT LIBRARIES CAN
HELP…
…By offering a safe space for new fans, particularly female
ones, to explore these new hobbies.
• By building graphic novel collections
• By offering gaming events

37. …AND THEY ALREADY
HAVE
The ALA has demonstrated an interest in supporting these
interests in the past:
• Libraries, Literacy and Gaming Grant (2009)
• International Games Day @ Your Library
• Work with the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

38. Growing up, we typically weren't picked first for sports, but
were first on the Quake II server. Few people really
understood our peculiar hobbies or how amazing it was to
see "Hello, world" for the first time. We got used to being
ignored. Many of us were bullied. But what did we learn from
it -- empathy or hate?
We need to know the answer, because suddenly we are the
cool kids. They're making movies about us. We're "rock
stars." Holy shit, the rest of the world is finally realizing how
awesome we are. The geek has inherited the earth. And now
that we’re the powerful ones, we need to remember: with
great power comes great responsibility. It's irresponsible to
continue to act as though we are victims.
--Alexis Ohanian (co-founder of Reddit)

39. THANK YOU
Questions?