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1/11 I’ve been following the various threads about women in the entertainment industry over the past couple of days and wanted to comment on one or two troubling, recurring talking points I’ve noticed (almost exclusively from other men).
2/11 Meritocracy: I’ve seen the argument made that whenever one artist is chosen over another to speak, demo, or represent the top of the industry, it is purely because of the hard work they’ve put in.
3/11 The implication being that if a woman wants that sort of prestige, they simply need to work harder and earn it just like the men. If you believe women aren’t working as hard, I encourage you to look at literally any studio or freelancer community to see otherwise.
4/11 Consider the fact that the people making decisions about who is awarded certain jobs/accolades or who gets to demo/represent at events have historically skewed heavily male and are basing those decisions (consciously or unconsciously) on their pre-developed tastes.
5/11 Check out the most recent GDC survey to see that the industry is still hovering around an 80/20 ratio of men to women. Sadly, that’s an improvement too. This means the likelihood of a person being around long enough to be in a position of power being male is very high.
6/11 Game development has matured and diversified a ton since I started working but it still has a long, long way to go.
7/11 For context, I’m a white male game dev who has been in the industry for a little over 10 years. Married to another artist / dev who has been working for 6 years.
8/11 You could argue that everything is an even playing field, and I could tell you stories of how my wife and I have been treated differently, in both subtly or overt ways, throughout our careers by clients / coworkers. Sometimes by the same very same people.
9/11 To be fair, the majority of clients we’ve encountered have been nothing but professional. But in the examples where they haven’t been, the difference in treatment would make your head spin. I’ve seen people address her or condescend in ways they would never dare speak to me.
10/11 We both work hard and I believe our successes come from a combination of dedication and luck. But I don’t believe for a second that my own “luck” doesn’t include a healthy dose of privilege via my default social standing. I think it’s important to be aware of that.
11/11 Variety is the enemy of boredom. We all complain about seeing the same content repeated over and over. More diversity in perspectives, life experiences and tastes can only benefit the industry. Instead of getting defensive, why not celebrate and encourage new voices?
12/11 For anyone who made it this far, thanks for reading. Here’s an Internet Payment™ of one of our dumb cats. 
