Probably the best thing that can happen to this thread now is that it
dies off, but I did just want to respond to this point by Pine,
because it's really important:
1. How, exactly, are white males unqualified to
discuss the Friendly Space Policy because of their/our identity as white males?
Men (add well-educated, straight, able-bodied, wealthy if you wish)
from whatever ethnic group is most prominent in the country they live
in have a different experience of life to everyone else.
Harassment, bullying and various other forms of discrimination are
much more frequent , even normal, for women, people from ethnic
minorities, LGBT people, and others who don't match that description.
So a conversation mainly conducted by white men about something like a
Friendly Space Policy is mainly being conducted by people who do not
experience the issue that the Friendly Space Policy is designed to
address. Or if they do experience it, it's an unusual thing that's
easy to laugh off.
Therefore this kind of conversation is much more likely to conclude
that there isn't a real problem, or the policy isn't working, or other
things are more important (e.g. being REALLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT
EVERYTHING), or whatever has happened in a particular case isn't an
issue. Which, predictably enough, is *exactly* what has happened in
this conversation.
Regards,
Chris