Hi everybody. I just want to acknowledge that I got way over my head when I started to organize this. There is just no way that I could ever be sensitive to all the issues involved.
However having a Gender / Diversity session at DebConf18 is still important! But I'm just not the right person to lead it. It would be better if somebody with a better grasp of the issues organizes this instead of me. Any volunteers? (Rhonda?) We've already got the time slot (10:00) and two local participants, fulfilling the local component for an OpenDay event. All that remains is finding one or two presenters. With the event in better hands, I could retire to the back of the audience. (Besides, I have to prepare for the 11:00 Digital Minister Audrey Tang's Q & A session. You see, noting the Minister is transgender, I asked the Minister if they would be willing to come early if I added a 10:00 Gender and Diversity session. They agreed, but only to be in the audience, not on a panel. Then I asked Imacat, top Taiwan women in computing expert, who also happens to be transgender, if they would also be willing to come and say, moderate, or be on a panel. They also agreed, on the condition that the Minister was also coming.) So there you have it. All the heavy local inviting work is already done for you. All that remains is picking a few speakers, or whatever. I don't know. I never organized a conference before. That's why this needs to be in better hands. Thanks.