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GDC Security has a prejudice problem!!!
- Thread starter DigitalOp
- Start date
How difficult is it to not bother people in a line? If someone was in the wrong line, they would probably know before they got to the top. Does GDC not have wearable tags that specifically say if someone is a speaker/press or not?
Exactly. Most of these events are caused by alt-right white men. If I was pulled aside by security due to recent events because I also happen to be a white male, I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest. Regardless, harassing anybody for any reason is ridiculous.
A GOG employee made a transphobic joke on Twitter. But he has been fired, no idea if the tweet had something to do with that.
As a white male you only have to wear a suit, then you always get treated with respect. If you only wear a shirt, you can get problems, too.
User Banned (1 Week): Dismissing concerns surrounding racism and racial profiling over a series of posts
So, security guards asked her a question to make sure she is standing in the right line? Those terrible monsters! Hopefully they will all be fired from their low paid jobs for not recognizing a Speaker in a random person.
I say everyone here gets upset demand an apology then we get even angrier that they issued a fake apology.
For real though, we're talking underpaid 3rd party security. They've already tweeted they're looking into it and the training received.
For real though, we're talking underpaid 3rd party security. They've already tweeted they're looking into it and the training received.
Did you not see the other women and people of color claiming the same thing? What kinda... ?
Its gross that the people handing out badges ensure that the registration name matches the person trying to pick up the badge? Should they just let anyone pick up any badge they want?
The security hassling people because they are essentially profiling is gross but its a weird hot take to say the badge process should not ID check on pickup. Every single conference I've ever attended does that. Hey guess what, you get to type in your name when you register. Make sure you type it in right. If you don't or if you change it between registration and pickup, well, thats something you'll have to bring extra documentation for and probably go to a side line or something and not hold up the main "show ID, get badge" line.
GDC, CES, E3, etc all let you edit your info as well up to a few days before the conference. Its literally the minimum you could do to verify your info is correct before you make the trip.
I'm wondering how the security was supposed to work, if they only ask 'are you a speaker?' and they say 'yes' and that's enough. Shouldn't be some kind of... printed email or something? What's even the point for security guys to ask that question, if they have no way to know if someone lies or not.
I know, not the point of this thread...
I know, not the point of this thread...
"Same thing" being they also received some reasonable questions from security guards?
Why are those reasonable question only applicable to women and people of color? It's only them that got approached. But hey, it doens't matter how many times we repeat that. This is pretty much the tactic to construct the narrative... ignore the details that don't fit it no matter how many times they are repeated to your face. People you are trying to convince will willingly ignore them too. Rest will jsut get frustrated.
Trust me it has very little to do with knowing who looks like a Game Dev its just general profiling of who should have money and knowledge and who shouldnt.
I worked security for one holiday and most of the people I was working with were for lack of a better word uneducated so the view of "THe Boss" was always a white man, not necessarily dressed well but well kept.
When I explained to them who the current boss(CEO) of General Motors is they were shook as fuck, because that cant be a person who has knowledge and is running shit.
It wouldnt matter what convention they were at, as long as they knew this line is for the clever people who know shit, this line is for the commoners.
They will ask anyone who doesnt fit their "The Boss" stereotype.
For those saying the security needs to do better training....what training exactly are you talking about.
Because beyond the pre day briefing you cant expect security companies to be trained specifically for every single type of convention that they take care of.
At the briefing the super will likely just tell you what/who to expect then leave you to execute your training.
Im not saying its not wrong, Im a black guy in telecommunications I get stopped all the time so i kow it sucks.
Ive just worked security before and know how they think sometimes, if GDC had dedicated security it would be a different story, but this is just security companies being security companies.
Why do you believe, that only women and people of color were questioned? How is that even plausible?
Read all the responses. Pretty much just PoC and women questioned and none of them saw any white men questioned.
The cheapest one available. From my experience every event saves money first on security contractors. At best you get incompetent and racially profiling fuckwits like here, at worst you have serious security and fire hazards due to negligent idiots just deserting their posts.
The shit I've seen at events and concerts... Not surprised to see this.
Imagine trying to get a tech job as a black male.
It's all over the tech industry. We need more of our children to integrate into these sectors for it to sink in I'm afraid. I dealt with the feeling for a long 8 months when looking for a job. It caused a lot of anxiety problems.
Statistically, the vast majority of game devs are white males so I can understand the stereotype.
I don't know how GDC works, but having been a vendor at some indie event before, there are usually staff from the events with a list of names to confirm the identity of the participants. Security staff will be there to help people queue in the right line if necessary.
So I would assume, if they run similarly, a simple "yes I'm a speaker" would suffice as the event staff who will be giving them the appropriate badges will then check the actual list.
Having worked as retail where we have to organise events and have contract securities, we wouldn't hand them any list, since that's... Like not their job.
We, as participants, could additionally have printed copy of the confirmation or whatever document, or simply a phone with internet, just in case they couldn't find our name or whatever.
In any case, the problem here is that they targeted people not of a specific skin tone to offer their, to put it sarcastically, queueing aid.
OP
OP
Remind me what someone like this contributes to the community here?
This is how ERA plays a part. Someone who so openly downplays profiling and racism isn't going to learn anything from a week ban. They will come back only to stifle real discussions from happening
User Banned (1 Week): Dismissing concerns surrounding racism and racial profiling
That only means the ones you read are the ones tweeting about it. Now, there might be an issue here - but it's possible there's not. Wait to pick up the pitchforks until you know.
I googled "CEO of GM" and it was just a lady. Are you saying the people you worked with could not even envision a woman in a senior position at the top of a big company? Who did you work with, the mob lol?
Hahaha.
Its legit why Ive taken so many odd jobs over the years.
Seeing other peoples perspectives by being there with them is like the best way to understand certain things.
They just had the idea that the people who run the world.
All the big bosses effectively look the same....some middle aged white man.
Thats the image of the boss.
To a certain extent they arent wrong....and its only because you are more educated or cultured that you even think otherwise.
Else, any time i mention CEO the image in your head is most likely a Middle aged white guy.
OP
OP
I have to say, I'm noticing a thing with the language being used in regards to discrimination issues..
"pitchforks"
I've seen "complain" in some threads.
It's full of irony, since posters seem to think we're talking about buying DLC or not being able to get a certain game imported..... Nah, we talking about get hassled for not being a white male, a stereotypical "gamer".
This isn't some miniscule "concern". This is people annoyed that by being themselves, they can't be taken professionally. It's fully bigotry and using these passive aggressive words to describe that concern is straight up dismissive.
This isnt a Wall Street convention. It's a Game Developers conference. It's a bunch of nerds walking around in Tshirts and Jeans. Pink hair should never be a cause for professional questionability in an industry that is widely known for eccentric personalities and non conventional dress codes.
So what if a white guy tweets that he had trouble getting his badge too? You're so ready for a white guy to say something so you can throw all the other women and PoC Men's concerns out the window and just wipe you hands of it. As if it doesn't make their lives and jobs 10x harder, as if they didn't have to work 10x harder just to break into the industry. Contrarians love operating on False Equivalency, even if everyone else had trouble picking up badges, it makes the minority group who are participating at GDC even more susceptible to bigotry and demeaning practices.
JC got profiled while picking up her badge for a Inclusivity Panel at GDC. Can't make that shit up. That's how foolish this all is
I'd throw the convention center into the loop of people to blame for this. While GDC is responsible for its event, they may have not hired the security, it might be through the convention center/approved by the convention center.
Make sure the pressure that this is unacceptable comes from all sides.
Make sure the pressure that this is unacceptable comes from all sides.
"Racism and sexism is just a part of the natural order! Don't complain!"
The fact that you compare complaints about racism and mysogiginy to a wild mob, says A LOT about you. Perhaps it's time for some self reflection.
Even if someone did accidentally go to the wrong line, why the fuck would that be a concern for security guards!?
It all starts at the top of society with people in those high position only hiring people on things other than merit and then the media perpetrates the same practices and finally rests at the bottom with regular folks like these security people and the ones you worked with picking up on what a person should look like for "x" and "x" position. It is all a shit cycle from top to bottom...
Funny thing is how come they knew to profile what a game dev is supposed to looks like. Like maybe 1% of 1% of the population is even is that deep into gaming scene to be able to accurately tell what a game dev is supposed to look like, assuming you can even typecast a game dev, so its funny that these security people did end up doing just that. Really feel likes this security company's personnel defaults to a "white(male) is right" mentality from the start.
That and the stereotypical portrayals of minorities.
Half of ERA spoke out against this game several months ago, but it seems thats not the case all that much. I guess time heals everything.
Why? Is she stupid? Is she a lost child? If she has questions on what line to stand in, she can ask them, not the other way around. The assumption that she was confused where she should be despite showing no signs indicating so was purely prejudiced
Perhaps I wasn't clear. I'm talking about how people are reacting to peoples tweets, not about the people tweeting. People reacting to other people's reactions have a tendency to make matters spiral out of control. All I'm saying is make sure you're reacting to what you think you are reacting to.
See my reply above. Also I'm courious about what you think it says about me. Pretty sure it's far off the mark.
I think you grew up in a white supremacy ridden world and that like everyone, your brain has been affected by this. Pretty sure that's right on the money unless you're a magical elf.
And your response shows you completely missed the criticism.
The people directly behind GDC itself aren't responsible, and it seems like action is being taken. Not sure what else you could ask of them.
The issue was with the security company, and now the responsibility is on those who hired them to fix things. If these reports keep coming up then there will be a real issue (edit: with the conference itself, not saying this isn't an issue).
The issue was with the security company, and now the responsibility is on those who hired them to fix things. If these reports keep coming up then there will be a real issue (edit: with the conference itself, not saying this isn't an issue).
Wow, that escalated quickly. Still, this doesn't say "A LOT" about me, rather about the world we live in and everyone in it.
And I understand the criticism - but it's based on you thinking I'm saying things I'm not.
san francisco tech industry is startlingly racist even by american standards. gdc (like every organization in the state) knows better and should have made a better effort to promote inclusive security practices.