Women of PedalPCB

I've seen posts on tgp and tdpri that were insensitive to women or downright misogynistic, so it doesn't surprise me women stay clear or anonymous on guitar-related forums.

I like to think this place is more welcoming.
I used to hang out on the TDPRI when I was younger. It got a lot more brazenly misogynistic and racist around 2015-2017 and I largely stopped visiting. I still check in on stuff every few months, mainly the trading post and music recommendations sections, but yeah… ain’t to good. TGP is a cesspool, but at least they treat everyone equally as shitty there. I still waste a few minutes reading the top threads every so often there.
 
What count is the effort, saying will plant seeds in people's mind and one day that might make a difference.

My comment was basically about creating an inviting and supportive environment for women (including trans women since they are part of the makeup of the pedal community) to feel comfortable enough to simply acknowledge that they are, in fact, a woman interested in pedal building. But, I don't know what can be done to make this a reality.
 
My comment was basically about creating an inviting and supportive environment for women (including trans women since they are part of the makeup of the pedal community) to feel comfortable enough to simply acknowledge that they are, in fact, a woman interested in pedal building. But, I don't know what can be done to make this a reality.
I can’t think of anything witty to say. Maybe light some candles?
 
My comment was basically about creating an inviting and supportive environment for women (including trans women since they are part of the makeup of the pedal community) to feel comfortable enough to simply acknowledge that they are, in fact, a woman interested in pedal building. But, I don't know what can be done to make this a reality.

I'm replying to my own comment because I hadn't really thought about this subject for a bit. But, I just came up with an idea I can implement on my own forthcoming website redesign that could maybe push the needle just a bit. I think a section highlighting diversity in the community could be a net positive, even though the cultural warriors will clap back on it. I don't care about that, though. Good idea?
 
My comment was basically about creating an inviting and supportive environment for women (including trans women since they are part of the makeup of the pedal community) to feel comfortable enough to simply acknowledge that they are, in fact, a woman interested in pedal building. But, I don't know what can be done to make this a reality.
I don't know (might just be my perception), but I feel like the landscape is changing. I watch a lot of YouTube videos about pedals, amplifiers, electronics, and all things engineering, and I've noticed a lot more women posting videos. Sure, it's still predominantly white men, but I find it really refreshing to see more women putting themselves out there. I really think that's the key. I think that as more and more women add content, it empowers other women to do the same. I'm sure that there are a lot of women building pedals, guitars, amplifiers, etc. who don't want to put themselves under the microscope of a bunch of middle aged white men because that's all they see. Maybe if they see more people like themselves involved in this pursuit, they will feel more comfortable knowing that they aren't alone.
 
My comment was basically about creating an inviting and supportive environment for women (including trans women since they are part of the makeup of the pedal community) to feel comfortable enough to simply acknowledge that they are, in fact, a woman interested in pedal building. But, I don't know what can be done to make this a reality.
One of the things that gets discussed at DEI meetings I’ve been at is to provide a platform and opportunities to women (or any other not well represented groups such as LGBTQ, black and brown people, etc), if you have the ability to do so. At work this usually means making sure to have work opportunities (important projects, leadership roles, etc) available to them. I think highlighting other communities publicly (as you mentioned) is a great way to do so! As @chris.knudson said, the more women or other protected classes see themselves in this hobby (or any other area where they may be underrepresented), the more they will feel welcome.
 
I don't know (might just be my perception), but I feel like the landscape is changing. I watch a lot of YouTube videos about pedals, amplifiers, electronics, and all things engineering, and I've noticed a lot more women posting videos. Sure, it's still predominantly white men, but I find it really refreshing to see more women putting themselves out there. I really think that's the key. I think that as more and more women add content, it empowers other women to do the same. I'm sure that there are a lot of women building pedals, guitars, amplifiers, etc. who don't want to put themselves under the microscope of a bunch of middle aged white men because that's all they see. Maybe if they see more people like themselves involved in this pursuit, they will feel more comfortable knowing that they aren't alone.
I also see them in other traditionally male dominated role videos such as “Blondihacks” machinist channel, and “April Wilkerson” and her carpentry/woodworking channel.
One thing that doesn’t go unnoticed as well is the comments. In the fields you’d expect to see more catcalling and sexist comments (machining and woodworking), you rarely see any.
Contrast that with music/gear related channels and you see TONs of comments that would frankly get your lights knocked out if said in person. The comments left on channels like Mary Spender and her guitar playing as well as Colleen Fazio and her tube amp repair (among others) sadly show why there seems to be such a barrier for women wanting to showcase their talents. What’s more puzzling is with their audience being primarily musicians, I’d have expected that demographic to be more open and welcoming to women compared to the “shop class” type channels.

And still to this day, try getting some people to believe that the majority of the guitar playing they give credit to Prince for doing, was actually done by Wendy Malvoin.
 
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1*Kq_mcxqS3UIfp8OIJgBI7g.jpeg

Not implying that the women here are ugly or all have men's faces CGI'd onto their bodies, or that they're sitting around wearing bikinis waiting to hoist up some surgically augmented cleavage for a photograph.
Just that it's mostly a bunch of dudes, and this image sprang to mind when I saw the thread title, and I love this music video.
 
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