When explaining nerd culture to others, I often fall back on a brilliant John Green quote that often does most of the explaining for me. We are a sometimes wacky, always enthusiastic community of people coming from all different backgrounds. There is an understanding in nerd society that everyone should be allowed to unapologetically and wholeheartedly love something (given it doesn’t harm others). Last week, I was lucky enough to attend a nerdcore hiphop concert in Seattle. The concert featured a couple local geeky bands including Area of Defect and Kirby Krackle. The artist I was most anticipating, however, was the nerd rapping headline act, MC Frontalot. I have been listening to his music for years and proudly staked out a spot right in front of the stage. (I only fangirled a little, I swear.) I felt comfortable at the concert venue, surrounded by like-minded fans who were also unapologetic nerds. But I did begin to notice a trend in both the crowd around me and the band members on stage. All of the bands, while equally and wonderfully nerdy, were mostly comprised of white males. And as I looked around the crowd, I noticed that while we were all enthusiastically shouting the lyrics to the chorus of one of Mr. Frontalot’s catchy tunes, there was a distinct difference between most of them and me.
I stood in a room full of primarily white men.
At face value, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this picture. I was not personally discriminated against and felt no ill-will towards my fellow concert-goers. And there were, of course, a few other women in attendance. My experience that night met the standard I have come to expect from nerd culture as a whole. It was one of acceptance and comradery. But this is not the case for everyone who participates in nerd culture, especially some members of marginalized groups like women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
The exclusion of these marginalized groups is nothing new in certain aspects of nerd culture. Riley J. Dennis brings up some very important points in one of their Youtube videos, which partnered with the human rights activist organization Everyday Feminism. In the video, Riley came up with five ways to combat the exclusion of marginalized nerds in the community. I paraphrased them below, but I encourage you to watch the video for yourself here:
- Women CAN like nerdy things. It’s not that unusual, and if people keep up with this stereotype, we will never be able to see true change.
- Don’t force someone to prove their nerdiness. Nerds of every level should be welcome in the community.
- Advocate for diverse characters in nerd media. It's great for women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community to also feel represented.
- Be wary of the language you use. Make sure your language accommodates others and helps them to feel comfortable.
- Don’t threaten people who criticize nerd culture. It will only make matters worse for the nerd image as a whole.
Afterward, speaking to MC Frontalot as he signed the CDs I had purchased, I told him of my aspirations of becoming a nerd rapper like him. He encouraged me, agreeing that there were too few women in the industry. Nerd culture is not the boys club some present it as, but it certainly has a long way to go before true equality can be seen. There are many geeky women making a huge difference in and out of the community. Anne Hoevel of The Daily Dot wrote an illuminating article which features 11 women changing geek culture for the better. So while I pursue my nerdy singing endeavors, I can rest assured that I am not alone. I am surrounded by an entire family of nerd culture community members who will undoubtedly give their support. It is not in the nature of the nerd community to exclude anyone, but acceptance is not always automatic and is a goal worth working toward to improve the experience of everyone within the community and around the world.
