Spelling diversityjf without “JREF” (CROSSPOST)

Note: I’m cross-posting this from my blog. I normally wouldn’t do this, but this is both a topic directly relating to skepticism and something I want to talk to the Atlanta Skeptics about. Brian Thompson has posted a response on the JREF’s blog as well, and it’s worth a read.

Last week’s Virtually Drinking Skeptically featured a sort of rolling interview with JREF Field Coordinator, former Mexican wrestler, and disgraced notary public Brian “El Boomboom” Thompson. VDS is always fun, and this session was no exception.

Right before I signed off, the conversation shifted to Boomboom talking about Onanism the JREF’s plans to attract a more diverse group to skepticism. I almost stuck around, but I had to get up early to go to the Auburn game. A man has to set his priorities. Plus, I couldn’t focus on diversity when looking into host Brian Gregory’s sad puppydog eyes. He also has an ass that won’t quit.

So I’m going to drop my opinions here. I’ve set my desktop to display pictures of people named Brian to set the mood.

The JREF cannot significantly increase diversity in skepticism

This is a hard thought on which to focus when looking into Brian Dennehy’s cold-yet-somehow-passionate face.

Wouldn't YOU step into his cocoon?

For the last few years, diversity has been a main topic at TAM. There will be a panel talking about how well-represented women are in skepticism, but how there aren’t a lot of minorities. And there are even fewer poor people, since we haven’t convinced them to fly out to join us in a Vegas casino for four days in our $400+ per-person conference.

A shitload of Brians, though. And a lot of Daves. There is something going on there. Best to leave that unsolved, I think…

It is good to see all the ladies there. Gender diversity has dramatically improved since I started attending these things five years ago. I haven’t seen any actual data, but there seem to be more openly gay folks around, including among the JREF leadership. We’re also up to our parkas in goddamn Canadians, so it’s clear we aren’t turning anyone away at the door.

Actually, I take that back — TAM sucks at religious diversity. There’s a big passo-aggro push to make TAM an atheist-only club; not by turning religious people away as much as just browbeating them until they abandon their faiths. I wonder how often that works? But that’s really another discussion. I will save it until I want to get pissed off.

We don’t have a lot of black people. How is it that TAM has more Australians than African-Americans, and that Yahoo Serious isn’t among them? We have very few Asians scattered around too. These absences are obvious and the JREF is right to want that changed.

But what can the JREF do? In what medium can they promote skepticism to an audience largely ignorant of what it means and of the organized skepticism thing? Where does the JREF obviously intersect with the challenges of life as a minority or an economically disadvantaged person?

I believe it can be done, but it’s a hard road for the JREF to walk.

“Grassroots” skepticism — more than just getting drunk

If those of us in these so-called “grassroots” skeptics groups want to do more than gather in a bar once a month, here’s an activity for you.

Let’s pick a minority group that’s woefully underrepresented at TAM. Hispanics, for example. It is nonsensical to ask why aren’t there more Hispanics at TAM when we don’t have a significant number of them attending local group meetings. Here in Atlanta, we have a large Hispanic community, but you wouldn’t know it from the Skeptics in the Pub meetings.

Why is that? There could be a lot of reasons. Maybe there don’t happen to be a lot of skeptics in that group. Maybe our meeting topics are boring to people not already invested. Maybe there’s a language barrier (a distinct possibility in this case).

Maybe they don’t know what skepticism is, or don’t know that our group exists.

I’m betting that last one is a big part of it, no matter how many other reasons are out there. That’s what we should be working on changing, and that’s where we can be much more effective than a large international group like the JREF.

I’ll tell you how when I’m done gazing at Brian May’s amazing hair helmet.

My god, people -- look at it

Vaccine Clinics – Not Just for Rich Nerds Any More

The last two Dragon*Cons and the most recent TAM included a free vaccine clinic, where anyone could get vaccinated with the flu shot and TDAP. Those three events were thanks to the work of Maria and the Skepchicks and the Women Thinking Free Foundation. And they were great — much needed, and I hope they continue for a long time, long after the idiot anti-vaxxers have died during a seizure brought on by a prolonged coughing fit.

But we’re giving these shots to other skeptics at TAM. And we’re sticking needles into middle-class white nerds at Dragon*Con.

What if we were to find a large church in a Hispanic neighborhood? From my own informal survey, they aren’t hard to find. What is the worst that could happen if we were to meet with the pastor and ask about holding a vax clinic at the church some Sunday after the services? In your poorer neighborhoods or your projects, I’m guessing there are plenty of people who aren’t updated on their vaccines.

(I’m suggesting a church not out of some protest against the strident atheists among us, but because it’s a place where a lot of people gather regularly and have an emotional connection in a way they don’t have with, say, a public school.)

If it comes off, you have built a connection in that community — something the JREF doesn’t have. You have provided them with a valuable service they may have not had the time or money to attend to themselves. You have (presumably) answered their questions about what you’re doing there, and given them a pamphlet or two for them to learn about the importance of vaccines… AND about your goals as a skeptical organization. If you do this in a church, you will appear to be less of a threat to their religious beliefs.

If you prevent a child from dying of whooping cough, you are going to earn the good will of their parents, even if you don’t speak the same language. Do that for enough people, and eventually a couple of them will be curious about your group. If I’m wrong about that last part, then you can comfort yourself knowing that you gave people a TDAP shot.

Conclusion

Of course it doesn’t have to be vax clinics. Anything that will reach into the community. The goal should not be getting these folks to come to TAM or to the Skeptrack at Dragon*Con. The goal should be to plant a seed, to expose them to the idea of critical thinking as an ethical way to live, to make them allow for the possibility that science has an immediate positive effect on their lives. How incredible would it be if we gave a vaccine to a kid this weekend and 20 years from now he’s an epidemiologist? Pretty awesome, I’d say. Not quite as awesome as giving a kid a vaccine and 20 years from now he’s not dead from the measles, but we can do both with the same shot.

I don’t believe this is possible for the JREF. I believe it may be quite possible locally.

Fortunately, I’ll get the chance to put my money where my mouth is. I’m stepping into a leadership position with the Atlanta Skeptics, and something like this is one of the things I want to try.

I think the JREF can have a role here, but they have to be a supporting player. They can help the local groups make contact with the health organizations that can supply the vaccines, maybe help designing some pamphlets so we’re all spreading the right message, help build a database of people who can talk a skeptic group through the inevitable questions and hurdles. But if we’re serious about diversity or about making a positive impact on people’s lives, we can’t sit back and wait for people like D. J. Grothe or Boomboom Thompson to do it, then tell us about it in a vast air-conditioned room in a Vegas casino right before they bring in the cookies.

I’d be interested to hear any other ideas you guys have. Especially all the Brians out there.