>developing a workplace culture that prevents them from attaining those positions
Some who make this argument (and I'm not necessarily saying you're in this camp) are essentially saying that "nerd culture" is some oppressive sexist force. That's sort of ironic given that it's basically a subculture formed by social rejects. There are of course aspects of workplace culture which do this, but an appreciation of science fiction and dungeons and dragons really shouldn't be on that list.
It's a bit ironic that SV nerds are dealing with rampant racial/gender issues, while NFL jocks are protesting for racial justice in policing. It's like all those 80's movies flipped the nerd/jock paradigm.
That's how the media is portraying it of course, but I think if you took a step back and took a look at the general behavior of each group I don't think it would really hold up.
But it's not the real nerds who run SV. It's the used car salesmen, itinerant bankers, and other various grifters who are only there because they follow the money from one industry to the next until they've bled it dry. Then they move on.
This is exactly what I mean. That's who people should be upset with. Culture issues stem from management, generally speaking. Some misplace this entirely and basically resent tech workers who have little say in policy anyways just because they have a subculture.
Is it truly ironic? Most 'social reject' subcultures trend towards their own styles of conformity and in/out group determination, which can be as harsh or harsher than that of the mainstream. Should it really come as a surprise that nerd culture has taken the same path? Just consider anti-dress code, 'mandatory' code marathons, etc.
Note that this is only because tech people are scarce in Columbus, OH (or anywhere that isn't SV).
See, SV doesn't have to tolerate weirdness- everyone in tech there is replaceable (there's a surplus of members). Because of human nature, the people there now have to adopt a different ingroup/outgroup structure (which usually has a negative correlation in how interested/competent in tech they are), and what better way to do that than by using the local political leanings?
And, as a quirk of (the local) progressive politics, this also puts SV and the rest of the tech community at odds- SV claims that it's important for tech communities to exclude men/non-minorities to promote the participation of women/minorities, but the vast majority of tech communities see an objective shortage of members and can't afford to discriminate (the fact that they skew male/majority is an afterthought) so they rightfully object to doing that.
Put another way, SV can afford to be illiberal/progressive and discriminate; the rest of us are liberal because being illiberal still has meaningful consequences.
Human behavior being what it is, I don't know why we'd be surprised when people who know the pain of rejection are happy to inflict that pain on others.
Some who make this argument (and I'm not necessarily saying you're in this camp) are essentially saying that "nerd culture" is some oppressive sexist force. That's sort of ironic given that it's basically a subculture formed by social rejects. There are of course aspects of workplace culture which do this, but an appreciation of science fiction and dungeons and dragons really shouldn't be on that list.