When we first launched She+ Geeks Out in the spring of 2015, we were very squarely focused on supporting women in tech and tech-adjacent roles, in creating a community and a sense of belonging for those who wanted to be a part of a network of passionate, funny, smart, women who could be themselves, free from judgment, and able to embrace their awkward.
That mission hasn’t changed, but has expanded, which is why we added the “+”.
As awareness of gender fluidity has come to the forefront of our minds, we honor the fact that our community isn’t just for those who identify as a woman in the more traditional sense. Some may present as female, but identify as nonbinary, for example. We want to make it very clear that our community is not only supportive of those who identify as a woman in a way that is meaningful to them, but we are also intentionally including those who are nonbinary and gender non-conforming as well. Trans women have been included even before this change.
The plus also means that we are supportive of and grateful for those who don’t identify in these ways, including those who have been marginalized, unseen, underestimated, and undervalued, as well as those who choose to lift us up. Our feminism is intersectional.