Gillian, I actually do not know where to begin my commentary. So…when stuck, how about a listicle. Oh. Spoiler alert. It’s a long one:

1. I believed when I started reading your article Gillian, that it was indeed a parody, a satire, a spoof. I still want to believe it. Yet you and your other commenters convince me otherwise.
2. A spoof would be so much better than the depressing (and stupid) reality of this conference.
3. How is it possible given everything I know, have witnessed, read, studied, lived…that this surprises/shocks/depresses me? Still.
4. Trust me though, the (lack of) brain power that comes up with and promotes this crap is specifically why our utter dismay of still seeing this in 2020 is exactly why we ignore it and keep on the path of supporting and enabling equality of all humans beings.
5. I shudder to agree with many of those commenting on your article that there WILL be women attending this conference. I suggest that the motivation to do so will be varied and none of it useful to the mission noted in #4 above.
6. I speculate that a bunch of these guys organizing the fiasco sat around one night swilling beer, belching and calling women down to the lowest. Then one of them said: ya know, chicks are so gee dee stupid that they will pay us two grand a head to teach them how to find 2 things: i.) their reason for existing on this planet in the first place and ii.)how to get themselves a man
7. I also speculate that small, tiny, fragile, wimpy…egos…( what word were you expecting?? :-) are the primary driving forces in the creation of anything like this conference. Because look at it this way. If one’s self worth is created and defined by having half the world’s population basically treat you as THE master. And furthermore that half willingly assumes the role as your servant and slave. To adore you. To wait on you. To fetch you sandwiches. Always. Well then the master would feel pretty special, huh. The king of specialness. And the…ego…would then grow, expand…ugely.
8. Well. Now I feel tons better. I like my listicle. It accurately sums stuff up. In a nifty way. I no longer feel depressed about this abomination of a conference. I don’t care about it. I care only that I and we do everything we can to foster all humans on earth as equals.
9. Ok. Yeah. What I write in #8 stands as a truth. #8 is solid. Yet, it would still be preferable if we discovered that this conference IS a spoof. However, equal treatment of all people is no laughing matter.