[Andy Grady]

From a mentor standpoint, I see this as pretty black and white.

I was once socially awkward as a student (I still might be?), it is NEVER an excuse for harassment. It is, quite simply, a matter of showing respect. Period. End of story.

If a student (or young mentor even), male, female, LGBT or otherwise is being made to feel uncomfortable by anyone, they should feel comfortable enough to mention something to a mentor and allow the mentor to handle the situation for them. The definition of uncomfortable, creepy, etc, is very simple...if you FEEL uncomfortable, you are!

It the job of the mentors to provide an environment for our students in which they feel safe and comfortable to come to us when they need any sort of guidance or help.

In terms of mentoring and making STEM a better place for women, this is also a matter of RESPECT. To the mentors: show all students and mentors, regardless of gender, race, religion, etc..., the same amount of respect. Expect the same respect to be given from your students to your other students and mentors.

It might behoove some of you to take note of some of the community members who have expressed some strong concerns over this thread. People like Amanda, Madison, and Karthik are people who have pioneered this program. They do not just speak from a perspective of someone who has jumped into FIRST out of nowhere...they have lived it, they are a product of it, and they have carried FIRST FOR A VERY LONG TIME into what it is today. They each understand the importance of respect, and they each understand what it is like to be on both sides of the spectrum.

In short...if you want to change the culture, be the culture, and heed the word of those who have been changing the culture longer than you can remember.