It’s conference season & there are so many fluffy happy posts. If you are at an academic conference I hope it goes well for you. But we must admit the dark side of academic conferences: Let’s Get Real about Academic Conferences— Carbon Footprint = 0.8 to 1.5 metric tons (800 to 1,500 kg) of (CO2) per participant Sexual Assault Rates = ~ 60% of attendees experience some form of harassment Risk of Illness/COVID-19 = HIGH Chance of getting a job = LOW After 2021/2022 most conferences have no protocols for mitigating disease spread. Such large organizations have the chance to set an example for the scientific community. This hits hard when purportedly "feminist” conferences don’t live the practices they preach and protect the most vulnerable. This plays into mainstream, heteronormative STEM culture that drives so many women and marginalized groups away. In general, conferences really lack in accessibility—with the high fees, carbon footprint, risk of sexual assault, and inaccessib...