I agree, dont pick people for talks, awards, or positions to check an identity box. However, I strongly believe you can have a diverse representation of speakers without sacrificing merit. In fact, if the speaker list is homogenous, you have likely sacrificed merit.
3/4 Selecting speakers based on identity politics instead of merit will greatly reduce the quality of any conference. I’ve known
@kurtilaszlo for years. He loves his students, is very well respected in the field, and is one of the fairest and most honest people I know.