> Listen, guys. You have to stop trying to pick up women at conferences. You just have to stop doing it. Again, context matters: you’re not just hanging out at a bar drinking with your buddies, chatting up the attractive woman sitting next to you. You’re at an industry function, talking to women who are your industry peers. They’re simply not there to be hit on – even in ways that might not be creepy in another setting

I think the problem here is that hitting on someone is sexual, not sexist. However, in an environment where the gender balance is so skewed, what is sexual almost unavoidably leads to a sexist atmosphere.

To put it another way, the problems of being hit on apply to gay men. It is not inextricably linked to male-over-female dynamic.

So I agree with the overall intent of the OP here. I think many reasonable guys would be defensive about acting like normal sexual creatures...however, it is important to not vilify sex, but to point out how it can lead to unintended consequences in this kind of environment.

So rather than saying that the "pickup game" is sexist, I would just say that it is inappropriate at an event where the participants are ostensibly there for professional reasons, no matter if you're male, female, gay or straight