Harassment at SF Conventions
Thursday night just one week ago, I got a phone call. It was a friend telling me that something big was about to happen on the Internet, and she thought I ought to know. As it turned out, I did want to know, and I thanked her for sharing the info with me. We had a very good discussion, and I felt better for her telling me about the Big Deal in advance.
The next morning, I discovered the following blog entries:
http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/517984.html
http://www.jimchines.com/2013/06/how-to-report-sexual-harassment-by-elise-matthesen/
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/06/28/reporting-harassment-at-a-convention-a-first-person-how-to/
http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/on-sexual-harassment-at-conventions-elise-matheson-speaks-out/
You see, I was the Safety co-chair for WisCon 37, so I was directly involved in all of this. I've worked on SF&F conventions for over thirty years, and I have seen the culture of fandom change over time. There are now more people of color, more LGBTQ people, more people with disabilities, and more women - which is an a priori Good Thing. But fandom's sub-cultural antecedents get in the way of social progress, sometimes, and the current example is now here in front of us. SF&F fandom has often been described as a place for social misfits and outcasts - "it's a proud and lonely thing to be a fan" - but that tolerance of difference has now been used as an excuse to tolerate socially unacceptable behavior. This has to stop. There's a clear difference between being a guy who is completely consumed with Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's TV series UFO, right down to liking the metallic purple wigs and silver jumpsuits of the female crew of Moonbase - but that's not the same as fondling the hair (or other body parts) of a young woman doing that in costume without her permission. As the poster neatly sums it up, "Costumes Do Not Equal Consent."
But it's more than just fandom. It's also a rather strange and sad subset of the SF&F writing community who seem to be convinced that we're all still living in an updated version of Mad Men, where "can't you take a joke?" and "hey, she liked it!" are still considered to be adequate excuses for boorish behavior. As a result, there has been something of a backlash against calls to end sexual harassment. Luridly emphasized with phrases like "witch-hunt" and "lynch-mob" commentators on the internet rail against this "restriction on free speech" and "assault" on fannish norms and customs.
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. No fucks were or will be given. NONE of this is a lynch mob, or a witch-hunt. I am, instead, left with several impressions:
By this point, you've probably noticed that I think that sexism, homophobia and racism are all intertwined, perhaps even intersectional. You would be right. This is a dynamic struggle, one that won't be finished if we ignore one oppressed group in favor of another. This is just the latest front in an on-going battle for the soul of science fiction, and it's one where we can't let the nay-sayers continue to make excuses for bad behavior and broken stairs.
With that in mind, here are some further links to read:
This entry was originally posted at http://badger2305.dreamwidth.org/8365.html. Feel free to comment here or there, using OpenID.
The next morning, I discovered the following blog entries:
http://seanan-mcguire.livejournal.com/517984.html
http://www.jimchines.com/2013/06/how-to-report-sexual-harassment-by-elise-matthesen/
http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/06/28/reporting-harassment-at-a-convention-a-first-person-how-to/
http://www.maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/on-sexual-harassment-at-conventions-elise-matheson-speaks-out/
You see, I was the Safety co-chair for WisCon 37, so I was directly involved in all of this. I've worked on SF&F conventions for over thirty years, and I have seen the culture of fandom change over time. There are now more people of color, more LGBTQ people, more people with disabilities, and more women - which is an a priori Good Thing. But fandom's sub-cultural antecedents get in the way of social progress, sometimes, and the current example is now here in front of us. SF&F fandom has often been described as a place for social misfits and outcasts - "it's a proud and lonely thing to be a fan" - but that tolerance of difference has now been used as an excuse to tolerate socially unacceptable behavior. This has to stop. There's a clear difference between being a guy who is completely consumed with Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's TV series UFO, right down to liking the metallic purple wigs and silver jumpsuits of the female crew of Moonbase - but that's not the same as fondling the hair (or other body parts) of a young woman doing that in costume without her permission. As the poster neatly sums it up, "Costumes Do Not Equal Consent."
But it's more than just fandom. It's also a rather strange and sad subset of the SF&F writing community who seem to be convinced that we're all still living in an updated version of Mad Men, where "can't you take a joke?" and "hey, she liked it!" are still considered to be adequate excuses for boorish behavior. As a result, there has been something of a backlash against calls to end sexual harassment. Luridly emphasized with phrases like "witch-hunt" and "lynch-mob" commentators on the internet rail against this "restriction on free speech" and "assault" on fannish norms and customs.
Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. No fucks were or will be given. NONE of this is a lynch mob, or a witch-hunt. I am, instead, left with several impressions:
- For a genre so concerned about what the future might be like, especially any hopeful futures, the current defenders of the Inalienable Right to Harass seem to be living in the past. That's a wry juxtaposition which ought to be telling to anyone who is in fandom or those just encountering it. Do the harassment-defenders realize what they sound like? I doubt it.
- The blog posts noted above led to a very real explosion of anger among female fans and writers, and an outpouring of stories detailing similar circumstances at conventions and other events. This isn't difficult to understand; those unable to get it remind me of straight people who don't get it about homophobia - what part of "gaybashing and bullying are unacceptable" isn't clear?
- All of this reminds me of when writers of color have entered the field of science fiction and fantasy; go read Racism and Science Fiction by Samuel R. Delany if you don't believe me.
By this point, you've probably noticed that I think that sexism, homophobia and racism are all intertwined, perhaps even intersectional. You would be right. This is a dynamic struggle, one that won't be finished if we ignore one oppressed group in favor of another. This is just the latest front in an on-going battle for the soul of science fiction, and it's one where we can't let the nay-sayers continue to make excuses for bad behavior and broken stairs.
With that in mind, here are some further links to read:
- http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/07/02/my-new-convention-harassment-policy/
- http://sffragette.wordpress.com/
- http://backupribbonproject.wordpress.com/2012/08/01/hello-world/
- http://www.readercon.org/CoC.htm
- http://jenett.dreamwidth.org/1541954.html
This entry was originally posted at http://badger2305.dreamwidth.org/8365.html. Feel free to comment here or there, using OpenID.