The universe does not want me to be happy.
So, this thing with the Lambda Literary Awards. (For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, you're probably better off. If you want to know what I'm talking about, a lot of people have been weighing in all over the place.)
I can really see multiple perspectives, is the thing.
On the one hand, I personally think that LGBTQA fiction needs all the writers it can get, of whatever gender and sexuality. It's only slowly been getting to the point where people who aren't queer even consider writing about queer characters; I sympathize with the people to whom redefining the Lambdas to exclude them feels like a door has been slammed in their faces. I also see a lot of merit in the argument that "what counts as LGBT" is a seriously loaded question, and a lot of people don't want to have to deal with it.
On the other hand, I understand the need for a space where members of a minority can tell their stories without privileged people stomping in and demanding to be allowed to tell the minority's stories for them. I have no objection to an award just for LGBTQA writers on LGBTQA issues/characters. I even approve and espouse this notion. It is more than a little problematic for straight, cis-gendered writers to, upon finding out that there's a sandbox they're not allowed in, whine and complain that they want to play too.
But. The thing is, they were allowed to play. Up until right now, they were allowed into the sandbox as long as they played by the sandbox's rules. Now the maintainers of the sandbox, realizing that unintended people are playing there because they didn't realize they weren't supposed to, have decided to kick them out. I don't wonder that they're whining! This particular sandbox is one they've been allowed to play in, and the statement that they're not wanted anymore is bound to sting. The way the LLA people phrased it, they made it sound like they were changing the awards specifically because straight writers were, in good faith, entering and doing better than LGBT writers.
So, I feel that the people saying wow-privilege-much are right in general, but the people saying wait-what-huh are right in this specific case. The whole thing was handled badly and presented badly. I would wave banners and cheer for an award aimed at LGBTQA writers as well as an award aimed at LGBTQA stories regardless of writer, but taking the latter and turning it into the former is not the way to do it. I'm not arguing that LGBTQA writers don't have every right to demand an award that doesn't involve straight writers, but you don't get one by kicking the straight writers out. All that gets you is a bunch of hurt and angry allies. Great. Exactly what we need.
I want there to be safe spaces, for everyone. But you can't make a safe space retroactively.
I can really see multiple perspectives, is the thing.
On the one hand, I personally think that LGBTQA fiction needs all the writers it can get, of whatever gender and sexuality. It's only slowly been getting to the point where people who aren't queer even consider writing about queer characters; I sympathize with the people to whom redefining the Lambdas to exclude them feels like a door has been slammed in their faces. I also see a lot of merit in the argument that "what counts as LGBT" is a seriously loaded question, and a lot of people don't want to have to deal with it.
On the other hand, I understand the need for a space where members of a minority can tell their stories without privileged people stomping in and demanding to be allowed to tell the minority's stories for them. I have no objection to an award just for LGBTQA writers on LGBTQA issues/characters. I even approve and espouse this notion. It is more than a little problematic for straight, cis-gendered writers to, upon finding out that there's a sandbox they're not allowed in, whine and complain that they want to play too.
But. The thing is, they were allowed to play. Up until right now, they were allowed into the sandbox as long as they played by the sandbox's rules. Now the maintainers of the sandbox, realizing that unintended people are playing there because they didn't realize they weren't supposed to, have decided to kick them out. I don't wonder that they're whining! This particular sandbox is one they've been allowed to play in, and the statement that they're not wanted anymore is bound to sting. The way the LLA people phrased it, they made it sound like they were changing the awards specifically because straight writers were, in good faith, entering and doing better than LGBT writers.
So, I feel that the people saying wow-privilege-much are right in general, but the people saying wait-what-huh are right in this specific case. The whole thing was handled badly and presented badly. I would wave banners and cheer for an award aimed at LGBTQA writers as well as an award aimed at LGBTQA stories regardless of writer, but taking the latter and turning it into the former is not the way to do it. I'm not arguing that LGBTQA writers don't have every right to demand an award that doesn't involve straight writers, but you don't get one by kicking the straight writers out. All that gets you is a bunch of hurt and angry allies. Great. Exactly what we need.
I want there to be safe spaces, for everyone. But you can't make a safe space retroactively.