Of Open Roads And Uber Fail: The Wiscon 33 That Was.
Though karnythia beat me to the punch with her post--which pretty much said everything I was going to say about this weekend and more--I feel I must add this:
If you're really serious about making Wiscon a POC-safe space, you must step your muthafukkin' game up. You can't just import a bunch of brown folks in and believe your work is done. You must seek to build authentic relationships with those brown people in order for shit to grow. Because believe it or not? WE SEE YOU. We see when you stare at us, or walk by us completely ignoring our salutation to you, only to run up to us minutes later after you realize who we are. We see you when you crash our party for the sole purpose of snubbing us. We see you when you treat us like museum exhibits or magical, mythical creatures.
What's most disappointing is that I was actually quite amped to attend Wiscon because of all the great things I'd heard about it. I had even planned on documenting our entire trip but by Sunday evening I was just fucking DONE, son. And let me not even get started on the few POC who also gave you the "persona non grata" treatment until they discovered who you were (or who you were with) and the deemed you worthy enough to talk to. When I tell you that I am over certain folks feeling threatened by the appearance of other POC because they may take away their SUPERSPESHULNOTLIKETHEOTHERS crown? I really, REALLY am, and when we do this shit again next year I need you to either check your ego at the fucking door and work with us or STEP. And trust, we WILL be back next year. If Wiscon is REALLY serious about embracing diversity? We're about to make it happen, jack. Watch.
If you're really serious about making Wiscon a POC-safe space, you must step your muthafukkin' game up. You can't just import a bunch of brown folks in and believe your work is done. You must seek to build authentic relationships with those brown people in order for shit to grow. Because believe it or not? WE SEE YOU. We see when you stare at us, or walk by us completely ignoring our salutation to you, only to run up to us minutes later after you realize who we are. We see you when you crash our party for the sole purpose of snubbing us. We see you when you treat us like museum exhibits or magical, mythical creatures.
What's most disappointing is that I was actually quite amped to attend Wiscon because of all the great things I'd heard about it. I had even planned on documenting our entire trip but by Sunday evening I was just fucking DONE, son. And let me not even get started on the few POC who also gave you the "persona non grata" treatment until they discovered who you were (or who you were with) and the deemed you worthy enough to talk to. When I tell you that I am over certain folks feeling threatened by the appearance of other POC because they may take away their SUPERSPESHULNOTLIKETHEOTHERS crown? I really, REALLY am, and when we do this shit again next year I need you to either check your ego at the fucking door and work with us or STEP. And trust, we WILL be back next year. If Wiscon is REALLY serious about embracing diversity? We're about to make it happen, jack. Watch.