On pseudonyms
I am going to violate my own principles by not linking, because I really don't want to give these asshats more traffic, but it comes to this: two figures in the pro SF world are justifying their outing of a fan over race discussions by attacking the notion of the pseudonym. And I want to be clear, here: this is not a case of someone revealing genuine duplicity. They are outing her because they don't like what she said, and don't feel she has the right to participate in contentious discussion under anything other than her legal name.
First, a quote from coffeeandink:
Reasons people may prefer pseudonyms or limited personal disclosure on the Internet:
I have mentioned more than once that I am incredibly, incredibly privileged not to have to worry about having my fannish activities connected to my legal* identity. I move in very liberal circles of a relatively liberal town. If anyone called my work to tell them I write gay porn, the response would be, "we know." I am currently married to my child's other parent, and am confident he would never use my fannish activities in a custody dispute. And if I would prefer my Batman/Nightwing stories not be a topic of discussion at Thanksgiving, I don't face being ostracized if they find out. And frankly, I have not been particularly cautious about maintaining my pseud.**
And yet, I still use one.
I could list my reasons, ranging from, "I would, actually, prefer my students not read my porn unless they're already in fandom" to "I just kind of like having a name I chose." But really, it comes down to: I want to. And the fact that you don't doesn't mean that you are not a complete and utter asshat if you go out of your way to connect my pseud to my real name just because you don't like what I said.
And that last bit is really the key.
If I were, say, to write a sordid, exploitative, nasty book about fandom under my legal name, using information I had gathered as Lucy Gillam, I would not expect people who knew to preserve my anonymity. I don't expect people to keep secrets if I am using my pseud in ways that are actively harmful and malicious. But if my actions as Lucy Gillam/cereta, actions that can be consistently and thoroughly attributed to that name, are generally unconnected to my legal name, then my legal name is of no more consequence to those who know me as Lucy Gillam than my actions as Lucy Gillam are to my family or my students. Which is to say, none. Unless you're going to accuse me of some kind of actual deception, it is irrelevant.
It is fucking irrelevant, and the only reason to make it an issue is because you think it will make me shut up. And that? Makes you a bully and an asshole.
*Term used because I find "real-life" a problematic descriptor.
** I say this upfront to tell you: if you think you're being clever by "outing" me, you will only cause laughter.
First, a quote from coffeeandink:
Reasons people may prefer pseudonyms or limited personal disclosure on the Internet:
- Because it is a standard identity- and privacy-protection precaution
- Because they have experienced online or offline stalking, harassment, or political or domestic violence
- Because they wish to discuss sexual abuse, sexuality, domestic abuse, assault, politics, health, or mental illness, and do not wish some subset of family, friends, strangers, aquaintances, employers, or potential employers to know about it Because they wish to keep their private lives, activities, and tastes separate from their professional lives, employers, or potential employers
- Because they fear threats to their employment or the custody of their children
- Because it's the custom among their Internet cohort
- Because it's no one else's business
I have mentioned more than once that I am incredibly, incredibly privileged not to have to worry about having my fannish activities connected to my legal* identity. I move in very liberal circles of a relatively liberal town. If anyone called my work to tell them I write gay porn, the response would be, "we know." I am currently married to my child's other parent, and am confident he would never use my fannish activities in a custody dispute. And if I would prefer my Batman/Nightwing stories not be a topic of discussion at Thanksgiving, I don't face being ostracized if they find out. And frankly, I have not been particularly cautious about maintaining my pseud.**
And yet, I still use one.
I could list my reasons, ranging from, "I would, actually, prefer my students not read my porn unless they're already in fandom" to "I just kind of like having a name I chose." But really, it comes down to: I want to. And the fact that you don't doesn't mean that you are not a complete and utter asshat if you go out of your way to connect my pseud to my real name just because you don't like what I said.
And that last bit is really the key.
If I were, say, to write a sordid, exploitative, nasty book about fandom under my legal name, using information I had gathered as Lucy Gillam, I would not expect people who knew to preserve my anonymity. I don't expect people to keep secrets if I am using my pseud in ways that are actively harmful and malicious. But if my actions as Lucy Gillam/cereta, actions that can be consistently and thoroughly attributed to that name, are generally unconnected to my legal name, then my legal name is of no more consequence to those who know me as Lucy Gillam than my actions as Lucy Gillam are to my family or my students. Which is to say, none. Unless you're going to accuse me of some kind of actual deception, it is irrelevant.
It is fucking irrelevant, and the only reason to make it an issue is because you think it will make me shut up. And that? Makes you a bully and an asshole.
*Term used because I find "real-life" a problematic descriptor.
** I say this upfront to tell you: if you think you're being clever by "outing" me, you will only cause laughter.