Comments | girliejones: On safe spaces

girliejones

On safe spaces

Feb 16, 2010 14:31

I've been personally grappling with bringing an issue to WASFF relating to the values statement that is currently in preparation (http://community.livejournal.com/swancon/152957.html). However, I feel that I need to get a sense of the scale of it - is this just me? Is it just some of the ( Read more... )

Comments 16

ratfan February 16 2010, 11:02:57 UTC

I'd agree that while I'm ok at the con, I know that area of Northbridge well enough not to be happy hiking from hotel to train late at night. Yes, there have been arrangements to be escorted, but at least once this failed because the person did not show up as arranged and so I headed off on my own anyway because I was desperate to get home by then.

I was once stalked around a con by a weird individual but that was not so much scary as annoying as hell.

strangedave February 16 2010, 11:37:27 UTC

Personally, I've always felt safe at Swancon, and the surrounding area doesn't bother me particularly either. But it

I think the real danger with Swancon is that feeling safe isn't the same as being safe - I think swancon, and the fandom community in general, does a generally pretty good job of making people feel safe, but sometimes that feeling of safety means people let down their defences, and get into situations they might otherwise have avoided. I don't know of bad problems that have occurred at Swancon, but I do know of problems that have occurred either elsewhere in the community, or at events with a similar 'safe space' feel (Burning Man, for example). Paradoxically, to allow people to feel and be safe, we need to be vigilant and a bit cautious.

baby_elvis February 16 2010, 12:41:07 UTC

I personally felt that it was a less safe space once I had a child and staying wondering hoe well I really did know these people.

girliejones February 16 2010, 12:52:14 UTC

That says a lot.

baby_elvis February 17 2010, 02:09:50 UTC

No more than I would feel in any largish organisation like a sporting club or other group.

Thread 7

transcendancing February 16 2010, 15:32:30 UTC

I have felt unsafe on more than one occasion at Swancon. I have regularly checked or requested someone to act as company/safety when I wasn't feeling like my own self was enough.

I believe wholeheartedly that we should be striving toward a space that is safe.

I want this value to be visible so that we are aware of it, working toward it and not shrugging going 'oh well' when things happen - I too want the conversation to be making a difference well before there are actually any incidents.

pharaoh_katt February 17 2010, 23:32:11 UTC

Swancon is not a safe space. The only time I feel safe there is when LM is around to protect me (emotionally as well as physically).

I'm curious as to the breakdown of people who feel safe vs. unsafe. Is there a trend? (ages, sex, size...)

ariaflame February 24 2010, 05:26:20 UTC

I generally feel safe at Swancon, and even the general surrounds. (Possibly not fond of walking further than nearest food places after dark on my own, but usually easy to find people to go with ( ... )