And it's a doozy.
This stuff so rarely breaks good that it's almost more shocking when people do the right thing--and I think Readercon has gone the full measure in making amends and preserving the con (the list of pros and fans declining to attend was getting enormous, and that overwhelming support for Genevieve and Kate is a testament to the strength of the community). The entire Board has resigned or will at the next meeting, Walling has been banned, and new policies and a new Board will be put into place. Almost everything from
It's impressive, and those policies and Board will be both interesting in their content and certainly have their work cut out for them. I dearly hope to attend Readercon again soon, and these are huge strides in the right direction.
~Sabrina
The fact this guy seems to think it's okay to act this way, and the fact he was not removed from the convention immediately, makes me wonder what in HECK the con organizers were thinking.
There is -never- an excuse for this sort of behavior. Never.
Edited at 2012-08-07 12:27 am (UTC)
And thank you for your part in that *hugs*
The vast majority of us on the concom worked to fix mess as fast as we could, and were far more motived by profound disagreement with the decision of the board than we were by bad PR.
The concom can either work hard never to allow a screwup that bad to happen, or just give up and end the con. Cat's a friend, and her hope to go to the con again some day is, in part, what's motivating me not to give up on it.
If the con has been poisoned for you by the board ever making it's decision on Walling, then that's part of our shame to bear.
I'm thrilled that the statement was first fleshed out before the petition (and I certainly claim no understanding of how everything timed out), thrilled that in the end, the right thing is being done. I just have a large part of me that's sitting back saying "no, there should have never been a petition in the first place, there should have never been an initial backlash against the people who had been wronged". That's where my disappointment and upset is coming from, and why I say that we should not have had to petition for our safety - because we shouldn't have. Because those of you who sat there and said that this is wrong, that this needs to be dealt with appropriately and with justice should have had that say in the first place.
In the end, the right decisions were made, and I'm glad that the concom and everyone involved in Readercon is invested in making sure that this is more than just lip service.
I appreciate your taking the time to clear up some of the muck surrounding the incident, and I am very glad you and the rest of the concom who disagreed have worked your tails off. You didn't have to reply to me (or anyone else), and I thank you for the time spent doing so. You guys have a lot of work cut out for you; best of luck with all of that. It looks like I'll be adding Readercon back to my list after all.
It was the Board of Readercon that made that decision, and they have all resigned, some even from the con committee also. The committee does elect the board, so you may be right to hold them to the fire too. But I think what happened is that the committee was mostly out of touch right after the con and the board made that decision without reference to them at all. And then getting the committee together (in an internet sense) and getting the actions and apology sorted out and agreed upon just took time. I believe the committee is thirty people, and the board more like five.
My opinion, and it is only that, is I would like to reward the committee for this, for the circumstances, swift turnaround and the beautiful apology and the actions they laid out to take. If those actions are followed that's going to be one of the safer cons out there. I may be a little swayed by having read what's been going on in the atheist/skeptic con world where they seem to have decided that they don't care if women participate at all.
But I can't afford Readercon, so I just say things in comments about it. I especially loved Rosefox during the whole thing. Grace under pressure just begins to describe her actions but they need so much more.
Your anger is justified, and I think you are right to be skeptical and wary. However, it seems to me that if we can't (and don't) move beyond punishing people for making mistakes, then there's not much incentive for people to either stop making them or to change.
Well, still, someday I'd like to attend.
Kudos to the committee for taking the stand so clearly and comprehensibly. Though the circumstances are obviously disheartening, having them addressed so fully is a huge step. The response is much appreciated.
As with most things in this world (slavery, women's right to vote, gay marriage) it took too long and too many actions to make change happen. But the fact is change is happening. Once can criticize the slowness of the change or capitalize on the movement and make is work in the favor of positive progress.
Or something.
I am glad you spoke out and told your fans & LJ readers about this. Your voice helped gather some of the momentum for change. You are still awesome in my book. Even if it does not need to get written. lolz!
-S