One can’t exactly call it “friendly” fire, but it is amusing to watch the SJWs in science fiction and fantasy shooting at each other. The Pink SF-SJW faction is backpedaling furiously after being accused of violence and racism for failing to provide free memberships to the Pox. Or rather, to provide them soon enough:
We have sponsored 46 people of color to participate in the convention at no cost (so far – more to come I hope), and have worked very hard to ensure that every panel is comprised of people from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives. The panelist list hasn’t been published yet, but when it is I hope the list demonstrates our commitment to equity and diversity.
But their desperate retreat has been deemed too little, too late by the Black SF-SJW faction.
Please, no one jump in to save WFC at the last minute by fixing programming. If you want to protest these panels, tell them you won’t be on *any of them*. Why? They were offered help in June & didn’t take it. Bottom Line: @WFC2020 & ALL World Fantasy Conventions are not safe places for BIPOC & other marginalized folks. In some ways, it is an actively harmful, hurtful, & oppressive to these groups. I Do Not suggest you attend. If you’re BIPOC I suggest giving back that free membership.
And now Pinks are defecting in increasing numbers, lest they find themselves in the Black crosshairs.
- I’ve withdrawn from programming and membership at @WFC2020. Increasingly uneasy about the way they’ve gone about fixing the program and the lack of board-level structural response.
- After reading through the information @tinytempest provided, I have withdrawn from World Fantasy Con as attendee/volunteer/program participant. Thank you, Tempest, for the abundance of work you do trying to make our community more inclusive.
- Very sorry to say this, but I’m going to have to withdraw from World Fantasy Convention 2020. Despite a lot of effort on many people’s part, the recent fiasco with panel descriptions demonstrates that the convention simply doesn’t understand how to operate in a diverse world without stepping on marginalized people
- The Writing Excuses podcast hosted by authors Dan Wells, Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, and author and web cartoonist Howard Tayler will not provide content for use by the virtual convention.
- Just told what panel I’m on and I’m bowing out. Just the Caribbean panel description was enuf to make it depressing. In addition to everything else it boils down to: why can’t cons be professional? Operate on a sharp, knowledgeable level? I understand the weariness.
It’s hilarious! Especially when you realize that neither you nor anyone else you know who reads science fiction has ever read a single work by any of these zeroes, with the possible exception of Brandon Sanderson.