Gen Con Takes Stand For Inclusiveness

This rather breaks all my rules, in that I'm reporting on politics, and regional politics at that. That said, Gen Con, the hobby's largest American convention, intersects with this particular example, so it's hard to ignore; and this is an RPG news blog, after all. Plus, I agree with the sentiment, even if I'm doubtful about its actual effectiveness given the current contract. Gen Con has written to the local politician in its home city of Indianapolis, USA, threatening (kind of - they're contracted to stay there for five more years whether they like it or not) to consider moving elsewhere if a local law relating to businesses being able to refuse custom to same-sex couples is passed.

With multiple recent articles in just the last week (Monte Cook Games & Thunderplains, Green Ronin's Blue Rose), the subject of inclusiveness is not one that anybody can afford to ignore. However, the vitriolic comments these topics give rise to make discussion on them difficult at best.

Here's the letter they wrote.

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[KirayaTiDrekan]

Very awesome move on their part. I applaud and hope it has the desired effect.

(And that's all I have to say about that because such topics can get heated and divisive very quickly.)

 

[Fallen star]

Gen Con is free to provide their service to any customer they choose. Other businesses in Indiana should have that same right.

If Gen Con doesn't like that, they are free to move to another state.

 

[Fergurg]

Gen Con is free to provide their service to any customer they choose. Other businesses in Indiana should have that same right.

If Gen Con doesn't like that, they are free to move to another state.

I'd give you XP if it could be done for news stories.

 

[KirayaTiDrekan]

Breaking my previous promise, sorry about this...

People like me (transgender in my case) have a very real fear of not only discrimination but hostile and sometimes violent environments where ever discrimination is legal, as Indiana is about to be. Laws like this create an atmosphere of permission - permission to discriminate, permission to escalate, permission to go beyond discrimination.

Gen Con, like any convention, brings people from all over the world to a single city. A very diverse range of people who may or may not realize that the local businesses have a "we don't serve their kind here" policy.

In effect, Gen Con has to choose - continue to welcome the full diverse range of gamers but knowingly endanger some of them; close their doors to that diversity and suffer a loss of reputation and revenue; or move. The choice they are making - taking a stand - is simply the right thing to do.

No one should feel unwelcome at Gen Con - except those who would make others feel unwelcome.

 

[Janx]

and this is why we can't discuss politics on ENworld.

 

[SteveC]

I really miss the days when Gen Con had nothing to do with politics. You know, like last year. Or every other year before that.

Sigh.

 

[Shemeska]

I'm proud of GenCon for this. All that I'll say

 

[Fergurg]

Breaking my previous promise, sorry about this...

People like me (transgender in my case) have a very real fear of not only discrimination but hostile and sometimes violent environments where ever discrimination is legal, as Indiana is about to be. Laws like this create an atmosphere of permission - permission to discriminate, permission to escalate, permission to go beyond discrimination.

Gen Con, like any convention, brings people from all over the world to a single city. A very diverse range of people who may or may not realize that the local businesses have a "we don't serve their kind here" policy.

In effect, Gen Con has to choose - continue to welcome the full diverse range of gamers but knowingly endanger some of them; close their doors to that diversity and suffer a loss of reputation and revenue; or move. The choice they are making - taking a stand - is simply the right thing to do.

No one should feel unwelcome at Gen Con - except those who would make others feel unwelcome.

But that stand is demanding that the business should not be allowed to make a choice on whether or not they will be part of a transaction. Why should anybody be forced to do business with you if they don't want to?

 

[Umbran]

Gen Con is free to provide their service to any customer they choose. Other businesses in Indiana should have that same right.

It may not be quite so simple, as businesses are interconnected - if someone cannot get service in a restaurant or bar, they may not come back to the convention. Thus, how other businesses in the state treat con-goers may impact the business of the convention. With gamers being more sensitive to such matters these days, being silent on the matter may have seemed a bad business choice for Gen Con.

If Gen Con doesn't like that, they are free to move to another state.

Given a 5 year contract, picking up and moving may not be possible, or may be very costly. And Gen Con reportedly brings something like $50 million dollars to the local economy, so whether they go or stay, now or five years from now, is going to be important to the area.