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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[ExploderWizard]

No, but you are demanding that a class of people - business owners - do not have as many rights as you - a transsexual - do. You do not have to do business with them. You do not have to give them your money, and you don't even have to justify it. "I just don't like you" is a valid reason for choosing to not be a customer. And yet, you feel that you should be allowed to compel others to enter into a transaction with you. Sorry, but that's not OK with me.

So how would you like it if you spent your money on airfare, and hotel, and con registration, only to show up and find out that no bar or restaurant would serve you so much as a scrap of food in the entire town simply because they didn't like the cut of your jib or some other such nonsense? Would that be a con experience that you would be eager to repeat?

So all those places have the right to deny you service just because they don't like the look of you and you support their decision. What about the hotel and airline that loses your business even though you were welcome because you don't plan to ever return?

Business owners "exercising their rights" can and do hurt other businesses in the area with their intolerant poisonous garbage. Hurting other peoples livelihoods because being a dick is more important to you than making money is not ok.

 

[Zaruthustran]

Regarding "religion & politics" on ENWorld, my opinion is that this has been a good discussion. It's civil, it's timely, and it's relevant: GenCon is, functionally, the oldest and highest-profile community of tabletop gamers--how the stewards of that community act has an impact on this community, here.

I've learned a thing or two in this thread, and appreciate the different viewpoints. Particular call-out to Dannyalcatraz for bringing well-reasoned, well-sourced discussion. IAAL, indeed.

Is this topic uncomfortable? Yes. Is it appropriate for this community of gamers to discuss the actions and implications of the largest representative of the tabletop gamer community (GenCon)? In this limited case, I think yes.

 

[tomBitonti]

Well, of course, if you were taking it to court to get out of a contract, you'd have to have some numbers. So, let's scotch some up, for the idea...

The percentage of the adult american population that is gay is often estimated to be about 4%. With its tendency to collect those who are not accepted in the rest of society, gaming may well run higher than that. We can also expect that for each person impacted, there's probably a friend who would stand in solidarity. This might then quickly ramp up to, say, 10% of the GenCon ticket sales in question over the matter. I think it reasonable to think that the vendors might see similar numbers of losses, so those fees drop as well.

What kind of profit margin does GenCon operate under? We don't know. But, many businesses run around 10%. A sudden loss of 10% of revenues could wipe out profitability.

These numbers are made up, of course, but as a back-of-an-envelope estimate, it doesn't sound outright impossible.

Hi,

Thanks for the numbers! I did a quick check (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_demographics_of_the_United_States) and the numbers are spot on. (Although, I thought the percentages were higher.)

While we are being specific, I did a look for the meaning of "place of public accommodation", and found this, which is quite specific:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/12181

I didn't expect to find such a specific and enumerative list, but there you have it.

Thx!

TomB

 

[Umbran]

This makes me wonder if we can know GenCon's motivation in sending their letter.

Not unless they tell us. That's why I spoke about plausible narratives - we don't know.

The motivation may have little to do with their actual stance on the matter outside of a narrow business sense...

Quite possible. There have been several cases recently where national brands have found that being inclusive is ultimately good for business - f'rex, national brands with advertisements that include biracial families, or families with gay/lesbian parents, that took some major heat from one side, but found more than sufficient support from the other to make it a good business decision. In the age of rapid communication, on the national scale, it may be that this is simply the right business decision.

It is a good day when good business and being good people align.

 

[tomBitonti]

I started to look up information about dress codes, and finding good links is a bit hard. Finding any links at all is easy; it's picking out good ones which is hard.

Edit: The point was to learn more about discrimination based on dress, which seems quite legal, as restuarants as well as other businesses commonly have dress codes for their customers.

Edit2: Notwithstanding, I imagine that using a dress code as a cover for other forms of discrimination is not legal. Although, I think, the intent might be hard to prove.

This was useful in relation to restuarants and hotels:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/hotels_and_restaurants

That links to this, which turned out to be not so useful:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/ucc/2

One of the problems is that "dress code" finds more information about dress codes set by employers for their employees. For example:

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/practices/

Dress Code

In general, an employer may establish a dress code which applies to all employees or employees within certain job categories. However, there are a few possible exceptions.

While an employer may require all workers to follow a uniform dress code even if the dress code conflicts with some workers' ethnic beliefs or practices, a dress code must not treat some employees less favorably because of their national origin. For example, a dress code that prohibits certain kinds of ethnic dress, such as traditional African or East Indian attire, but otherwise permits casual dress would treat some employees less favorably because of their national origin.

Moreover, if the dress code conflicts with an employee's religious practices and the employee requests an accommodation, the employer must modify the dress code or permit an exception to the dress code unless doing so would result in undue hardship.

Similarly, if an employee requests an accommodation to the dress code because of his disability, the employer must modify the dress code or permit an exception to the dress code, unless doing so would result in undue hardship.

Thx!

TomB

 

[Mikaze]

Yep, remember when it was in Milwaukee? I never got a hotel anywhere close and most times had to stay at the University.

I've only been to the Indy cons, but I can imagine. And depending on the local climate....oh this could get rough. Indy at least tended towards a dry heat in my experience there, but that's a skewed Louisianan perspective talking.

 

[Krypter]

GenCon shouldn't be meddling in politics. That is not their business and it'll have nasty consequences.

 

[Mikaze]

GenCon shouldn't be meddling in politics. That is not their business and it'll have nasty consequences.

Politics pushed first. And doing nothing would have nasty consequences for people GenCon wants to feel welcome.

 

[Nylanfs]

It's on WVPE a NPR station in Indiana right now.

Here's a link to the actual broadcast where they talk about it and talk about the GenCon letter. There isn't much talk though.

 

[graypariah]

So how would you like it if you spent your money on airfare, and hotel, and con registration, only to show up and find out that no bar or restaurant would serve you so much as a scrap of food in the entire town simply because they didn't like the cut of your jib or some other such nonsense? Would that be a con experience that you would be eager to repeat?

So all those places have the right to deny you service just because they don't like the look of you and you support their decision. What about the hotel and airline that loses your business even though you were welcome because you don't plan to ever return?

Business owners "exercising their rights" can and do hurt other businesses in the area with their intolerant poisonous garbage. Hurting other peoples livelihoods because being a dick is more important to you than making money is not ok.

Business owners typically do not operate as one entity (without being forced to by law) unless there is either a profit to be had by their collaboration or if it is a small enough community that they all know each other personally. Neither of those apply to the city in question. So it wouldn't be that no bar would serve a person, it would be that one bar wouldn't serve the person in a city that is likely filled with bars. And to be fair, if the bar owner is so intolerant to refuse to serve a person with a different orientation than themselves then I would hope that people wouldn't want to give them business.

It is also worth noting that I have seen a lot of discrimination gotten away with simply be not stating the reason why a person was refused. Any business owner regardless of law could use any number of ways other than flat out stating "We don't serve your kind". This type of secret discrimination is much worse because those of us like me are not always aware of it and inadvertently support discriminators. A bar next to GenCon that openly refused to serve a certain group of people next to GenCon is much preferable to one that serves that group but secretly spits in their drinks after all.