Mercedes Lackey Ejected From Nebula Conference For Using Racial Slur

[This Effin’ GM]

I just opened a Twitter account to complain about you talking about pineapple pizza.

I followed it, I’m looking forward to all them fire takes on peoples takes on pineapple pizza.

 

[Cadence]

Except that unlike the pinapple thing those things happened and are not just theoretical. If you defend the stance that the only measure if something is offensive is when someone says it it, like what is used here to justify why a apology is even needed for saying colored, then you also have to defend those instances I posted for the same reason.

It feels like whether "colored" is problematic goes beyond one person at a panel. And also that it's a bit deeper than one ill-informed tik-tocker offended by a country's name.

2020 - Column: Why is ‘people of color’ OK but not ‘colored people’? A reading list for white folks

2019 - Coloured | The Spectator
and Frank Harris III: Is ‘colored’ seeping back into language?

2016 - Why Is Colored Person Hurtful and Person of Color OK? A Theory of Racial Euphemisms.
and What it means to be colored

2015 - Warning: Why using the term 'coloured' is offensive

2014 - The Journey From 'Colored' To 'Minorities' To 'People Of Color'

2013 - 2013 Reddit ELI5 Link

2010 - As the word used before the one in the article title - How old was Harry Reid when the word Negro became taboo?

2003 - Project MUSE - What's in a Slur?

1992 - https://www.jstor.org/stable/2749204?seq=1

1991 - Page 4 has a survey - https://www.jstor.org/stable/455882?seq=4

MacMillan Dictionary - offensive words for people according to nationality or ethnicity - synonyms and related words | Macmillan Dictionary

Collins Dictionary - Coloured definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

Oxford English Dictionary (via lexico.com) - COLORED English Definition and Meaning | Lexico.com

History of use in style guides (colored was to be avoided in a 1977 style guide)- AP tackles language about race in this year’s style guide

Wikipedia article - Colored - Wikipedia

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Again, congrats to that person. Their response to being offended will increase the level of racism they are likely to encounter.

Good plan.

This is a very bad take.

One person overreacting to something (and this isn't even case of that, except on the part of the convention) has never turned a non-bigot into a bigot, and it never will. At worst, it changes the talking point used by a bigot from some other thing, into the case of the person overreacting to something.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

This is a very bad take.

One person overreacting to something (and this isn't even case of that, except on the part of the convention) has never turned a non-bigot into a bigot, and it never will. At worst, it changes the talking point used by a bigot from some other thing, into the case of the person overreacting to something.

I agree that a bigot is a bigot. I think you missed the point here, though. People who see such encounters but have not engaged yet have a much higher chance of a negative emotional response and can easily serve to push them to harden their opinions.

Ask yourself what the average person’s reaction would be to this story now that enough details are out.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

I read a lot of Delaney when I was younger and continue to think he is an excellent writer. I have a hard time being positive about him (as opposed to his work) because of his association with an organization almost everyone would have an issue with.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I agree that a bigot is a bigot. I think you missed the point here, though. People who see such encounters but have not engaged yet have a much higher chance of a negative emotional response and can easily serve to push them to harden their opinions.

Ask yourself what the average person’s reaction would be to this story now that enough details are out.

I would assume the average person would be more likely to think, "Wow, what an unfortunate miscommunication. This reminds me to be extra careful when talking about race."

Than, "Wow, I should be more racist!"

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Explanation does not help in all cases.

True. But it does in many.

Its the na-ge incident from USC if you want to look it up. It was in the news.

I know it well, as wel” as similar cases here in Texas involv8ng the Spanish word for “black”.

Making "someone is getting offended" the only scale for when actual harm is done is ridiculus

No one is making the absolutist claim that it should be “the only scale”.

On the contrary, you seem to be willing to claim being offended is completely harmless and ignore it altogether. The studies of stress effects on human mental and physical health would tend to belie its total harmlessness.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

I would assume the average person would be more likely to think, "Wow, what an unfortunate miscommunication. This reminds me to be extra careful when talking about race."

Than, "Wow, I should be more racist!"

I think the average person will think, “wow, these people are crazy about what they get upset about.” And “boy, did SFWA overreact. They must have real issues.”

Neither of those are bigoted responses but don’t help if other issues come up later.

 

[Willie the Duck]

I would assume the average person would be more likely to think, "Wow, what an unfortunate miscommunication. This reminds me to be extra careful when talking about race."

Than, "Wow, I should be more racist!"

I do think these missteps feed the notion of a great big-bad 'woke mob' coming to make everyone's lives miserable at the slightest provocation (especially people who mistake anecdotes for actual statistics).

 

[Guest 7034872]

You can’t control someone’s level of negativity, you can only control your response to it.

That is a vitally important lesson that I wish I had learned a lot earlier than I did.