Mercedes Lackey Ejected From Nebula Conference For Using Racial Slur

[Dannyalcatraz]

To be clear: I don’t think the action the SFWA took was inherently unjustified or heavy handed.* I think the action the SFWA took was unjustified in this particular case.

IOW, I wouldn’t have an issue with the SFWA acting as they did if the case were much more clear cut. But in this case, they hastily jumped to an unjustified conclusion, resulting in an undeserved punishment.

Is there some kind of past event I’ve missed that might have caused them to rush to judgement?





* except banning her husband (?) as well. That was out of line, IMHO. There’s a time to ban “known associates”, and based on what has been revealed, this wasn’t anywhere near justified.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

To be clear: I don’t think the action the SFWA took was inherently unjustified or heavy handed.* I think the action the SFWA took was unjustified in this particular case.

IOW, I wouldn’t have an issue with the SFWA acting as they did if the case were much more clear cut. But in this case, they hastily jumped to an unjustified conclusion, resulting in an undeserved punishment.

Is there some kind of past event I’ve missed that might have caused them to rush to judgement?





* except banning her husband (?) as well. That was out of line, IMHO. There’s a time to ban “known associates”, and based on what has been revealed, this wasn’t anywhere near justified.

A history of racism led to an implosion of the romance publishing world. Now can it change?

Romance Writers of America represented one of the sexiest and most lucrative genres in books. But writers of color say it didn’t represent them.

www.vox.com

Fear. And policy.

 

[Janx]

A history of racism led to an implosion of the romance publishing world. Now can it change?

Romance Writers of America represented one of the sexiest and most lucrative genres in books. But writers of color say it didn’t represent them.

www.vox.com

Fear. And policy.

there's also the Sad Puppies and the Hugos, which hits closer to the SFWA

How conservatives took over sci-fi's most prestigious award

Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology, culture, science, the climate crisis, money...

www.vox.com

 

[Myrdin Potter]

there's also the Sad Puppies and the Hugos, which hits closer to the SFWA

How conservatives took over sci-fi's most prestigious award

Vox is a general interest news site for the 21st century. Its mission: to help everyone understand our complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. In text, video and audio, our reporters explain politics, policy, world affairs, technology, culture, science, the climate crisis, money...

www.vox.com

That is a completely different award.

I am pretty sure the much more recent complete meltdown of a similar organization was on their minds.

I also think it was their intent to use the chance they were given.

 

[billd91]

I know people who now steer away from WisCon, a local and long-running feminist sci-fi convention in Madison that is coming up just this weekend, over issues of safety and inclusiveness and have done so for most of the last decade. This may seem weird, but there are some very virulent strains of non-inclusiveness embedded within some ostensibly inclusive venues. And I don't mean excluding bigoted politics - I mean being so focused on certain identities that others feel a degree of hostility in panels and gatherings. TERF-esque behavior isn't confined to radical feminists and transphobia. You're either with the in-crowd or you're an outsider.

And small(ish) conventions, enthusiast organizations, and so on seem to be really fertile venues for these issues to arise.

 

[Dausuul]

I know people who now steer away from WisCon, a local and long-running feminist sci-fi convention in Madison that is coming up just this weekend, over issues of safety and inclusiveness and have done so for most of the last decade.

That's a shame. I went to WisCon sixteen or seventeen years ago, and it seemed like a very nice con back then. But things do change.

 

[Janx]

That is a completely different award.

I am pretty sure the much more recent complete meltdown of a similar organization was on their minds.

I also think it was their intent to use the chance they were given.

Obviously.

but the RWA is further from the demographic than the Hugo kids in the same genre. These folks go to the same meetings. And the anti-NK Jemisin drama is ongoing. Including GRR Martin's rambly bit about how awesome racist Campbell was.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

Obviously.

but the RWA is further from the demographic than the Hugo kids in the same genre. These folks go to the same meetings. And the anti-NK Jemisin drama is ongoing. Including GRR Martin's rambly bit about how awesome racist Campbell was.

Sad Puppies was 7+ years ago and really had nothing to do with SFWA. And I am pretty sure that Mercedes Lackey and her husband were opponents to them. The Romance Writers association and awards are directly inline with the SFWA and very recent.

 

[tomBitonti]

Can someone say for what purpose the word was used? Why was Delaney's skin color relevant? After reflection, I'm finding that I care more about the answer to this question than to which particular word was used.

Do we know the full circumstances of what happened? Is it possible that other factors led to the decisions that were made?

Tom Bitonti

 

[MGibster]

Can someone say for what purpose the word was used? Why was Delaney's skin color relevant? After reflection, I'm finding that I care more about the answer to this question than to which particular word was used.

On a panel at the 2022 Nebulas, I had the chance to celebrate authors who wrote positive gay characters long before me.

Chip Delany is obviously a major player in that game. Because there are two Samuel Delanys–there’s one from Texas–I wanted to make sure people got hold of the right one. So, in my excitement, I got caught in a mental/verbal stumble between “black” and “person of color,” and as best I can remember, what came stuttering out was something like “spcolored.”