I understand where you are coming from but I personally take exception to the idea that, just because the human race has assholes to an extreme degree, that people should remain in SFWA. The point is, we don't have control over the human race. We don't have control over whether someone is a misogynistic jerk to us in the grocery store, or whether or boss is a total douchecanoe (yes, there are rules, but often it is a matter of he said/she said and that rarely goes well).
Being a member of SFWA is a choice. If people decide that the long-standing issue of misogyny and sexism by SFWA members is something they don't want to deal with, that should be respected. They should not be told that they have to change things from the inside. Each individual person has their own life and circumstances, and fighting this may be more than they can do. They shouldn't be put down for that, and whether you meant it that way or not, it came across to me like putting them down.
I understand that SFWA administration is trying to address the issue, but I think what is being missed is that this is not a single issue. It is an ongoing issue of culture. I have literally lost count of the number of authors I know who have left SFWA because they were harassed, derided, and mocked by other SFWA members, and they believed that SFWA's administration would not support them if they brought it to their attention.
And, truthfully, I would get the same impression, just from this post alone. You describe people who are addressing a serious situation as "turn[ing] this into a mudfight" or "leaving SFWA in a huff" (which, as far as the people who are leaving because of the sexism, it is NOT because of this one incident, but because of a long history of incidents). While I absolutely believe there are individuals on both sides who are not acting with dignity, this comment is incredibly dismissive.
I honestly believe that SFWA administration wants to do the right thing. But responses like this don't engender feelings of confidence, and people need that confidence to step forward and bring up issues that have occurred. SFWA, in fact, has a history of insinuating or outright stating that people are overreacting.
I know many people hoped that things would change under Scalzi's presidentship. Unfortunately, Scalzi is only one man, and there is only so much that he can do. What this incident, and the response, sends to people is that things have not changed; SFWA is still an Old Boy's Club.
It leaves me saddened, because something I longed for many years ago was to get the credits to join SFWA. But with everything I have heard from friends who are members of SFWA... I have enough to deal with enough sexist crap in my life. I don't want to have to -- shouldn't have to -- deal with it in a professional organization that is meant for networking and support.
I understand your frustration at this overshadowing the good things that you have done at BEA and elsewhere, but I feel that you are expressing your frustration at the wrong people by including people who are upset, hurt, and offended. And I get that plans are underway to make sure this doesn't happen again -- but it should never have happened in the first place. Moreover, it brings light to the fact that there are people like this in active roles in SFWA, and frankly, I cannot blame people for not wanting to be in an organization that has this much issues with sexism and apologism for sexism. And nobody should be blaming them. The blame rests solely on the shoulders of the sexists.
no subject
Being a member of SFWA is a choice. If people decide that the long-standing issue of misogyny and sexism by SFWA members is something they don't want to deal with, that should be respected. They should not be told that they have to change things from the inside. Each individual person has their own life and circumstances, and fighting this may be more than they can do. They shouldn't be put down for that, and whether you meant it that way or not, it came across to me like putting them down.
I understand that SFWA administration is trying to address the issue, but I think what is being missed is that this is not a single issue. It is an ongoing issue of culture. I have literally lost count of the number of authors I know who have left SFWA because they were harassed, derided, and mocked by other SFWA members, and they believed that SFWA's administration would not support them if they brought it to their attention.
And, truthfully, I would get the same impression, just from this post alone. You describe people who are addressing a serious situation as "turn[ing] this into a mudfight" or "leaving SFWA in a huff" (which, as far as the people who are leaving because of the sexism, it is NOT because of this one incident, but because of a long history of incidents). While I absolutely believe there are individuals on both sides who are not acting with dignity, this comment is incredibly dismissive.
I honestly believe that SFWA administration wants to do the right thing. But responses like this don't engender feelings of confidence, and people need that confidence to step forward and bring up issues that have occurred. SFWA, in fact, has a history of insinuating or outright stating that people are overreacting.
I know many people hoped that things would change under Scalzi's presidentship. Unfortunately, Scalzi is only one man, and there is only so much that he can do. What this incident, and the response, sends to people is that things have not changed; SFWA is still an Old Boy's Club.
It leaves me saddened, because something I longed for many years ago was to get the credits to join SFWA. But with everything I have heard from friends who are members of SFWA... I have enough to deal with enough sexist crap in my life. I don't want to have to -- shouldn't have to -- deal with it in a professional organization that is meant for networking and support.
I understand your frustration at this overshadowing the good things that you have done at BEA and elsewhere, but I feel that you are expressing your frustration at the wrong people by including people who are upset, hurt, and offended. And I get that plans are underway to make sure this doesn't happen again -- but it should never have happened in the first place. Moreover, it brings light to the fact that there are people like this in active roles in SFWA, and frankly, I cannot blame people for not wanting to be in an organization that has this much issues with sexism and apologism for sexism. And nobody should be blaming them. The blame rests solely on the shoulders of the sexists.