What would a diverse SFWA look like?

[netmouse]

We're in science fiction and fantasy here, right? the genre of speculation? Let's do an exercise in imagination.

(I know people who actually participated in RaceFail '09 are licking their wounds right now, but I wanted to throw this thought out there.)

The SFWA web site says nothing about diversity. It says nothing about minorities, or people of color, or women or GLBT authors. None of the subcommittees directly address isues having to do with these groups.

SFWA is undergoing an internal restructuring, and their website is being redesigned as well. If you are a SFWA member (or have considered becoming one), and you want SFWA to welcome minority authors and feel that their peers value their membership, how would you want SFWA to do that? Please feel free to comment here, please contact SFWA (email SFWA secretary Mary Robinette Kowal, secretary at sfwa.org), and please pass it on.


ETA: temporarily Friends-locking this post at a request from Mary (explanation pending- she was in a rush and dropped me a quick email asking if I could hold off on blogging it). It may be that she/SFWA was already working on something and hoped to reveal it internally from SFWA before we appeared to request it, I don't know. Knowing how I have always hated being asked to do something just before I was going to do it anyway, thus being robbed of the appearance of initiative, I will ask people to hold off on re-blogging this for the moment in case that's what's going on.

EATA: ok, Mary commented below and I'm unlocking this post.

Comments

[cos]

I would find POC, women, and GLBT authors who have said they feel like outsiders or unwelcome or something of the sort, and ask them this question. I'd find some who haven't said so, and have participated, and ask them as well. I wouldn't necessarily presume that this is the organization they want to be better-included in, but I'd ask and see.

[netmouse.livejournal.com]

nodnod. Thanks for your comment. I sent out an email since I know some POC authors who don't read my blog. I don't think it's a question just for them to answer, however. I mean, there is the question of whether or not this organization is one they want to be better-included in, but then there's also the question of whether or not the organization is one that *wants* to be one that all sf writers want to be included in. And I guess that's up to the members. So I sent the email to other non-POC members, as well.