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Because I said I would give more context
a post explaining the context of a couple other posts recently...
There was this thing. At least, most of us are hoping it is accurate to use the word "was" because it seemed a rather toxic thing, such that it was easy to look at from the outside and dismiss as LJ Drama, or "a bag full of angry cats" or some other thing that apparently made various people who did not read it choose not to read it and some people congratulate themselves on the wisdom of staying far, far, away.
There are a couple names for it, but the one I've heard most often is RaceFail '09. There is a short summary here, and a linkety guide here including a link to a timeline and another summary of events (she calls it "Writing The Other/Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM '09" which is more descriptive in some ways, but doesn't have the short quick impression of total morass 'o doom that "RaceFail '09" does). Another comment people should read before diving in, with a lightly shorter link list, is here.
And yes, somewhere in there is evidence that there are certainly people who believe SF (as a written industry, and as a fandom) is not a safe place for people of color. Now, of course, many people will just point at RaceFail '09 itself to prove that point. I don't know how many people will listen to them. I know fandom is certainly both wider and deeper than this particular debate. I also know it is distinctly lacking in characters of color in writing by white people, authors and editors of color in the industry, and fans of color at literary sf cons. There are a few, but not enough.
(apparently there was another discussion last year that was slightly more sane. I remember reading Bear's post on it at the time, but otherwise didn't see much of it. )
If you are going to read any of it, I also recommend you read this essay on the definition of racism and also google "race theory" or "critical race theory" so as to avoid having the "what the heck are you people talking about and why are you mangling this corner of English so no one can talk to each other sensibly on this subject?" reaction in public the first time (like I did).
I have not read it all yet, but I plan to explore further, since the short summary (and other comments I've received) indicate "there have been many interesting and thoughtful posts by fans of color" and those are of interest to me. I hope to post a guide pointing to those later.
In the meantime, one thing some people point to as a positive !fail coming out of this is the creation of a new small press called Verb Noire. They are taking donations now to help them get started.
There was this thing. At least, most of us are hoping it is accurate to use the word "was" because it seemed a rather toxic thing, such that it was easy to look at from the outside and dismiss as LJ Drama, or "a bag full of angry cats" or some other thing that apparently made various people who did not read it choose not to read it and some people congratulate themselves on the wisdom of staying far, far, away.
There are a couple names for it, but the one I've heard most often is RaceFail '09. There is a short summary here, and a linkety guide here including a link to a timeline and another summary of events (she calls it "Writing The Other/Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of DOOM '09" which is more descriptive in some ways, but doesn't have the short quick impression of total morass 'o doom that "RaceFail '09" does). Another comment people should read before diving in, with a lightly shorter link list, is here.
And yes, somewhere in there is evidence that there are certainly people who believe SF (as a written industry, and as a fandom) is not a safe place for people of color. Now, of course, many people will just point at RaceFail '09 itself to prove that point. I don't know how many people will listen to them. I know fandom is certainly both wider and deeper than this particular debate. I also know it is distinctly lacking in characters of color in writing by white people, authors and editors of color in the industry, and fans of color at literary sf cons. There are a few, but not enough.
(apparently there was another discussion last year that was slightly more sane. I remember reading Bear's post on it at the time, but otherwise didn't see much of it. )
If you are going to read any of it, I also recommend you read this essay on the definition of racism and also google "race theory" or "critical race theory" so as to avoid having the "what the heck are you people talking about and why are you mangling this corner of English so no one can talk to each other sensibly on this subject?" reaction in public the first time (like I did).
I have not read it all yet, but I plan to explore further, since the short summary (and other comments I've received) indicate "there have been many interesting and thoughtful posts by fans of color" and those are of interest to me. I hope to post a guide pointing to those later.
In the meantime, one thing some people point to as a positive !fail coming out of this is the creation of a new small press called Verb Noire. They are taking donations now to help them get started.
no subject
Heh. I did notice that phrase, as well. I guess I just object to the notion that the part of the conversation with the "bunch of people spending quite a lot of time being shouty" *is* the "primary" part of the whole mess. I see the current debate as being primarily a very difficult but still important conversation about race that some people have tried to suppress (http://coffeeandink.livejournal.com/607897.html) by... well, by using pretty much every method mentioned in that link. Dismissing it as being primarily about all those examples of suppression instead just proves that yet again, those methods of suppression are succeeding. And that's just not right!
And here's the thing that has finally been brought home to me as I was reading this latest round of the debate, and saw the sheer lengths some people went to in order to avoid talking about race: any real conversation about race is going to end up having a lot of extraneous angry noise and people shouting at each other in it, too. It isn't possible to have a real debate about race that includes both people of color and (even well-meaning) white people new to the subject that will be completely "polite and civilized."
Race as a topic is uncomfortable. If you are having a discussion about racism that doesn't make ignorant white people like me reading it feel uncomfortable and defensive, then chances are it's because the conversation in question is controlled by those white people, and is more about making them feel happy about themselves than about making any actual progress talking about how racism is affecting people of color.
Sure, it's easy enough to admit that there is racism in society, or even that there is racism in Science Fiction in general. But if anyone dares to, say, start giving actual specific examples that aren't really obvious and extreme, then you can be sure that there will be people who will get offended and angry, and think that the fact that they liked that book or that movie or that TV show means that of course it could never have any racism in it, and how dare the person giving the example imply that they are racist! And those people will do everything in their power to make the whole debate about them, and what they like, and how they've been hurt by the debate. (And chances are, they won't even realize that they are doing it!)
We can't have an honest conversation about race by letting white people in power, unaware of their own privilege, control the conversation. And if someone else does take charge of the conversation, then chances are that there will be times when the conversation will make us uncomfortable. And when that happens, the thing to do is not to try and take control from the people leading it, or dismiss the whole conversation as "uncivilized" and beneath our notice.
I can't blame him (or anyone) for waiting for the stabbity stabbity glint in some people's eyes to die down before trying to tread those waters.
Oh, of course I can't blame him, or anyone else, for wanting to just stay quiet and read and learn in the face of such an uncomfortable situation. I'd hardly be one to talk, given that I haven't posted anything either, and every time I try, my hands start shaking, and I can't think of anything new to say. (And I don't even have a popular blog, like Scalzi does, or have any kind of personal or professional relationship with any of the people involved.)
But when he does post about the subject - and he did post about it, after all - I don't think it's unfair of me to get upset with him for dismissing everybody involved, just because the debate has gotten uncomfortable for him.
But heh, you said that you don't want the conversation to be diverted to defending him, so I will stop venting in your space over something that is really not your fault. Sorry about that! *sheepish grin*
ETA: sorry for the length of this comment - I seem to be incapable of not being wordy. *g*