The Energizer Bunnies of Racefail2009 . . .

[lavendertook]

. . .that would be Will Shetterly and Kathryn Cramer as evidenced by rydra_wong's links here. What we have here are sustained and relentless forms of derailment of a discussion on race and cultural appropriation in the form of petty and vengeful attacks, anything at all rather than consider that they are engaging in racist behavior and attempting to undermine the authority of POC to name their oppression by disappearing them from the conversation when dismissal didn't work. The heart of the matter is what browngirl says here:

. . . it's not Just Another Internet Fight. Mr. Shetterly and Ms. Kramer have taken these actions to dissuade people from disagreeing with them and those they support on the topic of racism in science fiction works and fandom. . . outing people's real identities or lying about who they are in order to stop them from discussing racism is wrong. Trying to dissuade people from discussing racism is wrong, not least in that it furthers racism.

You can also find the links to Avalon Willow's summary of prior events and rydra's full link compilation on browngirl's post above if you missed all that went down in these parts of fandom the past couple of months.

I'm so sorry for the crap these people are still putting coffeeandink, deepad, and vom_marlowe, in particular, through now.

I know it doesn't constitute a boycott, but for what little it's worth, I plan to never buy any book from which Cramer or Shetterly would reap the profits. I wasn't likely to buy anything ever of Shetterly's anyway, but Cramer's anthologies I might have--not now. I just don't want to promote these people in any way. So much for a peaceful snow day.

I'm hoping for good things to come from verb_noire press.

Comments

[delux-vivens.livejournal.com]

I'm so furious.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

These people are fucking infuriating and I want them out of my fandom and general world. *offers you angry, depressed hug if that helps when you're furious*

[delux-vivens.livejournal.com]

What I really want is for them to be made accountable for what they have done, but its unlikely. Will Sh***ly has a whole chorus of white folks saying 'but he's my friend and he's nice in person!' They both seem to exist in such rarefied and homogenous circles that it seems like nothing will actually make a difference, which I guess is the point.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I don't understand this compartmentalizing of internet behavior from "Real Life" behavior, which comprises the other ways you communicate and interact. Overall I've found people to be fairly consistent in behaviors (which makes the irony of KC's focus on the labels in relation to WS's friend's claims of his Jekyll and Hyde behavior even greater.) How someone is on the internet, if it differs from how they act in person, is how they act with someone they feel they owe no accounting to. At some point, this behavior intersects with off line behaviors.

And at some point, you have to hold your friends accountable for how they treat other people, and wonder if they're just nice to you because of what you do for them, if you have any sense of ethics at all. The unquestioning loyalty thing that is so valued in the US, at least, is really pernicious--I'm starting to wonder if it's more of a white thing, too.

[esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com]

I told womzilla that the tactic of outing people was wrong. He posted about handles today, and since he and I haven't directly bumped heads, I took that opportunity to say it.

It's not a lot.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I'm a little confused on the segway from my comment to your comment here. On the handle issue, I think he's in agreement with us.

[esmeraldus-neo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he is. What I wanted to ask and couldn't or don't know how, is "do you see this? does this change your thinking any?"

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Well, maybe he'll see your question here and stop by and say.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

I think it's more of a geek thing in this case, as in the Geek Social Fallacies. But meshed with the "OMG MY FRIEND IS NOT A RACIST" reaction, oh, it's just ever such fun.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

That site you linked to on the Geek Fallacies is good--I hadn't seen that before. I'm not realysure though that geek circling of wagons here is any different formt he general white circling of wagons thing though.

[tielan]

but he's my friend and he's nice in person!

This I do not get. My friends can be assholes, too. That's not why I love them, any more than the situations where I am an asshole (why, yes, I have had my moments) are what they love me for.

One can be a nice person to your friends and an asshole to strangers. It's not unknown.

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

I don't like hanging out with people who treat strangers like shit, though.

[tielan]

Absolutely. It's true that someone who's a bastard to people they don't know is likely to just be hiding their assholishness, and it may one day turn on you.

:(

[lavendertook.livejournal.com]

Yup, there's that aspect where you may want to consider your own best protection.