On the impossibility of a perfect Eastercon

[andrewducker]

There's something that bothers me about some of the reports about Eastercon and the handling of gender and race there.

Not that I don't think people have a right to their emotional reaction (and I am glad that the BSFA has now apologised for the awards ceremony). Anger doesn't bother me at all. What bothers me is how _surprised_ some people seem to be. Shocked that the world of science-fiction isn't an inclusive safe space full of people as enlightened as they are.

It's always been reasonably easy to spend your time in a social circle that's got relatively similar views to your own, but it's now possible to spend your socialising time online with people who are even closer to your own views, reinforcing them and making you feel that they are the ones held by all right-thinking folk.

And when that happens it's easy to lose track that even in modern Britain there are millions of people who feel very differently to you. I live in a country which is more liberal and inclusive than at any point in the past[1], but if you look at what people actually think only 43% believe in marriage equality. Where nearly 40% of people would vote Conservative tomorrow. Where two thirds of people voted against the first chance of voting reform this country has had in decades. Where, frankly, a hell of a lot of people hold opinions I don't like.

It makes sense to me to be annoyed about representations of people of different ethnicities and cultures where those things are done badly. But when I saw people being apparently surprised because of a panel of four people there was no non-white members, I found myself popping to Wikipedia and confirming that 90% of the population is White. Should we be questioning the way that cultures are portrayed? Absolutely. Should we be surprised that the British National Science Fiction convention is largely white? No. Should we want to improve it to the point where the proportions are as high as the general population? Absolutely. Inclusivity has increased the percentage of women attendees to the point of parity, which is fantastic, and I've heard good intentions regarding race being next on the list.

When we expect perfection anywhere in our lives then we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and estrangement. We should strive for our ideals, but if we don't remain rooted in reality then we end up disillusioned, which is no good to anyone.



[1]Seriously. It's only 20 years since it became possible to rape your wife, and 45 years since homosexuality was made legal - 15 years since the ages were equalised with heterosexuals. I think a lot of people don't realise how awful things were a few decades ago - let alone throughout most of history. I'm pretty resigned to the face that 80% of the planet believes things that revolt me on a deep level, and am grateful that this is down from the 99.5% that held until very recently.

Comments

[miss_s_b]

"Scifi is a marginalised community too; they should understand what it's like to be marginalised and not perpetuate it!" is the thought process, I think.

But yeah.

Once we've tackled sexism PROPERLY (cos, you know, your post kind of implies that's all done and dusted now, and it so totally isn't) and racism and homophobia and transphobia and all the other shit we can all just have cookies?

[redbird]

This may seem like a nitpick, but it's been possible for men to rape their wives as long as marriage has existed. What changed in Britain 20 years ago is that it became illegal to rape your wife. Or, if you want more legalistic language, since the law recognized that forcible sex is rape even if the victim is married to the rapist.

[poisonduk.livejournal.com]

Eastercon background?

[kiffkin.livejournal.com]

1981 and 1982 were a lot fewer than 45 years ago, and same-sex relations between women have never been illegal in Britain. Lately I seem to have to be reminding people a lot that gay doesn't just mean homosexual English male - don't know why this idea's been kicking around so much lately.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

You might be interested in Afraid of the Dark, a book about the things black and white (American) people don't tell each other.

One of the points made is that there just aren't enough black people to go around for all white Americans to have black friends.

[philmophlegm.livejournal.com]

I can see the apology for something terrible happening at the awards ceremony, but is there a link anywhere to what was actually said that was so appalling? I'd like to make my own mind up. Oh, and links to sources not infected by political correctness please.