This is something that really touched me, and something that I really think needs saying, in light of everything happening in the SF/F community at current.
At Worldcon, and at any other con, any other situation, if you see me and you don't feel comfortable, I will walk with you.
A quick rundown of what's been happening to bring bout my (re)posting of this: there have been some things going on with Hugo awards. I'm not here to say who is right or who is wrong, or if anyone is right or wrong in this situation. Look up 'Hugo Sad Puppies' and make that decision on your own.
I'm here to say that some people feel unsafe because of what happened. Unsafe and uncomfortable. For that reason, I offer to walk alongside anyone who needs it.
This all started with Vonda McIntyre. Here's what she had to say (full blog post HERE):
“I will walk with you at Worldcon.
I’m not very fond of confrontation. I’m a courtesy 5’1? and my 67th birthday (how did that happen?!) is just after the convention and I’m walking with a hiking pole while recovering from a hiking fall, an injury that’s taking way longer to heal than when I was a pup.
On the other hand I’m a shodan in Aikido.
On the third hand, which I can have because I’m an SF writer, shodan — first degree black belt — is when you realize how much you still have to learn.
But I’m thinking that maybe it would make folks who feel threatened feel a little safer to have someone at their side, maybe even someone with a bunch o’ fancy ribbons fluttering from her name badge, even if that person is shorter, smaller, and older than they are, white-haired and not physically prepossessing. It’s another person’s presence.
It might cause some abuse not to happen.”
Now, I'm not a shodan in Aikido (in 4th grade, I had a white belt in karate...), and I don't have the same presence as Vonda McIntyre. I also hate wearing those badge ribbons. One or two is my max. But I'm 5'10", and close to 300 pounds (and dropping, yay me!), and I generally look intimidating. But even if I didn't, like she said, it's a presence, it's someone by your side. And I will do that, and happily so.
If you feel like you need someone, whatever side of the issue you fall on, I will walk with you.
Voss
1 comment :
Really, still with the "I'll walk with you" thing?
You don't think all this talk about needing some stranger to walk around with so you can feel "safe" is the sheerest paranoia?
I'll say to you what I said to her: "if Vonda feels the need to form up in groups for mutual safety from sad puppies, meaning people who [gasp!] voted for books in a book award, this WorldCon is going to be a barrel of laughs.
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