The nopetopus rides again.: seanan

The nopetopus rides again.

The current SFWA shouting match about sexism and harassment and "OH MY GOD I AM BEING OPPRESSED BY FEMINISTS" is leading to a lot of the very predictable "Help help bad people are trying to take away my freedom of speech."

Here's the thing: No one involved in this fight is saying "you should never use your freedom of speech." Not to anyone, not at all. We are, after all, not the government. What we are saying is "you didn't buy the 'freedom from consequences' expansion pack." And really, that's what's being requested here: not freedom of speech, but freedom from the consequences of speaking.

"Sure, I called another professional in my field sub-human because I dislike their race/religion/choice of ice cream flavors! But I'm allowed! I have FREEDOM OF SPEECH."

"Sure, I told that fatso urban fantasy author to lose some weight and brush her hair so that we could take her seriously as a writer! But I'm allowed! I have FREEDOM OF SPEECH."

"Sure, I misgendered another author for funsies, refusing to acknowledge the reality of their existence! But I'm allowed! I have FREEDOM OF SPEECH."

Nope.

Nope.

THE NOPETOPUS RIDES AGAIN.

If someone chooses to say sexist, racist, bigoted shit, that's on them: that’s theirs to deal with. I will not restrict their ability to say it. But there will be consequences. Maybe consequences as minor as me not wanting to have a conversation with them; maybe consequences as major as an editor choosing not to work with them, or an agent declining to sign them, as they would be bad for the agency’s image (and hence bottom line).

These "rabid weasels" (term coined by Mary Robinette Kowal, the voice of Toby and a glorious voice of reason) are HARMING SFWA AS A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION. Not just by taking time and energy away from writing—which, gods know, is a thing we all need to be doing more of—but by making us look, in public, like this is what all believe. They’re very loud, those weasels, and while they have the right to say whatever they want, we’re the ones choosing to allow them to do it inside our house.

I use my freedom of speech: I use it to say "that ain't cool" about a lot of things. For my trouble I am called a bitch, a whore, a slut, a cunt, a stupid cow, a pig, too dumb to rape, and a lot of other things. Those are the consequences of my speech. And the consequences of those words are simple:

I refuse to stop pointing out the people who use them.

scholarinexile

July 4 2013, 14:57:42 UTC 3 years ago

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As always, you are awesome. And anyone who says such terrible things about you, or any other author, or for that matter any woman at all, is an enemy of mine.

seanan_mcguire

July 25 2013, 20:11:18 UTC 3 years ago

Thank you.

cluegirl

July 4 2013, 17:28:47 UTC 3 years ago

As I like to say when Masculists and Toddlers start to scream in public; Consequences suck, don't they honey?

July 25 2013, 20:11:27 UTC 3 years ago

Preeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetty much.

sylviamcivers

July 4 2013, 17:39:23 UTC 3 years ago

It amazes me that people use such words at you.
Maybe they should go back to kindergarten, where people are taught to speak politely.
Oh, wait.
Maybe they were scolded for nasty words by their kindergarten teachers, who are almost always female! And they have hated females ever since!

That would actually explain a lot. Grow up, idiots.

July 28 2013, 16:35:16 UTC 3 years ago

It really would.

anne_d

July 4 2013, 23:51:08 UTC 3 years ago

You continue, as always, awesome.

The problem with a lot of these idiots is that they don't get, or acknowledge, that freedom of speech goes both ways - they are free to say whatever hateful thing pops into their little heads, and we are free to call them out for it.

I love the "nopetopus".

July 28 2013, 16:35:30 UTC 3 years ago

Me, too.

The nopetopus is my friend.

deire

July 5 2013, 00:32:24 UTC 3 years ago

I know that all of the effort into standing up on this has to be tiring. But I am so grateful that the Twelve Rabid Weasel attitudes are NOT goingto be allowed as the assumed status quo.

July 28 2013, 16:35:42 UTC 3 years ago

I am, too.

phoenix_singing

July 5 2013, 15:19:12 UTC 3 years ago

Did not buy the freedom from consequences expansion pack. What a great way to put it.

These people need a good thump with a clue-by-four. Freedom of speech goes both ways - they have every right to be butts, but the rest of us have every right to call them on it. Consequences and all that.

Thank you for using your voice to call out the butts.

July 28 2013, 16:35:52 UTC 3 years ago

You are very welcome.

twilightviolet

July 5 2013, 15:25:32 UTC 3 years ago

I have a few fairly intelligent thoughts on this BUT instead of sharing them I have one question for you - have you seen the Phineas and Ferb comic con episode? It's amazing and draws attention to the fact that SciFi-Fantasy groups have had a difficult time getting along for a while now and it's beyond sex, beyond race, it's just having a rift to rift on something.

July 28 2013, 16:36:05 UTC 3 years ago

I have, and it makes me so happy.

arison

July 8 2013, 17:04:20 UTC 3 years ago

Just piping up to say thank you for being so vocal and writing easy to follow guides for being appropriate at conventions. I'm going to my first big-name con this year, and seeing that harassment is a thing that is getting addressed (even if it is a difficult process) is really reassuring for me.
Also, you're awesome.

July 28 2013, 16:36:17 UTC 3 years ago

Aw, thank you.

<3

teal_cuttlefish

July 10 2013, 03:54:53 UTC 3 years ago

I came late to this controversy, and therefore don't have a very big list of people to avoid buying or to buy from yet. (Having a very limited budget doesn't improve the situation, either.) I'd e interested in either a list others have compiled or resources; I need to go back to that specfriction site, but other than a couple names, I think that's just scratching the surface.

What a huge, distracting mess. And mostly because a few people were using a platform incorrectly.

July 28 2013, 16:36:47 UTC 3 years ago

I don't think it's my place to make the list, sadly; it smacks of abusing what little authority I have. But I know lists are starting to form.

July 29 2013, 09:21:01 UTC 3 years ago

Oh, I agree. I didn't mean to imply you should compile it; I just wanted one somewhere. I did go read some of the other writings on the foofaraw and have started my own personal list, which I'm unlikely to share widely myself. But, for example, I didn't even know Vox Day's real name, though it sounds like his style of SF would have repelled me even without that information. Now I have a few names to at least examine carefully before purchasing books. Regrettably, I don't buy many books anyway. Being on a disability pension does reduce the spending money quite a bit.

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