Safety concerns at Arisia
Dear Arisia Info and Programming,
I am deeply distressed to read of this convention's handling of the safety concerns raised by Crystal Huff regarding Noel Marc Rosenberg.
I have been attending Arisia as a program participant since 2008; I consider it one of my two home conventions. My other is Readercon, where I have served on the safety committee since 2014. As a safecom member, I understand the complexity of recommendations that touch on interactions that may occur under the aegis of a convention but not technically at-con. I am also somewhat stunned by the dismissal of behavior that has been so well documented as code-of-conduct-breaching at multiple fandom events including Arisia, whose list of unacceptable behaviors explicitly includes stalking and non-verbal intimidation. Like all attendees of Arisia, I am given an expectation of safety by the convention's Code of Conduct and Behavior Policies. It is difficult for me to put much confidence in the code and policies of a convention that is not prepared to ensure the safety of even one of their own longtime staff.
As a member of the Readercon convention committee in 2012, I had a ringside seat when the similar failure of a convention to abide by its own stated policies led to the creation of its safety committee, the total overhaul of its code of conduct as well as incident report protocols, and the resignation of all members of the Readercon board. All steps including public statements of apology and accountability were necessary to restore the trust of a membership built over decades and burned in hours. I do not joke when I say it was a near-death experience for the convention. We still work to make its reputation inclusive, responsive, and safe, as opposed to tarnished by double standards and more tolerance for perpetrators than victims.
It is my sincere hope that the executive board of Arisia can heed the lesson of Readercon in choosing from this moment forward which kind of convention it wishes to be.
Thank you for your time and attention,
[Sovay]
I just sent the above e-mail to Arisia Info and Programming. Thanks to![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kate_nepveu, rushthatspeaks, and swan_tower for the heads-up on the situation.
The near-immolation of Readercon is not even a decade past. My faith in historical memory is getting fainter all the time.
I am deeply distressed to read of this convention's handling of the safety concerns raised by Crystal Huff regarding Noel Marc Rosenberg.
I have been attending Arisia as a program participant since 2008; I consider it one of my two home conventions. My other is Readercon, where I have served on the safety committee since 2014. As a safecom member, I understand the complexity of recommendations that touch on interactions that may occur under the aegis of a convention but not technically at-con. I am also somewhat stunned by the dismissal of behavior that has been so well documented as code-of-conduct-breaching at multiple fandom events including Arisia, whose list of unacceptable behaviors explicitly includes stalking and non-verbal intimidation. Like all attendees of Arisia, I am given an expectation of safety by the convention's Code of Conduct and Behavior Policies. It is difficult for me to put much confidence in the code and policies of a convention that is not prepared to ensure the safety of even one of their own longtime staff.
As a member of the Readercon convention committee in 2012, I had a ringside seat when the similar failure of a convention to abide by its own stated policies led to the creation of its safety committee, the total overhaul of its code of conduct as well as incident report protocols, and the resignation of all members of the Readercon board. All steps including public statements of apology and accountability were necessary to restore the trust of a membership built over decades and burned in hours. I do not joke when I say it was a near-death experience for the convention. We still work to make its reputation inclusive, responsive, and safe, as opposed to tarnished by double standards and more tolerance for perpetrators than victims.
It is my sincere hope that the executive board of Arisia can heed the lesson of Readercon in choosing from this moment forward which kind of convention it wishes to be.
Thank you for your time and attention,
[Sovay]
I just sent the above e-mail to Arisia Info and Programming. Thanks to
kate_nepveu, rushthatspeaks, and swan_tower for the heads-up on the situation.The near-immolation of Readercon is not even a decade past. My faith in historical memory is getting fainter all the time.
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Thank you. I hope so, too. Minimum human decency would have been nice to rely on, but at this point it's the con's survival. I hope that at least carries weight with them.
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Thank you. I'm seeing a lot of people speaking up. I hope it makes a dent.
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I read Crystal Huff's account earlier, and however you consider the evidence (not that I'm doubting her), there's something seriously amiss with the way it's been handled.
If someone has been banned from any con on a safety issue, never mind three (or was it four?) for stalking, there's simply no way you can responsibly place them in a position of authority over safety at your con. The liability issues it invites for Arisia are mind-boggling.
Equally you can't restrict someone from interacting with someone else, and then appoint them to oversight of the safety function. Except if you are using the restriction as smoke and mirrors for doing nothing. Which itself says that the safety function at Arisia is not fit for purpose.
All this goes double if you're the President of the con. And if you're the President of the con, having been banned from multiple other cons for stalking, then something is seriously wrong with the entire structure and management of the con. Even if you want to bluff it out, putting yourself at the top of the safety management tree is just stupid, because it pretty much guarantees someone is going to say "Wait, what!?!"
I'm not sure anything short of the Readercon response would be adequate.
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Thank you.
I'm not sure anything short of the Readercon response would be adequate.
I don't think anything would, why is why I mentioned it.
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That kind of non-fallacious sunk cost is awful. I hope Arisia makes it possible for them.
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Thank you.
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Hopefully the Readercon experience can serve as a template for response.
The Marriott strikes, if unresolved by January, already raised questions about attending Arisa this year.
This is obviously far more serious.
Re: Arisia
Thank you.
Hopefully the Readercon experience can serve as a template for response.
I truly hope so. I don't think the prognosis is good otherwise. At this point the guests of honor are not guesting unless Arisia gets its act together.
The Marriott strikes, if unresolved by January, already raised questions about attending Arisa this year.
I hadn't even heard about the Marriott strikes!
Re: Arisia
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Thank you. Much of her account chimed unpleasantly with events in my personal and professional life. I want Arisia to do better. They have already missed several opportunities to do the right thing, but that doesn't mean I want them to keep on not doing it.
It's unconscionable that Arisia didn't take the opportunity to learn better without having to have its own apocalypse.
I guess it's like other forms of crime: everyone thinks they'll be the ones to beat the system.
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I had managed to forget about Wiscon. So Arisia had two cautionary examples and still did the thing.
I hope they stop.
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I saw last night that Rosenberg was reported to have resigned. What else is going on?