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  • Lackey kicked off Nebula Conference

    From Gary McGath@21:1/5 to All on Mon May 23 07:38:35 2022
    The Nebula Conference is removing Mercedes Lackey, apparently for using
    a dirty word while on a panel.

    https://file770.com/mercedes-lackey-removed-from-the-nebula-conference/

    English, it seems, must always have taboo words. The older ones,
    concerning religion and bodily functions have lost most of their force.
    The ones which are currently dirty are derogatory terms about human classifications.

    The current batch is so dirty that you can't even give the context and
    replace letters with punctuation. Therefore, it's mandatory to condemn
    those who use those words without giving any context.

    The article gives some clues that Lackey wasn't actually insulting
    anyone. The offense was the mere fact of using a dirty word.

    The use of a racial slur violates the instruction to
    “Respect all cultures and communities. Do not make
    derogatory or offensive statements even as a joke.”

    Taboos give "dirty" words their power. They increase the words' ability
    to shock and hurt, to the detriment of the people they refer to and the advantage of the people who intentionally use them for that purpose.

    They make it impossible to judge the offense, since any explanation
    would repeat the alleged offense. The person using the word _must_ be
    condemned without a fair trial.


    --
    Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

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  • From Gary McGath@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Mon May 23 07:55:54 2022
    On 5/23/22 7:38 AM, Gary McGath wrote:
    The Nebula Conference is removing Mercedes Lackey, apparently for using
    a dirty word while on a panel.

    It appears that the dirty word was "colored people." Presumably the
    NAACP is also banned from the Nebula Conference.


    --
    Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Mon May 23 06:38:06 2022
    On Monday, May 23, 2022 at 7:38:38 AM UTC-4, Gary McGath wrote:
    The Nebula Conference is removing Mercedes Lackey, apparently for using
    a dirty word while on a panel.

    https://file770.com/mercedes-lackey-removed-from-the-nebula-conference/
    ...

    I am sure I am not the only one to find irony in the fact that Lackey was removed from the conference just hours after she was made a
    Grand Master by that same conference.

    --
    Evelyn C. Leeper

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Magewolf@21:1/5 to eleeper@optonline.net on Mon May 23 20:24:42 2022
    On Mon, 23 May 2022 06:38:06 -0700, eleeper@optonline.net wrote:

    On Monday, May 23, 2022 at 7:38:38 AM UTC-4, Gary McGath wrote:
    The Nebula Conference is removing Mercedes Lackey, apparently for using
    a dirty word while on a panel.

    https://file770.com/mercedes-lackey-removed-from-the-nebula-conference/
    ...

    I am sure I am not the only one to find irony in the fact that Lackey
    was removed from the conference just hours after she was made a Grand
    Master by that same conference.

    Now they just have to take steps to rescind it since she turned out to be
    the wrong kind of person.

    I can not help but think it would be funny if one of the black lesbians
    in wheelchairs they hand out awards to turned out to secretly be a middle-
    aged straight white male and he showed up to accept it in person. I
    suspect that he would not be treated as well as Tiptree was.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Keith F. Lynch@21:1/5 to eleeper@optonline.net on Tue May 24 02:47:44 2022
    eleeper@optonline.net <evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com> wrote:
    Gary McGath wrote:
    The Nebula Conference is removing Mercedes Lackey, apparently for using
    a dirty word while on a panel.

    https://file770.com/mercedes-lackey-removed-from-the-nebula-conference/

    I am sure I am not the only one to find irony in the fact that
    Lackey was removed from the conference just hours after she was
    made a Grand Master by that same conference.

    I think it's completely outrageous that they denounced and "canceled"
    an elderly woman for accidentally saying "colored person" rather than
    "person of color" in the process of praising such a person -- who
    wasn't in the least bit offended. Especially since she had done far
    more to help such people, and at far greater personal risk, than
    probably all of her cancelers put together. It's the elevation of
    performative slacktivism over actual activism.

    I suggest that the cancelers be canceled. I suggest that all SFWA
    members who support tolerance, forgiveness, and free speech promptly
    resign from SFWA and form a new organization.
    --
    Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
    Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Ninapenda Jibini@21:1/5 to Keith F. Lynch on Tue May 24 06:05:18 2022
    "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl@KeithLynch.net> wrote in news:t6hh0g$f3f$1@reader1.panix.com:

    eleeper@optonline.net <evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com> wrote:
    Gary McGath wrote:
    The Nebula Conference is removing Mercedes Lackey, apparently
    for using a dirty word while on a panel.

    https://file770.com/mercedes-lackey-removed-from-the-nebula-con
    ference/

    I am sure I am not the only one to find irony in the fact that
    Lackey was removed from the conference just hours after she was
    made a Grand Master by that same conference.

    I think it's completely outrageous that they denounced and
    "canceled" an elderly woman for accidentally saying "colored
    person" rather than "person of color" in the process of praising
    such a person -- who wasn't in the least bit offended.
    Especially since she had done far more to help such people, and
    at far greater personal risk, than probably all of her cancelers
    put together. It's the elevation of performative slacktivism
    over actual activism.

    I suggest that the cancelers be canceled. I suggest that all
    SFWA members who support tolerance, forgiveness, and free speech
    promptly resign from SFWA and form a new organization.

    Anybody who felt that way left long ago.

    --
    Terry Austin

    Proof that Alan Baker is a liar and a fool, and even stupider than
    Lynn:
    https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration


    "Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
    -- David Bilek

    Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Ninapenda Jibini@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Tue May 24 06:03:10 2022
    Gary McGath <garym@REMOVEmcgathREMOVE.com> wrote in news:t6frns$1vs0g$1@dont-email.me:

    The Nebula Conference is removing Mercedes Lackey, apparently
    for using a dirty word while on a panel.

    https://file770.com/mercedes-lackey-removed-from-the-nebula-confe
    rence/

    English, it seems, must always have taboo words. The older ones,
    concerning religion and bodily functions have lost most of their
    force. The ones which are currently dirty are derogatory terms
    about human classifications.

    The current batch is so dirty that you can't even give the
    context and replace letters with punctuation. Therefore, it's
    mandatory to condemn those who use those words without giving
    any context.

    The article gives some clues that Lackey wasn't actually
    insulting anyone. The offense was the mere fact of using a dirty
    word.

    The use of a racial slur violates the instruction to
    “Respect all cultures and communities. Do not make
    derogatory or offensive statements even as a joke.”

    Taboos give "dirty" words their power. They increase the words'
    ability to shock and hurt, to the detriment of the people they
    refer to and the advantage of the people who intentionally use
    them for that purpose.

    They make it impossible to judge the offense, since any
    explanation would repeat the alleged offense. The person using
    the word _must_ be condemned without a fair trial.

    Welcome to the Leftist Paradise.

    --
    Terry Austin

    Proof that Alan Baker is a liar and a fool, and even stupider than
    Lynn:
    https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/stats/sw-border-migration


    "Terry Austin: like the polio vaccine, only with more asshole."
    -- David Bilek

    Jesus forgives sinners, not criminals.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Gary McGath@21:1/5 to Keith F. Lynch on Tue May 24 06:46:19 2022
    On 5/23/22 10:47 PM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:

    I think it's completely outrageous that they denounced and "canceled"
    an elderly woman for accidentally saying "colored person" rather than
    "person of color" in the process of praising such a person -- who
    wasn't in the least bit offended. Especially since she had done far
    more to help such people, and at far greater personal risk, than
    probably all of her cancelers put together. It's the elevation of performative slacktivism over actual activism.

    I suggest that the cancelers be canceled. I suggest that all SFWA
    members who support tolerance, forgiveness, and free speech promptly
    resign from SFWA and form a new organization.

    Here's my blog article on the topic:

    https://garymcgath.com/wp/sfwa-taboo-words/



    --
    Gary McGath http://www.mcgath.com

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Keith F. Lynch@21:1/5 to All on Fri May 27 00:02:38 2022
    Does anyone know *which* SFWA members made the decision to kick her
    out? I'd like to know so I can remove them from my reading list.
    Thanks.
    --
    Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
    Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)