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  • A con chair actually apologizes

    From Gary McGath@21:1/5 to All on Mon May 30 06:25:04 2022
    Does anyone know more about the treatment of Stephanie Burke at
    Balticon? The con chair actually apologized for how she was treated,
    which is virtually unprecedented. All I have right now is one article:

    https://file770.com/balticon-chair-apologizes-after-author-stephanie-burke-removed-from-panels/

    I am utterly heartbroken at how events have played out
    at Balticon this year with our panelist, Stephanie Burke.
    Ms. Burke has been a long-time panelist and we have
    invited her back year after year because of her engaging
    commentary and insightful additions to our programming.

    An incident was reported to us regarding Ms. Burke. The
    plan was to quietly ask her to step down from her panels
    for the weekend while we had a chance to investigate.
    However, an overzealous volunteer decided to remove her
    from an ongoing panel in a way that caused her
    embarrassment. This is inexcusable and we deeply
    apologize.

    The more usual statement from con chairs is, "This person said something
    which is so utterly offensive that I can't tell you what it was, so I
    expect you to believe me without evidence. This irredeemably evil person
    is henceforth banned from participating in our activities, mentioning
    us, or thinking about us. The same applies to anyone who disputes this
    fatwa."

    SFWA took a lot of heat for its treatment of Mercedes Lackey. Is it
    possible things are just starting to move away from the situation where
    SF organizations can declare people pariahs and go unchallenged?

    As I said, I know nothing about the particulars of this case, but the
    apology is extraordinary.

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

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  • From Jibini Kula Tumbili Kujisalimisha@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Mon May 30 10:07:01 2022
    Gary McGath <garym@REMOVEmcgathREMOVE.com> wrote in news:t72622$34cab$1@dont-email.me:

    SFWA took a lot of heat for its treatment of Mercedes Lackey. Is
    it possible things are just starting to move away from the
    situation where SF organizations can declare people pariahs and
    go unchallenged?

    We have reached the point where the people the woke left actually
    disagree with have realized there's really no reason to give a shit
    about what they're yammering over. Since the "canceling" isn't about
    the person being attacked, or anything they've said or done, but
    rather, it's about the attacker feeling important, if the target
    doesn't react, there's no enjoyment. (Yes, that's *exactly* how all
    bullies work. Ignore them, and they do, eventually, go away.)

    Since they are addicted to their outrage, they *have* to have
    *someone* to attack (and get a reaction from), and when the
    ideological "other side" won't play, they're starting to feed on
    their own.

    The smart ones are figuring it out.

    --
    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
    (May 2019 total for people arrested for entering the United States
    illegally is over 132,000 for just the southwest border.)

    Vacation photos from Iceland:
    https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/QaXQkB

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Someone Else@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Mon May 30 13:04:26 2022
    In Message-ID:<t72622$34cab$1@dont-email.me>,
    Gary McGath <garym@REMOVEmcgathREMOVE.com> wrote:

    As I said, I know nothing about the particulars of this case, but the
    apology is extraordinary.

    Check File770 again. It may have been updated since you saw it. It
    has a statement from Stephanie Burke, where she says that without
    proof and without a way to disprove it, she's been "accused of saying
    some hurtful insensitive transphobic, racist, damaging things".

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Someone Else@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Mon May 30 21:34:17 2022
    In Message-ID:<t72622$34cab$1@dont-email.me>,
    Gary McGath <garym@REMOVEmcgathREMOVE.com> wrote:

    An incident was reported to us regarding Ms. Burke. The
    plan was to quietly ask her to step down from her panels
    for the weekend while we had a chance to investigate.
    However, an overzealous volunteer decided to remove her
    from an ongoing panel in a way that caused her
    embarrassment. This is inexcusable and we deeply
    apologize.

    They were going to, in effect, ban her from her future panels
    *before* investigating. They have actual evidence of harm from the
    "overzealous volunteer". Are there going to be official repercussions
    for that volunteer? And what about the person (Lisa) who, per Burke's statement, made false, disparaging remarks to others about Burke
    during the con?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Ninapenda Jibini@21:1/5 to Someone Else on Tue May 31 05:15:15 2022
    Someone Else <someone.else@example.com.invalid> wrote in news:dmra9h5bqvpkftjak42a1mo3h0g1c5917m@4ax.com:

    In Message-ID:<t72622$34cab$1@dont-email.me>,
    Gary McGath <garym@REMOVEmcgathREMOVE.com> wrote:

    An incident was reported to us regarding Ms. Burke. The
    plan was to quietly ask her to step down from her panels
    for the weekend while we had a chance to investigate.
    However, an overzealous volunteer decided to remove her
    from an ongoing panel in a way that caused her
    embarrassment. This is inexcusable and we deeply
    apologize.

    They were going to, in effect, ban her from her future panels
    *before* investigating. They have actual evidence of harm from
    the "overzealous volunteer". Are there going to be official
    repercussions for that volunteer? And what about the person
    (Lisa) who, per Burke's statement, made false, disparaging
    remarks to others about Burke during the con?

    Until there's a proper investigation, the claim that her statements
    were false and disparaging are exactly as credible as the statements themselves, you know.

    It's not a good look to jump to conclusions and take sides over
    someone jumping to conclusions and taking sides.

    --
    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.

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  • From Keith F. Lynch@21:1/5 to Gary McGath on Wed Jun 1 02:15:44 2022
    Gary McGath <garym@REMOVEmcgathREMOVE.com> wrote:
    Does anyone know more about the treatment of Stephanie Burke at
    Balticon?

    I wasn't at that panel, nor have I talked to anyone who was. But I do
    have knowledge of BSFS/Balticon management. It greatly changed, for
    the worse, around 2019, and I no longer recommend Balticon to anyone.
    I do not plan to attend next year.

    So I'm inclined to believe Ms. Burke and disbelieve what Balticon says.

    The con chair actually apologized for how she was treated, which is
    virtually unprecedented.

    The con chair apologized only for how the poor unlucky volunteer who
    was caught in the middle behaved. Not for Ms. Burke being condemned
    without a trial.

    In other cheerful Balticon news, they informed everyone by email that
    two attending members reported testing positive for covid. One was
    anonymous, the other was Harold Feld. Not mentioned by email or in
    the newsletter, there was a fatal shooting right outside the hotel on
    Saturday evening. This was at 7:30 pm, i.e. during daylight. See https://wtop.com/baltimore/2022/05/police-2-shot-in-chest-in-baltimores-inner-harbor-district/
    --
    Keith F. Lynch - http://keithlynch.net/
    Please see http://keithlynch.net/email.html before emailing me.

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  • From Gary McGath@21:1/5 to Keith F. Lynch on Sat Jun 4 06:24:53 2022
    On 5/31/22 10:15 PM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:
    Gary McGath <garym@REMOVEmcgathREMOVE.com> wrote:

    The con chair actually apologized for how she was treated, which is
    virtually unprecedented.

    The con chair apologized only for how the poor unlucky volunteer who
    was caught in the middle behaved. Not for Ms. Burke being condemned
    without a trial.

    The latest news is that the con chair will lead an investigation into
    what the con did. Clearly they've picked up some tips from police
    departments that "investigate" crimes committed by their own cops.




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

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