Harlan Ellison and his little personal space problem

[leahbobet]

(ETA: Followup post here.)


So, when I got in this afternoon I was shocked to discover that Harlan Ellison groped Connie Willis during the Hugo presentations on Saturday. On the same page in my friendslist, up comes Rachel Manija Brown's own account of her Harlan encounter this weekend.

And y'know, I'm tired of this inappropriate bullshit. Really, really tired. So this can only be resolved in one fashion:

Fatwa.

We will now address common objections to the Fatwa in our Fatwa on Asshats Questions section (FAQ):

But Leah, Connie Willis is reported to have said she can handle him and he's done worse? Why are we involved?

Because I sincerely doubt otherwise honest persons wake up one morning and say you know what? I would like to grope Connie Willis and then one other woman I don't know and then I will retire from my asshat ways and take up meditation in the mountains. Because there are already a few people I know who are referred to as "thinking they're Harlan Ellison" and you know what? If he gets away with it, they feel they can too. They think it's cute to be an asshat. I don't think it's cute to be an asshat.

Because things that are just plain wrong deserve to get called on the carpet.

commodorified adds: "Because the fact that Connie Willis chose not to make a loud public scene in the middle of a Hugo ceremony and had the presence of mind to pass it off quietly does not mean she wasn't gravely insulted, and she doesn't deserve to be repaid for that with indifference?"

But Leah, why must we go to war? Why not just a little skirmish?

Fandom prides itself on conventions being "safe space" for all comers: it doesn't matter if you're gay, straight, poly, black, Asian, Middle Eastern, white, Wiccan, Pagan, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, hard of hearing, vision-impaired, mobility-impaired, a goth or dressed as an anime character or any of these things.

But apparently it matters if you have tits.

That is bullshit.

But Leah, it is not worth declaring Fatwa on Harlan Ellison. He is old and will die soon.

Old men will be old men is just another variation on boys will be boys, and they damn well will be boys until you tell them it's not appropriate. If the behaviour makes you uncomfortable, annoyed, angry, outraged -- if you think about it being applied to you and you are any of the above, it is worthwhile to state that it is inappropriate, illegal, and should not be swept under the rug.

But Leah, Harlan Ellison is just one man!

Yup. And the guy who, when I was twenty, told me at a convention that I could have a beer when my top came off was just one man. And the individual who groped divalea at Comicon was just one, too. And the guy who was making creepy leers at katallen in Boston two years back was just one too.

Y'know, eventually this shit adds up to a lot. Eventually it adds up to a systemic issue.


ETA:Okay, apparently you can't close polls anymore, and I don't want to make this entry private, so...

So:

[Poll #808886]

Vote early, vote often.

...and forward yourself to the tricky bit of the program.


ETA: Link roundup thus far. Gwenda Bond -- Catherine Morrison (and her part two) -- Gavin Grant -- Graham Sleight -- Edward Champion -- Alan DeNiro -- Elizabeth Bear -- Jim C. Hines -- Steve Nagy -- Lea Hernandez -- Meredith L. Patterson -- Kate (juliansinger) -- Lis Riba part one part two part three --

Comments

[cheshyre]

Just had a crazy idea while reading dsnight thread.

Right now, there's a lot of angry negative energy going around the web with regards to this.

In reality, nothing will likely happen to Harlan unless Willis speaks out. And, though she did complain, she's not likely to press charges. Somebody (I forget where) said she didn't want this ugly incident to overshadow the awardwinners' joy.

How about turning this into a positive?

Maybe channel it into raising the status of women in fandom? A collection of essays, a fan fund to bring more girls to cons or to host parties that will be safe spaces for women?
Whatever it is, name it in honor of Connie Willis, so she can be remembered more for the good this does than anything inflicted upon her...

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

I would very much like to get something positive at the end of this. In some ways I think the general anger is itself something happening to Harlan -- the statement has been made that this is not acceptable and it won't get acceptable. That's important stuff that's needed saying for a while.

I think, however, it would require some unconventional methods.

As a bookseller, I've noticed the issue with benefit anthologies or collections is the timeliness problem. Whether we like it or not, this'll likely just be another internet fight in three months' time. Publishing just doesn't move that fast, and inevitably, by the time things like Katrina benefits or tsunami benefits or such finally see print, the public attention has passed from that framing incident.

I think raising the status of women in fandom -- and professional SF -- is a tricky business. It pretty much involves changing attitudes. We're past the stage where exposure -- getting more women visible -- is going to make any changes: there's already lots of women at each and every con, enough that the subculture supports Wiscon. Now the point that needs to be addressed is that women are full and equal participating members of the society, and command respect, proper treatment, etc. We don't need safe spaces, we need the whole damn convention to be a safe space and a comfortable one.

I cannot say I'm sure how to make that point constructively. I think this is the Big Question (tm) of all rights movements: how to make the point without pounding so many heads that your hands get sore from pounding. How to make the point in a way that combines positive reinforcement and sharp applications of "NO." and not just the latter.

Either way, I'm leery of putting Connie Willis's name on a project -- or even taking step one on that sort of idea -- without explicit consent, and it's not a consent I would be personally comfortable asking for. I know I'd want to be remembered for my novel career, not that a guy groped me once at the Hugo Awards.

I will think on the constructive thing, though. Very hard.

[divalea.livejournal.com]

I think you said that very well.

And I, personally, think loud objection, self-defense, and censure ARE positive steps.

[(Anonymous)]

Just remember, that the same would also apply to a woman writer who decided to insult George Bush as she was getting her award, or pissed off the larger community in some way.

[divalea.livejournal.com]

Fuqwhat?

[leahbobet.livejournal.com]

Hi, there--

I'm happy to have you participate in conversations here -- I suspect this one, being two years old, is a bit dead -- but if you do, I need you to sign your name.

[nancyfulda.livejournal.com]

I like that idea.

[divalea.livejournal.com]

I for one, think the incident itself is a positive--it has brought to light that an attitude change is needed NOW. (I mean a change on the part of people who think grabbing and poking is okay; it's clear that the attitude towards those people has gotten to where it needs to be.)

It's also personally positive to me. Just last year I was groped at a very nice dinner, and the attitude of all involved, including the host, was that it was just a joke.
To see the "angry negative energy" about the groping is hugely gratifying. There was a time, not very long ago, that this would've been laughed off. Like last year.

If you were posting to my LJ, I'd challenge you to rediscover the link to "Somebody (I forget where) said she didn't want this ugly incident to overshadow the awardwinners' joy."
That's her call, certainly, but I'd think much less of any winner who said they agreed. People who act as if someone's righteous upset is spoiling their good time are part of the problem.

As for safe spaces, the whole con should be a safe space.

[cheshyre]

If you were posting to my LJ, I'd challenge you to rediscover the link to "Somebody (I forget where) said she didn't want this ugly incident to overshadow the awardwinners' joy."

http://dsnight.livejournal.com/188065.html?thread=1215393#t1215393

the whole con should be a safe space.
Agreed. If you're interested, I've posted a revised version of my idea to riba_rambles, if you want to read and/or comment.

I'm just a small fish on the outskirts of fandom, so I totally expect the idea to get shot down, but I wanted to put it out there.

ellison's flipout

[(Anonymous)]

Ellison is apparently blaming Connie Willis nowhttp://harlanellison.com/heboard/unca.htm
Unbelievable