More wincon musings...

[beanside]

I've been watching the wank blow up all over my friendslist, and people who I love dearly on the con committee being accused of slander and libel, and gods only know what.

Let me state this. Wincon is not, nor will it ever be, a democracy. Wincon is not the US penal code. The burden of proof does not exist, because this is a private con with the right to refuse anyone for any reason. They do not have to provide proof, they do not have to even tell you why.

They handled this quietly and privately. It should have stayed that way, but someone felt butthurt, and started with the one handed typing.

As embroiderama said, I'm in the business of believing women who say that they were violated or felt unsafe. Period.

I'm the last person to say, "don't hook up, don't have sex." I met my wife through fandom, and trust me, there was a LOT of sex. However, those loving displays should be accomplished while all parties are sober enough to consent. All parties. Otherwise, it turns the exercise into predator and prey.

Frankly, most women spend the majority of their lives trying not to be prey. And I support Jenn and Kassie in their efforts to give us a safe place where we can let our guards down. Where we can be women positive and sex positive.

Comments

[drlense.livejournal.com]

As someone who's on a concom, we don't have to allow ANYONE admission if we don't want to. It's a completely private event. No "proof" of misconduct is needed for us to refuse an attendee.

Someone is seriously confused about the laws regarding slander and libel too. It would be funny if it weren't so sad.

[beanside.livejournal.com]

Yes! This.

[keenoled.livejournal.com]

Have no idea what the whole deal's about, but on your opinions stated in this post; so much yes.

[beanside.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[keenoled.livejournal.com]

:)

[josieb1.livejournal.com]

You are on my friends list, and so is the lady at the centre of this.

I don't know the full story, and don't pretend to, I don't even live in the same country

Yes your friends have the right to refuse entry to whoever they want, the other lady has the right to know her accusers that’s all.

I know what it is like to be accused of something bad, with the effects of the accusation being far reaching, and not being able to defend myself because its all hushed under the carpet, and the accusers remained anonymous. Its bad situation all round and the effects just snowball.

I just feel that if people want to complain and make accusations it should not be done anonymously.

I’m am sorry if you don’t agree with me but that’s how its looking from an outsiders point of view. I don’t have anything else to say and won’t make any further comments, but it just doesn’t seem fair at the moment.

[beanside.livejournal.com]

The problem with that line of thought is that this was not a public accusation. It was a private discussion, and thenyxie made it public. She has no right to know who complained, because they have the same right of privacy that she did. She just waived hers.

You're an outsider? I'm not even in the fandom. :)

[mokie]

...the other lady has the right to know her accusers that’s all.

In a criminal trial, in a court of law, yes. At a private party, no. The organizers don't even have to tell her why she's not welcome. They can refuse entry because they dislike her shoes.

That said, from what I've read (again, I'm not in the fandom, so I don't even have the juicy gossip), several different complaints were lodged against her group to organizers, and the organizers talked to her directly at the time about at least one of those complaints. This isn't exactly out of the blue.

[atypia.livejournal.com]

How utterly horrible :( I read an anon comment about this situation that I wanted to repost here. It's perfect for this situation, I think - "consent is the presence of yes, not the absence of no."

It seems that Wincon are doing all the right things, and taking care of all the attendees as well they can prior to the event. Excluding people who don't even understand the concept of consent is obviously an important step.

All the people victim blaming are making me feel sick :/

[nilchance.livejournal.com]

WORD on this. I mean. I feel like I should start posting definitions of safe sane and consensual.

[miriad.livejournal.com]

Yes. This.

I met you and your wife at Wincon and I feel so blessed to have done so. Kassie and Jenn are just awesome, as are the rest of the con committee- it's an incredible con and I always know I'm in good hands there.

Even more so now.