racefail '09 - some thoughts, some links

[such_heights]

There are myths that get perpetrated by society at large, I think, about social justice and equality and who and what and how we're allowed to care. We should stand in our own corners and keep ourselves to ourselves and fight for our own causes alone, and ultimately, we're fighting for legal rights and legal protection and as long as that's been achieved then that's fine, we're done here. In this latest long, painful round of RaceFail, I've seen those sorts of ideas crop up an awful lot - ideas that the conversations at hand aren't important or aren't my problem.

Wait, what is RaceFail? I hear you cry. Because not everyone catches everything that happens on the internet, and fair enough. Quick recap time!

In terms of what actually happened to prompt this particular round of both conversations about race and also Epic Fail, I'd suggest reading some or all of the following: super short summary, longer summary, timeline of events, further reading, and a summary of summaries.

Things to bear in mind: this isn't grudgewank or an instance where there are 'good points on both sides' -- some people said some wrong-headed, ignorant and pain-inducing things and it's prompted a lot of response both from people calling them out on it and also discussions about race-related topics from cultural appropriation and problematic representations in sci-fi/fantasy to the silencing of non-white authors to safe spaces in fandom, online and off, and the frequent and horrible lack of them.

Also, my god, all of this has happened before and it will happen again! rydra_wong's linkspams are all tagged Great Cultural Appropriation Debate of Doom '09 because this is pretty much an annual ritual, and it's always unnecessarily painful and full of derailment, defensiveness and white privilege, because apparently this is the only way we can talk about this. Because this is what it takes for us white fans to listen, to allow our squee to be harshed, and because it is this level of fuckwittery that prompts non-white fans and their allies to decide that their urge to speak out and say things that really shouldn't have to be said in the first place is greater than their desire not to be flamed, not to be insulted and falsely accused of all manner of ills, not to have their offline identities outed -- that's not a trade-off anyone should have to make.

And it sucks. It sucks that I have gained an enormous amount of education from this, because I am benefiting from the pain of fellow fans, because it took something like this to prompt me to be more pro-active in my education, and that's a big failing and a big exercise of privilege on my own part.

That being said, an awful lot of good things have come out of this. There have been countless intelligent, moving, thought-provoking posts on all manner of topics from all manner of perspectives - endless, almost. Then there's projects like the Asian Women Blog Carnival I've linked to previously, verb_noire and The Remyth Project and 50books_poc and 12films_poc.

A smattering of posts I've personally come across and found particularly useful/helpful/interesting:

deepad : Reappropriating my man
thingswithwings on privilege and the burden of proof
eruthros on safe spaces
inalasahl on tone
hesychasm : brown person representin' with authoritah
coffeeandink : When I say that you have said or done something that was racist, I do NOT necessarily mean that...
stoneself on privilege
fox1013 on invisible pants
zvi_likes_tv on how not to post, and also links

And as for more general 'educating yourself' resources -- goodness knows this has made me realise I'm still more clueless in more areas than I'd like to be:

sparkymonster's delicious links for clueless white people
mystickeeper's Racism 101 Primer
racism_101 - new and in response to the current round of Racefail, it's designed as a space for well-meaning but clueless white people, and it's got a good amount of crossover with debunkingwhite where the conversation tends to be both more politically topical and more clued-in.

I think the reasons that we, as white fans, should be reading about this comes in two strands. One: well, this is about our fandom and our genres and the ways in which they're failing people in our community, and we should be so, so much better about not letting that happen. Two: there are a bunch of pretty self-interested reasons why making sure I'm educated in these issues will help me. If I act like a wilfully ignorant jerk I know I'll lose friends, and rightly so. If I refuse to engage in racial critiques of my shows because hey, I, in all my white liberal authority, didn't think that was racist, then that removes all of my right to talk about the problematic gender and sexuality issues in the same shows. If I write stories that thoughtlessly appropriate other histories or exoticise or Other or otherwise commit racefail, I will lose readers and my stories will be worse for it. Knowing more about more things is always a good, beneficial thing to do.

So, read a few links. Maybe not the ones I've picked, maybe things you've seen elsewhere or things you've had bookmarked from previous rounds or things you stumble upon in the coming weeks, but however you do it I think you'll find it engaging, illuminating and important.

One final link, because it hit me right in the guts. yuki_onna's captured something I've believed in very strongly for a long time and haven't had the words to express properly. Let Me Tell You A Story.

Comments

[gorgeousnerd]

Wow, how did I miss all of this? I'm going to have to come back over the next couple of days and read through your links; this looks like it was crazy.

I feel horrible about having so much privilege because of my skin color. I have real-life friends who are Black, Hispanic, and Native American, amongst others, and there's a lot that they deal with on a regular basis that I can't even fathom. That's why I always try to defer to them on matters of race. I don't get it.

If I refuse to engage in racial critiques of my shows because hey, I, in all my white liberal authority, didn't think that was racist, then that removes all of my right to talk about the problematic gender and sexuality issues in the same shows.

I'm not sure I necessarily agree with this, though. If it were me, and I didn't think something was racist, that means that I probably didn't really understand it, and it might be a time to listen to others who know and reflect on the new things learned instead of discuss, you know? I've made stupid comments before, and I try to apologize and learn. Either way, I don't think it means that gender and sexuality should be ignored; that isn't going to help anyone.

One of the reasons I see fandom as a beneficial entity is because there are so many different people from so many different areas who partake in it, and while there's going to be some contention because there'll be new things happening, there'll also be growth. It sucks that anyone's feelings are hurt, but I'd much rather see it in a constructive way -- like expanding privileged persons' education on racial issues -- than destructive ways, like pointless pairing wars. As long as people act like you and recognize there's a deficiency and a need for information, things improve.

[such_heights]

this looks like it was crazy.

It was, and it is! It's never-ending! The fail, that is, it just keeps on keeping on.

You're right, of course, about making stupid comments and learning from them etc - I'll rephrase, that wasn't quite what I meant. I think one of the things I've found most frustrating in all of this are the people who stick their fingers in their ears, effectively, and flat out refuse to acknowledge that there could be a problem. I'm aware I've done that in the past, and I think it should have negated my right to be listened to until I got over myself. We all need to be trying, at a bare minimum.

[elf]

Here from metafandom.

If it were me, and I didn't think something was racist, that means that I probably didn't really understand it

I don't think the issue is "I didn't think that was racist," but "I didn't think that was racist, and I'm not going to discuss it, because I know I'm not a racist." No problem with not noticing (or, umm, not much of a problem), but a big problem with "now that you've brought it to my attention, you can shut up, because this is so not something of interest or importance to me."

I read "refusing to engage" as the problematic behavior, not the "didn't think something was racist." Ignorance can be cured; refusal to learn cannot.

[malfeasanceses.livejournal.com]

"And no one else should discuss it either!" (Yes.)

[51stcenturyfox.livejournal.com]

Knowing more about more things is always a good, beneficial thing to do.

Yes. Great points.

Thanks for the summary links and other information. I've been catching this discussion in a very random, hit-or-miss fashion.

I think it's interesting that SFF fandom is having this discussion, though. I'm not sure things would be examined to this extent in some other genres - because so much of the original source material is about transcending human reality and the general fail that exists as a part of, well, human nature. In a future space/time/world writers and directors are able to either create utopian/egalitarian scenarios or address inequality symbolically.

Thanks again. I'll look through these further.

[such_heights]

You're very welcome, I hope you find them useful!

And yes, absolutely, it's especially crucial when you're building a world from the ground up, so it's worth taking the time to figure out the ways to do it right.

[glass-icarus.livejournal.com]

&hearts.

[such_heights]

♥ I'm attempting to bob along in the wake of your awesome.

[lyras.livejournal.com]

This is a great post - thank you; I'm grateful to hear your thoughts on the situation, and to see you linking to other posts.

Like you, I also feel guilty that my education comes at the expense of suffering and great effort on the part of people of colour. And the more I read, the more horrifying I find it that the same defensive arguments come up again and again and again, and...

[such_heights]

You're welcome!

It's astonishing, isn't it? What I've found most startling is the level of vitriol that crops up in some venues - and it always, always proves the point of the people they're so angry about anyway.

[magic-at-mungos.livejournal.com]

If I refuse to engage in racial critiques of my shows because hey, I, in all my white liberal authority, didn't think that was racist, then that removes all of my right to talk about the problematic gender and sexuality issues in the same shows.

See I think you can because your experiences will mean that you pick up on different things to me. Doesn't mean they're not there but it just means your experiences means don't 'see' them.

[such_heights]

No, that's a good point -- I guess what I really meant was that an unwillingness to acknowledge the possibility of problems or to allow other people to point things out and explain things to me makes me look pretty hypocritical when I talk about the issues that directly affect me. After that point, I agree, the more different sets of experiences we're bringing to the table the better, and we're all going to be more clued-up in some areas than others.

[magic-at-mungos.livejournal.com]

True.

It's like SPN. Huge gender problems and race problems but I still enjoy the show. You can enjoy a source material but still acknowledge that it's a victim of it's writers and any under underlying isms that they may have.

[such_heights]

Yup - every fandom has its issues, even though some are worse than others. Wouldn't it be really nice, one day down the line, if we didn't have to love shows with caveats?

[magic-at-mungos.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha *wheezes with laughter*

That's so not going to happen until society is more equal. Source materials just reflect us.

[samincittagazze.livejournal.com]

Thank you for this. I've been following the whole thing as best as I can, but haven't weighed in because I wasn't sure what I had to add to the debate. Though now I'm kind of feeling I should pass it along anyway, because dammit, people NEED to know and accept this. Do you mind if I link to this in my journal?

Also, that last link, yes. Yes yes yes. I've never been able to express that point properly, but it is what I have been feeling for so long now I forgot how I ever didn't understand it before.

[such_heights]

Yeah, I don't have anything constructive to contribute apart from "here are some links, you should read them", but I figured it was worth saying. And sure, link away if you like.

I love that post so much, reading it was such a lightbulb moment!

[secondsilk.livejournal.com]

I am so glad that I am reading this at work and therefore can't simply open the links I haven't yet read into tabs (this browser doesn't even have tabbing!) and spend the next three/fours days attached to my computer as I have been for the last four days.

With you very much on the reasons to know more/care. Well put.

[such_heights]

Heh, yes, I hear you on that! It's so easy to get sucked into this at the expense of everything else, wow.

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

Thank you for combining all these links and research. It's too much to get through in one day, so I'm saving this post and many others for later reading. I'm not involving myself (perhaps cowardly so) in this discussion, but I am, like you, learning so much from what comes out of it. Thanks for sharing.

[such_heights]

You're welcome! Yeah, there's so, so much of this, I think it's going to take me a long to work through and read all the things I'd like to.

Honestly? I think that reading and learning is involvement, and it's proof something good can come out of this. Whether people are actively posting or not is a different sort of involvement, but ultimately, engaging with the issues is the best response we can really have to this.

[verasteine.livejournal.com]

True. And as a white woman, a lot of this has been and is missing from my very privileged education. That's a topic for another day, though.

(on a side note, I plan to link to your post from something on my journal today. The subject is not related to yours, but related to one of the links your journal led me to. Some people, I have noticed, prefer not to be linked to in this debate. If you'd rather, let me know, and I won't link to you.)

[such_heights]

Link away by all means, thanks for asking!

[lorannah.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you found time to post this, even if it means I've done none of the jobs I should have today so far.

I really have nothing to add, except thank you for all the links and that I whole heartedly agree that we can only benefit by at least trying to educate ourselves about others experiences and issues. I've been doing a lot of reading about transgender issues and history over the last few days and not only has it made be at least a little better informed and it has, I think, illuminated some of the things I'd read about in regards to race and sexuality and gender that I don't think I was understanding properly. So I think it enriched my understanding of other issues too, which can only be good. Though it's difficult to explain.

Also, I think the very last link is gut wrenchingly superb.

[such_heights]

Yes, this took up a fair bit of time when I should have been, well, asleep!

They do all play into each other, don't they? Intersectionality is a wonderful, complex, interesting thing.

[avendya.livejournal.com]

This is the RaceFail post I wish I'd made. (Well, I wish I was a good enough writer to make a lot of these posts.)

There is a fairly good guest post (http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/03/12/mary-ann-mohanraj-gets-you-up-to-speed-part-i/) on (of all places) John Scalzi's blog.

[such_heights]

The sheer eloquence of a lot of people contributing to this is kind of staggering, isn't it? I am particularly in love with ciderpress's prose.

Thanks for the link! Wow, Scalzi's doing a seriously impressive job of making amends for his previous fail, this is heartening.

[glinda-penguin.livejournal.com]

I have been puzzling over this debate for weeks now...trying to write my own response to what I've read has not gone well, I keep reading over whatever I've written, thinking 'oh fail Wendy' and deleting it all. (And basically, the stuff that deepad wrote about wanting to see the differences, that being part of the wonder of human experience, that's what I wanted to say only they said it better) You've included some really helpful links (also look at you being all articulate at 4am!) and I'm very much doing the 12films_poc thing so thanks for linking me to that too!

[such_heights]

You're very welcome, I'm glad they were useful! That's all I really have to say as well, pointing to things I agree with that have been said much better elsewhere.

[cetacea.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this! I'd been wanting to dive into the whole thing for a few weeks now, but it just seemed too big and I didn't know where to start. Your list was helpful. Though I've gotten so depressed that I have to stop for the night. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up again tomorrow.

[such_heights]

Yeah - small chunks is often the way to approach this, I think.