What I mean when I say 'safe space'

[jonathanstrahan]

I started going to conventions in 1986 when I attended Swancon XI. The people at Swancon XII welcomed me and, for the most part, made me feel that I was in a safe space; somewhere I could express myself, be involved, and not feel like I was likely to be judged or harmed.

I attended every Swancon for the next twenty years, and then became an

Comments

[dalekboy]

One small but important correction - it didn't happen at or during a Swancon. And that's been one of the things that has caused so many of the issues - if it had happened at a con, the law would likely back-up the committee, but that's not the case.

As logansrogue and I discussed at one point, there's a lot of people coming out of the woodwork saying they were always creeped out by the guy's behaviour at cons. If this is the case, and those people never said anything to the committees, then they have to wear some of the blame for what happened. Committees can't know every little thing that occurs at a con, they need to be told if someone is acting inappropriately. His behaviour was allowed to continue, that was how he groomed people to trust him, which eventually led to what happened.

The thing I am genuinely afraid of is that some idiot will up and hit him at the con. That would be a disaster on so many levels.

[jonathanstrahan]

Thank you for your clarification. I appreciate it. I wouldn't advocate that anyone hit anyone, and I'm not especially interested in bringing committees into it (they have enough on their plates). I feel strongly this is something for every member of our community, individually and collectively. We have to make our conventions safe places, or they're not places worth being in. That means, in this case, making it abundantly clear that he is not welcome and won't be.