Readercon values BNFs over safety of its members, integrity of its policies

[starlady]

coffeeandink has a post, Sexual Harassment at Readercon, that details the harassment of author Genevieve Valentine by "a well-known fan," Rene Walling. Despite its stated policy of zero tolerance towards and lifetime bans for harassers, the Readercon board has banned Walling for…two years.

I'd previously heard that Readercon was snooty and inaccessible, but I can safely say that after this I will never go myself and will actively discourage women and people who don't believe that harassment is acceptable behavior to avoid the con like the plague. There are plenty of other great SFF conventions.

Finally: I fully support the decision of several people who were at the con to name Walling as Valentine's harasser. Protecting the anonymity of someone who has demonstrated a pattern of harassment only enables Walling to continue easily preying upon unknowing people. 

Comments

[elf]

The concom runs the convention. The board runs the company: files taxes, allocates profits (if any). (Or "surplus income," I suppose, if it's officially a nonprofit org.)

The concom tends to be comprised of con-experienced fen. Boards tend to be comprised of more-or-less retired fen. (Boards comprised of non-fen tend to kill conventions; conventions are not known for their profit-making abilities.)

The exact relationship between them is different for each con.