So, as I prepare to wing my way off to Worldcon in a week (Yeah. I still have way a lot to do), I’m inevitably thinking about equality and diversity at in-person events. How could I not, leading up to this kind of a possible kerfuffle? Especially since I plan to attend quite a number of events on diversity and equality while I’m there.
(Some of what I’m talking about in here, I’ve touched on before, but if I did, it’s because I think it bears repeating.)
Now, looking at the list of guests attending, I have to say I’m surprised. Impressed, thrilled, but surprised. I know this area very well (Worldcon actually came right into my backyard for once, this year.), and I know the guests who normally get invited. It’s a pretty homogenous bunch. There are a lot of reasons for that, some beyond the control of the convention runners, some unfortunately not. But representation is not normally even.
This gives me hope. Since they invite people from all over the country, even all over the world, it feels like I get to see a bigger cross-section of the SF/F community. About 5,000 registered attendants so far (Be still my introverted heart), and probably more when we actually get there.
I don’t really have any advice for you to get along at events or include more diversity or anything like that this time around. This is more just me being hopeful about the state of things within our community, and about diversity and equality in general. Not just QUILTBAG+, either. Everything. That pleases me.
I guess if there’s any kind of tip or technique or advice I can try to get out of this, it’s that, for all the negativity out there, and all the progress still to be made, and for all the time I spend in this column pointing out issues to be resolved, there is still progress being made. There are still good things happening, and the SF/F community is getting more accepting as a whole, no matter how it looks or how vocal the opponents might get.
So today, I guess, just focus on the positivity in the world. More than anything else I talk about in this column, that’s going to help everybody mingle.