From the latest Progress Report from World Fantasy:
Lost, stolen or forgotten badges can be re-purchased for £75.00 (excluding delegate pack). If you lose your badge a second time, you will have to re-register at the current rate.
and…
World Fantasy Convention 2013 also does not operate on a gender “quota” or “parity” system for programming. Instead, our aim has been to match the best people available to us to the most appropriate panel topics, thereby creating an informed and enlightening discussion for your entertainment.
and…
During the day, and for the parties in the evening, we have bonded security guards of both sexes on hand to look after you.
and…
Because the Hilton Brighton Metropole is an old building, please note that access to some areas may be limited or unavailable for those with mobility issues. This includes the Registration area in the Sussex Lounge, which is inaccessible by wheelchair.
and finally…
please note that we still have a strict “no weapons” policy that applies to both real and imitation weapons (no matter how obvious they may appear). Anyone caught carrying a weapon-like object may find themselves ejected from the convention without refund and reported to the police.
On that last note, I suspect that someone told them about this:
Oooh, love the scare quotes.
‘World Fantasy Convention 2013 also does not operate on a gender “quota†or “parity†system for programming. Instead, our aim has been to match the best people available to us to the most appropriate panel topics, thereby creating an informed and enlightening discussion for your entertainment.’
Were I going, no doubt I could look forward to being informed or enlightened by men… if I could surmount the accessibility barriers.
Whoever’s writing their mailouts and policies is a real charmer…
Hi,
I’ve linked your post at access-fandom.dreamwidth.org. Thanks for writing about this.
What is the item in the photo and what does it represent?
It is a Grimpink battle axe, created by Juliet McKenna as an example of the sort of weapon publishers might want a woman warrior to carry so as to (allegedly) appeal to a female audience.
It is also a labrys. (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrys, “Modern Uses”.) It’s a favorite symbol of a friend of mine, although I don’t imagine she’d be keen on the pink ribbons. From the look of things, though, it seems like the con would be fine with the ribbons but have a problem with the labrys.
Actually I think the ribbons would horrify them.
Obligatory quotation of the blurb on Margaret St. Clair’s Sign of the Labrys.
It’s so nice of them to make me feel better about not being able to attend.
At this stage very glad I didn’t apply for an arts grant to attend. No frickin access in the registration area and not particularly apologetic about it
The more I hear from them, the more it sounds like “This is a conference for Important Literary People, with Important Literary Ideas. We don’t want any of those weird geeks here. You should be grateful we’re even letting you in the door, so hush your complaining. Able-bodied white men have Important Literary Things to tell you.”
It could be that it’s an ordinary sort of conference that’s just botched he hell out of its public relations. If so, that’s a real shame. But their written output is mired in the worst sort of insular, backward ugliness, and it just reeks of contempt for anyone who thinks fandom can do better.
I think you will find that the person primarily responsible for this mess does indeed have contempt for fandom, and indeed for lots of other people too.
Wasn’t there an earlier iteration of the accessibility problem, around the Kaffeeklatsches?
Seems like the committee has an issue with people who have issues…
This WFC seems determined to be given the title of Worst WFC EVER.
Given the amount of grief and complaints the LSC3 HA group got, (we really did try to accommodate everyone who asked for help, although there were problems caused by the facilities and by people NOT telling us they required assistance before or during the con only to complain on the internet during and after the con), you’d think someone on the WFC committee would have tried to deal with some HA issues just to avoid all the grief that will be coming their way.
I haven’t been impressed with the WFC as an organization in a long long time. I think they take advantage of con-runners who decide to bid and to the non-pro attendees who pay for memberships. No matter where the WFC is held in the future, I won’t be giving them my money or my time. I would encourage others to do the same.
I have been assured by members of the World Fantasy Board that the Worst WFC Ever was the one in San Jose, which I helped run. This WFC is being run by people trusted by the Board, and will show us all how the convention should be done.
spluttering some JK Orchards Northern Neighbor hard cider through my sinuses…yeah, let’s just see how well they do.
I’d be happy to provide some pitchforks and internet-enabled torches if folks need them.
Oddly enough, I got some unexpected and positive comments from the chairman of the WFC board about San Jose. Who, of course, is the only board member that actually matters.