(01/16) For folks asking how my @arisia was: it was a wonderful time. A wonderfully diverse convention, a great set of panels, some great dancing and socializing and awesome vendors, and much more.
There are some things that need to be addressed, though - of course.
There are some things that need to be addressed, though - of course.
(02/16) Read @markdoesstuff's thread here for one set of issues that needs to be addressed. I'm gonna talk about something else.
(03/16) This tweet thread is directed not at Arisia staff, not at attendees, not at volunteers - but at fellow panelists. And I must state here that I am NOT speaking on behalf of Arisia. I am speaking on behalf of Cody Lazri.
(04/16) This Arisia, I submitted one incident report, submitted a follow-up to a second one, and considered submitting a third. All about panels I was on - two about fellow panelists.
(05/16) Last year I submitted an incident report about another panelist. This year one of my friends who also works the con was saying "Hey, it's your Arisia tradition. You're a magnet for these things." And I said "Yeah - and they're all things I can't control."
(06/16) Here's what my aforementioned incident reports were about: Last year, someone recording a panel without consent - specifically, with explicit denial of consent.
(07/16) This year, one was about an attendee taking a photograph without panelist consent. I also considered reporting someone recording a panel this year who got "consent" in a CYA kind of way with no real respect for the other panelists.
(08/16) The other one this year was about someone last-minute adding a friend to a panel, that person making a racist comment, and me being misgendered many times. (I still can't get over the absurdity of being "she'd" so many times on a panel with "Not A Woman" in the title.)
(09/16) So all of this was really uncomfortable. And this is a new world to me - this is only my third year on panels. This is my second year reporting anything to convention safety teams.
(10/16) But here's the thing: I don't think any of this is truly new. I don't think this panelist behavior is truly new. In fact, one panelist used past Arisias as an excuse for their behavior. I wanted to say "But this is THIS Arisia" but I was too stunned.
(11/16) These behaviors aren't new, but people reporting them is. I can be a very loud person, and I know it can be obnoxious. I think it's also a boon on some occasions. I want Arisia to be safe. I care about the community. I care about my community.
(12/16) I will report people's harmful behavior. There are things this convention has put up with in the past that I will not tolerate. Full stop.
(13/16) And I'm glad to say that these are also becoming behaviors that Arisia as an institution is starting to condemn. Thank you Arisia for having an always available Incident Report Team. Thank you for caring. Thank you for taking me seriously.
(14/16) Some unsolicited advice to fellow panelists: five minutes before a panel is NOT the time to ask for anything unless it is an emergency.
(15/16) It is not the time to ask to swap panelists, it is not the time to ask if your friend can join the panel, it is not the time to ask permission to record.
(16/16) Especially if you've been in contact with your fellow panelists for weeks prior, or had the opportunity. That feels incredibly coercive. It is not how consent culture works. And Arisia, from what I know, is building towards consent culture. Let's ALL help it get there.
Also special shoutouts to @KTOkopnik @ajodasso @dromeda @BrianLiberge for being awesome and model fellow panelists and moderators (there were a few others I can't find on Twitter, darn).
