From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Truesdoggle
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2016 21:35:49 -0400 (EDT)
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Issue 9 of the Worldcon newsletter says:

  At the beginning of a panel on The State of Short Fiction on Friday,
  Dave Truesdale read a prepared statement that contained inflammatory
  comments that were considered inciteful by a number of people at
  the panel.  After consulting with the Incident Report Team, the
  Division Heads revoked Dave's membership.  They issued the following
  statement:  "Dave Truesdale's membership was revoked because he
  violated MidAmeriCon II's Code of Conduct.  Specifically, he caused
  'significant interference with event operations and caused excessive
  discomfort to others'"

The official description of the panel was:

  More than just the magazines, short fiction is in a golden age,
  found in the magazine, online, in anthologies, and chapbooks.  The
  field's editors come together to talk about what they are seeing,
  and debate whether there is a short fiction renaissance.

Truesdale posted the audio of the panel to
http://tangentonline.com/images/audio/radio/dt_panel.mp3

It shows that his prepared statement lasted just 5.3 minutes, and was
on the topic of whether there is a short fiction renaissance.  This
makes the con's action very puzzling, especially since it would seem
to confirm his claim of viewpoint discrimination.

If you were present at the panel, could you listen to at least the
first few minutes of that audio, and confirm that Truesdale hasn't
faked or altered it?  Thanks.

Even if nobody had been expelled, a speech code that says you can't
cause excessive discomfort to others has a chilling effect.  I for one
am much less likely to spend hundreds of dollars to travel to a con
if there's any chance that some unpopular opinion of mine will get
me expelled.

Several members were expelled or banned from the first Worldcon due
to expressing unpopular opinions.  Worldcons have a long tradition of
inclusiveness and diversity in reaction against that event and the
hard feelings that it engendered.  I'd hate to see that thrown away.