Definitions
In the ongoing SFWA / Spec Fic community battle regarding issues of sexism, harassment, censorship, etc., I note that one of the primary problems seems to be the matter of definitions. Words do have specific meanings, some more specific from a legal perspective than others, but when these meanings get conflated, it's not very helpful to the discussion. I suspect this is why there is more than one color of blue available when we buy paint.
In regards to SFWA itself, there are two primary concerns: 1) the legal issues that the organization must concern itself with, in order to comply with the law and to protect the corporation from potential suits; and 2) the social issues (such as conventions or discussion forums) that the organization should or may concern itself with, in order to ensure that member concerns are being addressed in a successful, proactive manner. It is possible that these two concerns may conflict.
So, with all that in mind, I thought I might provide a simple guide to some of the terminology being tossed around, in the hopes that it may help the clarity of communication. These are presented in alphabetical order, and offered without comment. These are terms I've seen invoked over the course of the last few months, especially, and I may add to this list from time to time, if I think it will be helpful. (Note: if I could not find a dictionary definition, or thought additional reading might be helpful, I deferred to Wikipedia as a starting point only, and encourage further investigation.)
Ageism:
1) prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a persons age. [Oxford English Dictionary, Online - OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group and especially the elderly. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Online - MWD]
Censorship:
1) examine (a book, film, etc.) officially and suppress unacceptable parts of it. [OED]
2) the institution, system, or practice of censoring;
3) the actions or practices of censors; especially : censorial control exercised repressively;
4) act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good. [MWD]
5) Censorship, the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others. Censorship can be carried out by the government as well as private pressure groups. Censorship by the government is unconstitutional. [American Civil Liberties Union Online]
Discrimination:
1) the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex;
2) recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another. [OED]
3) the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
4) prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment. [MWD]
Diversity:
1) the state of being diverse;
2) showing a great deal of variety; very different. [OED]
3) the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : variety; especially : the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. [MWD]
Feminism:
1) the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. [OED]
2) the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes;
3) organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests. [MWD]
4) a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. [Wikipedia]
Misogyny/Misogynist:
1) dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women (misogyny);
2) a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women (misogynist). [OED]
3) a hatred of women (misogyny). [MWD]
Rape Culture:
1) a concept which links rape and sexual violence to the culture of a society,and in which prevalent attitudes and practices normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape. [Wikipedia]
Sexism:
1) prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. [OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially: discrimination against women.
3) behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. [MWD]
Sexual Harassment:
1) harassment (typically of a woman) in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks. [OED]
2) uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate (as an employee or student) [MWD]
3) unwanted sexual approaches (including touching, feeling, groping) and/or repeated unpleasant, degrading and/or sexist remarks directed toward an employee with the implied suggestion that the target's employment status, promotion or favorable treatment depend upon a positive response and/or "cooperation." Sexual harassment is a private nuisance, unfair labor practice or, in some states, a civil wrong (tort) which may be the basis for a lawsuit against the individual who made the advances and against the employer who did not take steps to halt the harassment.[Legal Dictionary, Law.Com]
White Privilege:
1) refers to the set of societal privileges that white people are argued to benefit from beyond those commonly experienced by people of color in the same social, political, or economic spaces (nation, community, workplace, income, etc.). [Wikipedia]
Witch Hunt:
1) a campaign directed against a person or group holding views considered unorthodox or a threat to society. [OED]
2) the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views. [MWD]
* * * * *
One last one, out of sequence. SFWA is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Under the current bylaws, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article II: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to promote the furtherance of the writing of science fiction, fantasy, and related genres as a profession; in so doing, its activities shall include, but not be limited to, informing science fiction and fantasy writers on professional matters, protecting their interests, and helping them deal effectively with agents, editors, anthologists, and producers in print and non-print media; encouraging public interest in and appreciation for science fiction and fantasy literature; sponsoring, editing, and disseminating writings, papers, books, pamphlets, and other publications which exemplify science fiction and fantasy literature of high quality; conducting conferences, public discussion groups, forums, lectures, and seminar programs; and furnishing any service or performing any kind of work connected with this stated purpose.
The Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes as a nonprofit organization, and its activities shall be conducted for the aforesaid purposes in such a manner that no part of its net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any officer or individual.
Under the new bylaws, which are part of the ongoing re-incorporation process, and have been approved by the membership, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article I (2)(3): SFWA is a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under the California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law. SFWA is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”).
Such purposes for which SFWA is formed are (1) to promote the writing and appreciation of
science fiction, fantasy and related genres and field; (2) to inform, support, promote, defend, and
advocate for writers of science fiction, fantasy and related genres; (3) to be a comprehensive
source for information, education, support and fellowship for authors of science fiction, fantasy
and related genres in the stream of commerce; (4) to promote and defend the interests of writers
in said genres within the various aspects of the publishing industry; and (5) to engage in any
lawful act or activity arising from or related to the foregoing purposes.
I would encourage anyone involved in these important matters to bear the above definitions and information in mind, while engaging in the currently ongoing discussions.
Write on,
Russell Davis
In regards to SFWA itself, there are two primary concerns: 1) the legal issues that the organization must concern itself with, in order to comply with the law and to protect the corporation from potential suits; and 2) the social issues (such as conventions or discussion forums) that the organization should or may concern itself with, in order to ensure that member concerns are being addressed in a successful, proactive manner. It is possible that these two concerns may conflict.
So, with all that in mind, I thought I might provide a simple guide to some of the terminology being tossed around, in the hopes that it may help the clarity of communication. These are presented in alphabetical order, and offered without comment. These are terms I've seen invoked over the course of the last few months, especially, and I may add to this list from time to time, if I think it will be helpful. (Note: if I could not find a dictionary definition, or thought additional reading might be helpful, I deferred to Wikipedia as a starting point only, and encourage further investigation.)
Ageism:
1) prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a persons age. [Oxford English Dictionary, Online - OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination against a particular age group and especially the elderly. [Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Online - MWD]
Censorship:
1) examine (a book, film, etc.) officially and suppress unacceptable parts of it. [OED]
2) the institution, system, or practice of censoring;
3) the actions or practices of censors; especially : censorial control exercised repressively;
4) act of changing or suppressing speech or writing that is considered subversive of the common good. [MWD]
5) Censorship, the suppression of words, images, or ideas that are "offensive," happens whenever some people succeed in imposing their personal political or moral values on others. Censorship can be carried out by the government as well as private pressure groups. Censorship by the government is unconstitutional. [American Civil Liberties Union Online]
Discrimination:
1) the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex;
2) recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another. [OED]
3) the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
4) prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment. [MWD]
Diversity:
1) the state of being diverse;
2) showing a great deal of variety; very different. [OED]
3) the condition of having or being composed of differing elements : variety; especially : the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization. [MWD]
Feminism:
1) the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes. [OED]
2) the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes;
3) organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests. [MWD]
4) a collection of movements and ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights for women. [Wikipedia]
Misogyny/Misogynist:
1) dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women (misogyny);
2) a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women (misogynist). [OED]
3) a hatred of women (misogyny). [MWD]
Rape Culture:
1) a concept which links rape and sexual violence to the culture of a society,and in which prevalent attitudes and practices normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape. [Wikipedia]
Sexism:
1) prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. [OED]
2) prejudice or discrimination based on sex; especially: discrimination against women.
3) behavior, conditions, or attitudes that foster stereotypes of social roles based on sex. [MWD]
Sexual Harassment:
1) harassment (typically of a woman) in a workplace, or other professional or social situation, involving the making of unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks. [OED]
2) uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate (as an employee or student) [MWD]
3) unwanted sexual approaches (including touching, feeling, groping) and/or repeated unpleasant, degrading and/or sexist remarks directed toward an employee with the implied suggestion that the target's employment status, promotion or favorable treatment depend upon a positive response and/or "cooperation." Sexual harassment is a private nuisance, unfair labor practice or, in some states, a civil wrong (tort) which may be the basis for a lawsuit against the individual who made the advances and against the employer who did not take steps to halt the harassment.[Legal Dictionary, Law.Com]
White Privilege:
1) refers to the set of societal privileges that white people are argued to benefit from beyond those commonly experienced by people of color in the same social, political, or economic spaces (nation, community, workplace, income, etc.). [Wikipedia]
Witch Hunt:
1) a campaign directed against a person or group holding views considered unorthodox or a threat to society. [OED]
2) the searching out and deliberate harassment of those (as political opponents) with unpopular views. [MWD]
* * * * *
One last one, out of sequence. SFWA is the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Under the current bylaws, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article II: The purpose of the Corporation shall be to promote the furtherance of the writing of science fiction, fantasy, and related genres as a profession; in so doing, its activities shall include, but not be limited to, informing science fiction and fantasy writers on professional matters, protecting their interests, and helping them deal effectively with agents, editors, anthologists, and producers in print and non-print media; encouraging public interest in and appreciation for science fiction and fantasy literature; sponsoring, editing, and disseminating writings, papers, books, pamphlets, and other publications which exemplify science fiction and fantasy literature of high quality; conducting conferences, public discussion groups, forums, lectures, and seminar programs; and furnishing any service or performing any kind of work connected with this stated purpose.
The Corporation is organized exclusively for charitable, scientific, and educational purposes as a nonprofit organization, and its activities shall be conducted for the aforesaid purposes in such a manner that no part of its net earnings shall inure to the benefit of any officer or individual.
Under the new bylaws, which are part of the ongoing re-incorporation process, and have been approved by the membership, the purpose of the organization is as follows:
Article I (2)(3): SFWA is a nonprofit public benefit corporation organized under the California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law. SFWA is organized exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time (the “Code”).
Such purposes for which SFWA is formed are (1) to promote the writing and appreciation of
science fiction, fantasy and related genres and field; (2) to inform, support, promote, defend, and
advocate for writers of science fiction, fantasy and related genres; (3) to be a comprehensive
source for information, education, support and fellowship for authors of science fiction, fantasy
and related genres in the stream of commerce; (4) to promote and defend the interests of writers
in said genres within the various aspects of the publishing industry; and (5) to engage in any
lawful act or activity arising from or related to the foregoing purposes.
I would encourage anyone involved in these important matters to bear the above definitions and information in mind, while engaging in the currently ongoing discussions.
Write on,
Russell Davis
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