QUEER HULK SMASH

[rm]

I just unsubscribed from the local HP mailing list, after being a member since 2007 and having professional reasons for maintaining my involvement (also, yo, I like Harry Potter!), because I was mocked and insulted after posting a question about an event (not hosted by the group, I don't think, but by the NYDA (an HPA chapter, I believe) that stated for a fashion show about "celebrating all types of beauty" what they meant by "you must cosplay as your own gender" in their model call and who was going to be deciding gender identity for said purposes.

Predictably, several people conflated sex and gender and were then insulting and mocking.

Considering I've WRITTEN AN ACADEMIC PAPER, that I have delivered at both FAN AND ACADEMIC CONFERENCES about how Snape is a queered character who represents female heroism in the series, I could just spit I'm so mad.

Fucking fucking fucking fuck.

*ANGRY*

I'm gonna go watch that video of that rat climbing on that dude on the subway until I feel better.

ETA: Head of mailing list is being super cool to me in trying to handle issue. Thumbs up! I'm impressed.

Meanwhile, I thought I unsubscribed but apparently didn't! Now I'm one of those people on the Internet who can't figure out how to get off a mailing list! Ugh!

More rat video. Yes.

Comments

[rm.livejournal.com]

The event is supposed to be about celebrating all types of beauty, and they've been explicit about body sizes/types of all kinds being okay -- no sure if I've seen anything about race-blind cosplay, but I'm guessing that's okay too. I've received an email that sort of gives me a better sense of what's up, but I don't have the energy to reply right now, and I think it's going to go a few rounds to sort out. I will update when I have all the info though. Right now though I am cautiously optimistic that heads will be getting out of asses on many subjects with most of the involved parties.

[trinker.livejournal.com]

I hope they are just being blithe about race-blind cosplay, rather than assuming that HP fen are all white, or that HP FoC are only interested in cosplaying their own ethic type.

This openness - Fat!Harry okay, Harry-played-by-biowoman not okay...ick. I suppose they were trying to include "Harry-played-by-FTM okay" (assuming that's what they meant by gender) but ick ick ick still.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I got a clarifying message that was hopeful in some ways (they want to do the right thing) and not in other ways (multiple language problems, other ambiguities). But the good news is they are listening and this will hopefully get resolved. And the bad email list behavior was people not connected to the event and that matter is going to be addressed in public and private by the mailing list maintainer. There's still a lot of yuck going on, but it is getting better. And I do at least think there is no assumption here that all HP cosplayers are white, because the NY mailing list group where this other event was publicized is far more diverse than I usually find fandom communities to be.

[cakmpls.livejournal.com]

That was where I got stuck: "celebrating all types of beauty," and then those restrictions. Uh...er...that is...why...um...

Nope; words fail me.

[thatwordgrrl.livejournal.com]

That too, but (at least for me) for a different reason.

"All types of beauty" parses to me as "but not for you because...well...just look at your obviously physical disability."

With stammering and stuttering and flailing of arms.

It's a more insidious version of "inner beauty." Because yeah, the outer packaging looks like the back of a bus. :/