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erastesETA:
OK - I'm closing this thread now - as there's a load of people here I don't know, have come here from God knows where, haven't even had the politesse to introduce themselves, obviously haven't bothered to check the facts before they waded in, have their facts wrong and are obviously here to 1. cause trouble and 2. troll.
I'm all for polite discussion - see my latest post, but there are limits to what even I'll take.
Continue the discussion in your own blogs, I've moved on - thanks.
I’m sure most of you have seen this by now but here is Katherine Forrest’s response to the deluge of concerns about the new lambda guidelines, which seemed to exclude non-GLBTQ writers from receiving a Lambda award.
Clarification of Lambda Literary Foundation Policy Guidelines of Nominations, 2009 Lambda Literary Awards, from Katherine V. Forrest, Interim President, Board of Trustees.
September 25, 2009 - The Board of Lambda Literary Foundation, under the leadership of Christopher Rice, (who has now resigned. erastes) spent much of last year discussing how our literature has evolved, and the actual mission of the Foundation given the perilous place we find ourselves in with our drastically changed market conditions. We also took into consideration the despair of our own writers when a heterosexual writer, who has written a fine book about us, wins a Lambda Award, when one or more of our own LGBT writers may have as a Finalist a book that may be the only chance in a career at a Lambda Literary Award.
We discussed two essential questions: who we are, what we are here to accomplish. We discussed every single word of this, our Mission statement: The Lambda Literary Foundation is dedicated to raising the status of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people throughout society by rewarding and promoting excellence among LGBT writers who use their work to explore LGBT lives.
Lambda Literary Foundation is a service organization for our writers. Our LGBT family of writers. We celebrate those who support our writers, those in all the allied areas of our literature: our readers, publishers, booksellers, publicists, agents, etc. We celebrate straight allies of every kind and always have throughout our history, with the Bridge Builder Award, Small Press Award, Publishers Service Award, Editor's Choice Award, among other awards and acknowledgments, and we'll continue to do so.Today we continue to be excluded in heterosexual society as we have been historically. Our books are taken from the shelves of libraries all over the country and even from the website of Amazon.com this year. It is more difficult to be an LGBT writer now than it has been in many decades, more difficult to make any income from our written words, much less a living. Publishers have closed, stores have closed, the markets seem to be shrinking with each passing day. It seems more urgent than ever that LLF be as active and supportive a service organization as we possibly can be for our own writers, and that's what we're working on, with a Board that could not be more passionate in our commitment. We will soon have a new, far more comprehensive website connecting all segments of our publishing world, and we're determined to restore our Writers Retreat for emerging writers, the single most important initiative we've undertaken next to the Lambda Literary Awards.
As to what defines LGBT? That is not up to anyone at Lambda Literary Foundation to decide. The writers and publishers are the ones who will be doing the self-identifying. Sexuality today is fluid and we welcome and cherish this freedom. We take the nomination of any book at face value: if the book is nominated as LGBT, then the author is self-identifying as part of our LGBT family of writers, and that is all that is required. There are many permutations of LGBT and they're all welcome as that LGBT term we've all adopted makes clear.
We hope this will clarify our policy and answer some of your questions and concerns. We welcome your comments.
Right then, here are my comments.
We also took into consideration the despair of our own writers when a heterosexual writer, who has written a fine book about us, wins a Lambda Award, when one or more of our own LGBT writers may have as a Finalist a book that may be the only chance in a career at a Lambda Literary Award.
So what you are saying is that you are excluding the heterosexual writers because they often write better? No, of course you are not, but it sounds this way. I hardly think that anyone “despairs” when they don’t win an award. Not one that is set up in a fair way, anyway. I know that I wouldn’t want the rules to be changed just so I have a greater chance of winning. I’m not entirely sure what you mean by “the only chance of a career at a LLA” as that doesn’t make sense.
Today we continue to be excluded in heterosexual society as we have been historically. Our books are taken from the shelves of libraries all over the country and even from the website of Amazon.com this year. It is more difficult to be an LGBT writer now than it has been in many decades, more difficult to make any income from our written words, much less a living. Publishers have closed, stores have closed, the markets seem to be shrinking with each passing day. It seems more urgent than ever that LLF be as active and supportive a service organization as we possibly can be for our own writers, and that's what we're working on, with a Board that could not be more passionate in our commitment. We will soon have a new, far more comprehensive website connecting all segments of our publishing world, and we're determined to restore our Writers Retreat for emerging writers, the single most important initiative we've undertaken next to the Lambda Literary Awards.
This is no different whether you are heterosexual or GLBTQ. Straight writers of GLBTQ fiction found their books removed from Amazon in the same way as everyone else because of the subject material, not because of the gender of the author. There was no gender discrimination as to the author, only because of the content of the books. The Running Press books – Alex being openly straight, me being Bi – were removed from the shelves of the Romance section of bookshelves and libraries (where Running Press intended them to be) because some customers complained about the nasty gay books polluting their romance. Smaller presses find their books denied from bookstores because of the CONTENT, not because of the AUTHOR.
Instead of whining about how the world is shrinking for gay books, what we should be doing is submitting our books – en masse – to the mainstream, to Mills and Boon, to every book publisher out there. Instead of hiding behind a lavender veil and agreeing with the hype that “there’s no market for it” “no-one wants to buy it” “No-one will publish it” we should be pushing—no, stabbing furiously at the heart of mainstream and forcing them to pay attention.There is already a level of acceptance of gay characters in other genres than romance. I would never have imagined, five years ago, that a gay romance line would be put into the romance aisle, but because kept being a pest, and I submitted to that publisher, it happened.
As to what defines LGBT? That is not up to anyone at Lambda Literary Foundation to decide. The writers and publishers are the ones who will be doing the self-identifying. Sexuality today is fluid and we welcome and cherish this freedom. We take the nomination of any book at face value: if the book is nominated as LGBT, then the author is self-identifying as part of our LGBT family of writers, and that is all that is required. There are many permutations of LGBT and they're all welcome as that LGBT term we've all adopted makes clear.
I would agree. It’s not up to the LLF to decide on this. I wouldn’t say that it’s up to ANYONE to decide on this. The last thing the GLBTQ society needs is someone saying “this is…”
What I can see happening here, in their “we will take your sexual persuasion on trust” is that people are going to get nasty about it. If a married man or woman submits a book, and more particularly if they win – there’s going to be wank. You know it, I know it. People are going to say “He/she’s married, she isn’t GLBTQ” What about someone like me, single but bi? Am I really bi or am I lying? What about a single celibate? Who can tell? No-one.
And what about the categories? Can only a gay man write gay fiction? A Bi write bi? and so on? When does a trans man become a woman, and if she is then a straight woman is he then ineligible for the Lambdas? Someone needs to further clarify here, I think.
My opinion is that the LLF are opening a can of worms that is going to explode in their faces when the awards are announced. I assume, from the change in policy, that they’ve had writers bitching about the winners of the awards in the past. Well, I can see that that will be nothing compared to the bitching they are going to get.
What this seems like, and what I wasn’t afraid of asking them about in my letter, is crony-ism. If they don’t KNOW if a writer is GLBTQ, then they will assume that they are not. In that case they will give the award to the “out” finalist even if his or her book is not as good as the person they are not sure about.
What concerns me most is that being forced to declare your sexual orientation is a crime—at least in the UK. My boss cannot ask me what my gender or sexual persuasion is, not even for positive discrimination. He can ask me on an application form, in the same way he can ask me for my ethnicity or religion—but I have no legal obligation to answer truthfully (I’ve often put Chinese, or Jedi) or even answer at all.
But by simply entering into the Lambda’s I have to do this.
This doesn’t bother me one whit, but what about if someone were in the armed forces? Or lived in a dangerous place for gay people, somewhere like Jamaica? it’s something to think about. I don’t know what the laws about disclosing sexual preference is in the USA, but I’m pretty sure it has to be the same, Yes? How desperate are we to win awards, anyway?
It’s given me a lot to think about.
If you have blogged about this subject, I would be very grateful if you would supply me with a link. I intend to write again to the LLF about this matter and show the depth of concern in the writing community, GLBTQ and otherwise.
Crossposted to EAA, Meta Writers.
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(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 08:17 am (UTC)I have to say, as sad as it is, that even if they WERE straight, writing and promoting their gay literature probably would be JUST as frowned on as BEING gay in those situations. I think in those situation winning an award would be the least of their concerns.
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 11:39 am (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 11:58 am (UTC)I think the only thing a writer needs to "be" is talented, no matter what the subject/genre, otherwise I am not interested in reading the book.
Leslie
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:40 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:43 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:44 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:45 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:46 pm (UTC)What about a person who is married and her husband finds out that she entered and he doesn't know she's bi? Forcing people to come out of the closet does not advance equality.
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:48 pm (UTC)Very well put.
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:48 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:49 pm (UTC)It's utter absurdity carried to a new height, is what it is. So apparently - if we follow their model of thinking - one has to have been a car in order to be an automotive mechanic? o_O
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:49 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 12:57 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 01:01 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 01:43 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 02:49 pm (UTC)Because I don't really see the difference between what Orange is doing for women and what Lambda is (reverting to) doing for GLBTQ authors.
And the same arguments about 'proving it' also apply - because I'm fairly sure the Orange finalists don't undergo a gynocological exam as part of the judging process.
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 03:10 pm (UTC)As a bi woman married to a man, I could see how my living in "heterosexual privilege" would piss off a lot of people (not that it's anyone's damn business). I can also understand how some people might feel that their territory is being encroached upon. I can understand the anger some people might feel, when, after having lived with discrimination, representatives of the majority discriminatory group began winning contests founded by and meant to celebrate the minority group.
At the same time, as a writer and a human being, I don't enjoy being dismissed because of the gender of the person with whom I've chosen to spend my life.
When I suggested earlier founding a contest for GLBTQ literature that doesn't discriminate against the gender or lifestyle of the author, I wasn't being facetious. I think there are a lot of writers and publishers who would be interested in helping to organize and promote a contest like this, including me. I know you have a lot on your plate, between writing projects, EAA, and promoting the genre in general, but if you would like to go in on this with me, I think adding your name to it would go far.
Anyway, just something to think about. Email me if the idea strikes your fancy.
Jessica
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 03:13 pm (UTC)http://www.teddypig.com/2009/09/shame-on-me-shame-on-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2733
It was originally "to recognize excellence in the field of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender literature.”
Heaven forfend some of that excellence should come from people whose sexual orientation is to the opposite sex! Who might have glbt family members.
IMO, Lambda should clean up its own act. To have ten categories of award for Gay and Lesbian, and one EACH for Bi and Trans -- fiction, nonfiction, and anything else, all lumped into one bucket -- is absurd.
I see NO point in nailing the ghetto door shut from the inside.
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 03:36 pm (UTC)But that's neither here nor there. I'm "exercised" about this (whatever that means) because I'm the director of a large association of authors, and I feel that I should talk about things like this - plus of course, it is my LJ, and my opinion is just that.
yes. of course men can write about women's issues.
But the main things that annoys me about this particular issue (if I hadn't already made myself clear) are:
1. this will impinge on all authors writing about gay issues,as detailed above
2. If it was an award set up TO START WITH for gay WRITERS, then I'd not make any issue with it. But it wasn't - it was set up to celebrate gay FICTION.
However. If the Orange Prize had been set up - and then they found that men were writing better novels and THEN stopped men applying, yes of course that would be wrong.
They have actually said this - that heterosexual (although how they can tell this, I don't know) writers are writing better books.
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 03:39 pm (UTC)You can add my name to the list of people interested in organizing a merit-based award. Awards are fine, discrimination is not.
(frozen) Lambda rules
Date: 2009-09-26 03:42 pm (UTC)Most likely I won't be entering again, not so much because of the new rules but because of comments I've gotten off list regarding the sexual content of my stories--it appears I can offend just about anyone. :-) However, as a heterosexual author I had never considered entering the contest until I was invited, so it's sort of interesting to suddenly feel uninvited. I would hate to see such an exclusionary practice enter this much respected competition, especially from a community that has suffered so horribly from the same sense of exclusion.
Kate Douglas/Wolf Tales
www.katedouglas.com
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Date: 2009-09-26 03:50 pm (UTC)However, how on earth do you do it so it's FAIR, and not just a popularity contest? That's what worries me.
(frozen) Re: Lambda rules
Date: 2009-09-26 03:53 pm (UTC)(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 04:24 pm (UTC)As someone who grew up in a US military community, I can say with certainty that service members are not allowed to come out as GLBT or whatever because of the lovely Don't Ask Don't Tell policy. The military will not ask service members if they GLBT, but if it's told or if it's found out, service members will be forced to resign/discharge/whatever.
Luckily, that doesn't apply to me (I think) as a civilian, but considering how conservative the military environment is, I would not want to come out to if I were GLBT myself. I don't even tell people on base I support GLBT or that I read GLBT literature unless I know for sure they will not judge me.
But yeah, just thought I'd elaborate on the US armed forces environment for you.
(frozen) no subject
Date: 2009-09-26 04:26 pm (UTC)