Many of you in the writing community are aware of the recent uproar over Bouchercon 2014 hosting the Men of Mystery (MoM) convention at their annual con in Long Beach next week, and what it means to women writers. I have such mixed feelings over this for many reasons. One has to do with my own long, hard battle to gain equal rights in a man’s world. I think it’s important to know. Back in 1982-83 (yes, I’m that old), while four women in San Francisco were pitching a legal war over the inequality of the physical test for the fire department—it being too hard for women, therefore not fair—I had passed the physical test (which was geared only for men) for my city’s police department. I was told by another officer that the then-chief had said, “The only place women belong are flat on their backs in bed.” I knew for a fact that I wasn’t going to get hired. And yet I was, and became the first female officer in that city. I was told much later in my career that when the brass saw a woman had actually made the list, there was a big argument. They didn’t want to hire me. They didn’t want women on the force. Just skip over my name. I wouldn’t know. And then one lieutenant pointed out the current lawsuit in San Francisco. He added that they could hire me, a woman who had actually passed the same physical test as the men, or they could wait and possibly end up having to lower their physical standards due to the suit and be forced by the courts to hire someone who couldn’t pass. No one expected me to last beyond the training program. My first day there, as I was being introduced, I was told by one detective—in front of all the others—that he wasn’t ready for women on patrol. Everyone laughed. I did not. Needless to say, it was a long and difficult journey. Most women in those days were on their own. I could have used a Sisters in Crime support group. I put that forth for no other reason than to show that I am aware of the obstacles women face in a male-oriented world. I, and others before me, and certainly after, have fought those battles. We’re still fighting them. I am also very aware of the obstacles women face in the writing world. I admire and respect Sara Paretsky and others who have followed in her footsteps with Sisters in Crime. I recently read a wonderful piece by another well-respected author in the field, Laura Lippman, posted on Facebook about the Golden Age, which also details some of the battles fought over the years and how women writers were viewed. It was not directed toward Bouchercon and MoM, but it speaks about the same issues. She has long been a champion on this cause (as have others). I believe in what these women are saying. Which is why I hope to clear the air over this Men of Mystery con at Bouchercon 2014. I need to point out that before Bouchercon 2014 had the affront to put Men of Mystery on their schedule, I was co-chair at Left Coast Crime 2012 in Sacramento, and the MoM program appeared on our schedule as well. If you want to blame someone for allowing this to slip through the cracks and make it into legitimate conference panel, blame me. I allowed it prior to Bouchercon 2014. I apologize. It was never my intent to hurt anyone. Back in 2011, I looked over this program. I was concerned over the number of men on it. Surely it’s not fair, right? Why, then, would someone with my background allow this on the program? I did some fact checking. I’m good at that, due to my training. MoM is a charitable organization that promotes literacy. It is not for men only. Its presence at LCC was not intended to be a separate con within a con. They were presenting a panel. More importantly, the panel was simply an introduction of male authors, combined with a parody of their likeness on the screen. The men are all seated on the stage. They are quickly introduced and that is it. I suppose to call it anything, one might suggest it is an advertisement for the real one day charitable event in Southern California. My determination was that the MoM panel really was a non-event when it came to LCC. And so I allowed it to be placed on our schedule. The organizer of the event paid her way. The authors attending paid their way. And we scheduled panels opposite it. The opposing panels were mostly comprised of women, because we had most of the men appearing on MoM. We had absolutely no issues with competition. Audiences were as normal for all the other panels. The attendees had to choose between viewing a panel of 60+ men or several panels of five women—many more chose the panels of women over this gathering of men. And as Lee Goldberg mentioned in posts on Facebook, no one complained in 2012. At least not to me or anyone on my committee of volunteers. Until now. Which is what I find interesting—perhaps because some of those voicing their complaints today also attended LCC 2012. They surely saw it on the schedule back then. So why bring it up now instead of in 2012? Some of the recent complaints about MoM at Bouchercon 2014 have to do with this free MoM breakfast and the sponsorship by publishers. There is and never was a free breakfast associated with it at Bouchercon. It was simply a panel. No one is sponsoring this event. (Nor did they in Sacto.) Which leaves the main complaint that this is a panel of men—and women should be given equal time. Happily, this has been done at Bouchercon 2014, after it was brought to the MoM and Bcon organizers’ attention. The panel was divided into two, and women are being given half the slot to put on a Women of Mystery panel if they so choose. I applaud the organizers for dividing it. And I applaud the way MWA gave a brief and non-condemning statement about the issue, even though they are in no way professionally affiliated with Bouchercon. (I have heard that SinC has responded, but have not yet read it.) I applaud Sara Paretsky for voicing her concern over the matter, although I believe (from what she wrote about this breakfast and sponsorship on Facebook) that she was given some incorrect information at the time. I would add that if this was a *sponsored* event with free food, opposite panels without free food, it was a very valid complaint by all who made it. But it was not sponsored. The truth of the matter is that it is simply a panel with a whole bunch of guys on it. But more important than what I think the panel is or is not—as a former conference chair and program chair for two LCCs—I feel it necessary to point out what this issue is doing to the organizers of Bouchercon 2014, many who have worked so hard to bring this convention to Long Beach. I don’t feel it is fair to make them out as the villains because of an error in judgment—the same one I made in 2012 when I co-chaired LCC. It is, however, perfectly acceptable to inform us of our mistake and suggest (as MWA did) that this issue be addressed for future cons. Remind us that a panel of this nature goes against all the hard work done by our tireless volunteers at Sisters in Crime over the years—and point out that in future cons equal time should be given to women for a panel of this type. I would expect that. What I don’t expect is that some think it is okay to make comments in the heat of the moment that hurt the volunteer organizers who have put in countless hours—unpaid hours—over many months, even years, to bring Bouchercon 2014 to life. We tend to think of Bouchercon as, well, Bouchercon: A faceless group of professional organizers who shouldn’t make mistakes. We forget that Bouchercon is a group of volunteers—mostly women—who change every year. I think if we try to keep that in mind, along with the understanding of how many hours they have willingly donated (all so that we can gather to promote our books), we might be a little more forgiving. There have been some angry comments made on both sides of the issues. Feelings have been hurt. Things said that fanned the flames. I have remained largely silent, knowing the role I played early on in 2012, and feeling an enormous sense of guilt. Do I regret my decision to allow it? Yes—because of the hurt and vitriol I have seen aimed toward the Bouchercon 2014 volunteers, the majority who are not published, but who are readers and fans who happen to love mysteries and the authors who write them. My fear at this point is that this matter will overshadow all the hard work put forth by these wonderful people. It shouldn’t. The message has been received. We now know better. I hope those of you who are attending Bouchercon 2014 will take a moment to thank them for their months and months of unpaid work—because without them, there would be no Bouchercon at all.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 00:47:54 +0000
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