jimhines

On May 23, the Boy Scouts of America voted to end their policy excluding gay youth from the organization, a decision which  officially takes effect on January 1, 2014. They did not vote on their policy excluding gay adults from accepting leadership positions, nor did they change their policies on atheist and transgender individuals.

The Boy Scouts were an important part of my life growing up. I eventually quit the organization in part due to their bigotry and discrimination. When my son was six and wanted to join Cub Scouts, my wife and I were torn. We eventually let him join, and at the end of the year, we had a long talk about scouts and what it was about, the positives and the negatives, and our own conflicts. The three of us decided together not to sign back up.

I’ve already watched one of my Facebook friends quit the organization in protest, complaining about how a “vocal minority” had “bullied” a private organization into this decision. She also explained that she’s sick and tired of people accusing her of bigotry, and that she doesn’t care about sexual orientation; her concern is for the boys. She wrote a long post about the Scout Law, talking about how openly gay youth violated the ideals of that law.

Bullshit.

This person is so concerned about the safety of the boys. Which makes me wonder, would she support allowing lesbians to serve as den leaders? Because right now, that’s forbidden by the BSA’s discriminatory policies. My mother, a straight woman, was a den leader for many years. If the “logic” of excluding gay men is because they could be potential predators (as a result of being attracted to men), how is that any different from straight women, who are also attracted to men?

Unless you’re buying into the bullshit belief that gay=pedophile/rapist, in which case you are not only a bigot, but an idiot.

She went on to talk about her fear that the boys might go off alone, and who knows what might happen? What if an older gay scout pressures a younger one into something he doesn’t want? Once again it’s not consensual sexual activity she’s afraid of; it’s the “gays as predators” boogeyman.

The Girl Scouts of America have been open and welcoming of all girls, regardless of sexual orientation. Oddly enough, I’m having a really hard time finding stories about the rampant same-sex assaults that presumably permeate the organization as a result of their decision. Weird…

According to the Scout Law, a scout is:

• Trustworthy – I would love to trust this organization with my child. That means trusting them to welcome and accept him as he grows up, trusting them to help him become a better person. A policy of discrimination and bigotry is a violation of that trust.
• Loyal – Many boys have no concept of sexual identity when they first join Tiger Scouts. As they grow older and continue in scouting, some of those boys will discover that they are not, in fact, heterosexual. Should the BSA show loyalty to their own members, or should they kick them to the curb?
• Helpful – Yet when gay and lesbian adults offer their help, scouting rejects them. In my personal experience, scouting was tremendously helpful to me in many ways. Why would the organization want to refuse that help to certain boys?
• Friendly – What’s so friendly about rejection and discrimination, about teaching kids that it’s okay to exclude “those people”?
• Courteous – How is it courteous to tell someone they’re not welcome here, simply because of who he or she loves?
• Kind – See “Friendly.”
• Obedient – I’ll admit, this is one I’ve struggled with over the years. There are times for obedience, and there are times for disobedience. To me, it’s important to obey one’s conscience, as hundreds of Eagle Scouts have done when they returned their medals in protest of the organization’s discriminatory policies. One could argue that the youth and leaders trying to ban homosexuals from scouting are following their consciences, and that’s probably true. It’s also sad and depressing as hell.
• Cheerful – I mean, come on. Gay means cheerful and happy and merry, for crying out loud
• Thrifty – Um … okay, I got nothing for this one. Except maybe that an organization looking for a stable and solid budget, one which relies in part on donations and popcorn sales, shouldn’t enact a broad policy of exclusion?
• Brave – People keep talking about how the vocal minority bullied the BSA into this decision. I think this is a ridiculous abuse of the word “bully,” but setting that aside, it takes tremendous courage to be in the minority and to speak up for what’s right.
• Clean – If you buy into stereotypes about homosexuals, doesn’t that include the one about gays being exceptionally clean and hygienic and well-dressed? After living through those week-long summer camps, the BSA could use an influx of gay men and boys! (Note: I don’t actually believe this, but for those who discriminate based on stereotypes, shouldn’t this be a point in favor of admitting gay youths and leaders?)
• Reverent – This ties into the BSA’s discrimination against atheists, but in terms of homosexuality, do you want to hear something shocking? Not all religions condemn homosexuality! For some devotedly religious individuals, duty to God means loving and welcoming all people.

This continues to be frustrating and painful to me. Boy Scouts did so much for me as a kid, and I believe they do a lot of good. And this week’s decision was a good first step. But it’s only one step. The organization still has work to do if it means to live up to its own stated ideals.

Mirrored from Jim C. Hines.

lwe

• Fri, 16:21: I'm not remotely a bird fan, but I really liked this: http://t.co/5DC3HfYzEv The guy's dead on with most of these.
• Fri, 18:31: Since we turned on our solar power array we've had exactly ONE sunny day. The weather gods hate us.
• Sat, 03:50: Wrote four pages of On A Field Sable tonight. Didn't feel like working on Ishta's Companion or Graveyard Girl or Veran. Too many projects!

nick_kaufmann

As we move steadily toward the October 8 pub date for Dying Is My Business, St. Martin’s Press has begun to focus on their marketing plan. To that end, they sent me an author marketing questionnaire. I’d never filled out a marketing questionnaire that was quite so thorough before. You should have seen this thing. It was five pages long and had dozens of questions! It took me half a day to get through it all! But it’s all good stuff, information they can ostensibly use to market the novel (and me) more efficiently. Questions ranged from the personal (Do I have hobbies? What countries have I traveled to?) to the ubiquitous convention panel-type questions (What inspired me to write the novel? What kind of experience has writing the novel been for me?) to the professional (Have I ever been nominated for an award? Which magazines do I think should get review copies?) to the kind of questions that are probably best left to others to answer (What features distinguish my book from others on the subject? What about me as a working writer do I think might be interesting or unusual?). It was a fascinating experience, actually. I found that being forced to think of myself in marketing terms was unexpectedly rewarding. What does make me interesting? Why would anybody want to read my novel? Discovering that you can actually answer questions like these makes you feel pretty good about yourself and your work.

I also had a productive and friendly conference call with both the Marketing Manager and the Director of Digital Marketing and Social Media at St. Martin’s. We discussed various online strategies to get readers’ attention, as well as some interesting ideas I never would have thought to make use of. (To my relief, they seemed okay with the fact that I will never, ever go back to being on Facebook. Ever.) These folks really know their stuff. Apparently, there is also a publicist who will be assigned to my novel to help with offline stuff, but I won’t get to chat with him or her until closer to the pub date.

So far, I have to admit my experience with St. Martin’s Press has been pretty great. From my editor to the online marketing folks I spoke with, everyone seems top notch, experienced, knowledgeable, and eager to make the book a success. I feel like I’m in really good hands. Now I’m just antsy for the damn thing to be published already!

Originally published at Nicholas Kaufmann. You can comment here or there.

mizkit

Author Kristin Kathryn Rusch writes about a major change in book distribution and what it potentially means for writers.

It’s a really long article. It’s really worth reading. The *exceedingly* short take-away of it is that you may soon be seeing copies of NO DOMINION on bookstore shelves near you…

(x-posted from The Essential Kit)

mizkit

We watched an ENTIRE SEASON of TV this week! Because it was 2nd season Sherlock, which is only 3 episodes. :)

The very end of The Reichenbach Fall, although I’d seen it quoted roughly a million times already, was still very effective. In fact, the whole episode was. Somehow I spent at least half of it with my knees pulled up and my hands over my mouth, despite obviously knowing how it was going to end.

I will never be able to watch Cumberbatch as Sherlock again without thinking “Oh, you with the cheekbones and the collar!” Which isn’t the line (nor is it from The Reichenbach Fall, but nevermind that), but it’s the gist of it anyway and it’s giggle-worthy true.

It was about halfway through A Scandal in Belgravia that I finally became converted to the idea of Benedict Cumberbatch as utterly swoonable. Perhaps I’d hit the saturation threshhold necessary, after Into Darkness immediately followed by A Scandal in Belgravia, but the Moment Itself was when Sherlock returns home to discover that the [redacted] has [redacted] poor [redacted]. The transition from curiosity to deduction to utter rage all without discernable change of expression was O.M.G. *ded*

(I really can’t suss Sherlock. I can’t decide if he’s really the high-functioning sociopath he claims to be, or if actually he feels things so deeply he uses his intellect to belittle everything in order to protect himself. Presumably the latter, but of course, part of the charm of the character is that nobody can tell which it is.)

All of which leads me directly into remembering Laura Anne saying, “Cumberbatch stole every scene he was in, in Star Trek, which makes you appreciate just how good Martin Freeman is, that he doesn’t let Cumberbatch do that in Sherlock.” Yes yes yes. It’s so much less flashy a role, but she’s so right. And he just tore me apart in The Reichenbach Fall. Waugh!

I’m now hopping for series 3. :)

(p.s. hm. how do i have no sherlock icons? *fixes that*)

(x-posted from The Essential Kit)

james_nicoll

Washington State police say an Alberta trucker was responsible for hitting a steel beam precipitating a bridge collapse on one of the busiest routes in the American northwest.

Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are comment(s); comment here or there.

kateelliott

This will start May 29 at A Dribble of Ink.

Welcome to the Daggerspell Reread and Review Series, with Aidan Moher (your humble editor/blogger) and Kate Elliott (author of lots and lots of cool novels)! We thought it would be fun to bring two different perspectives (someone who’s read the series, someone who hasn’t), and explore Daggerspell together, comparing notes and reflecting on a series and world that are held dearly by many readers. We’re also hoping that, if you’re not familiar with Kerr, you might discover a new favourite author.

If you are so inclined, read along with us. I’m very excited about this.

Again, the introductory post about what we are doing and the schedule find here.

Mirrored from I Make Up Worlds.

james_nicoll

"I do not use crack cocaine," Ford told a jam-packed news conference at Toronto City Hall. "Nor am I an addict of crack cocaine."

lwe

• Fri, 03:47: Did some revising on Ishta's Companion, which I'll be serializing on my Ethshar webpage this summer. I'm writing Chapter 9 of maybe 20-25.

mizkit

I’m sure it’d be faster to take a picture, but here’s the to-be-read shelf:

Michael Carroll: THE ASCENSION, SUPER HUMAN
Neil Gaiman: THE GRAVEYARD BOOK
Sarah Rees Brennan: UNSPOKEN
Cassandra Clare: CIY OF BONES, CITY OF ASHES, CITY OF GLASS
CS Friedman: LEGACY OF KING
Nick Harkaway: ANGELMAKER
Gene Kemp: THE TURBULENT TERM OF TYKE TILER
Sheridan Le Fanu: IN A GLASS DARKLY
Ian Whates: CITY OF DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES
Pamela C Dean: THE SECRET COUNTRY
MC Beaton: DEATH OF A CAD
Faith Hunter: RAVEN CURSED, DEATH’S RIVAL
Lynn Fwelling: THE BONE DOLL’S TWIN, HIDDEN WARRIOR, THE ORACLE’S QUEEN
Ben Macallan: DESDAEMONA
Catie Murphy: STONEMASTER
Keri Sperring: THE GRASS KING’S CONCUBINE
Alan Steele: SPINDRIFT
Jane Yolen & Midori Snyder: EXCEPT THE QUEEN
Philip Jose Farmer: PEARLS FROM PEORIA
Paul Cornell: LONDON FALLING
Saladin Ahmed: THRONE OF THE CRESCENT MOON
Juliet E McKenna: BLOOD IN THE WATER, BANNERS IN THE WIND
Adrian Tchaikovsky: EMPIRE IN BLACK AND GOLD
Anne Lyle: THE ALCHEMIST OF SOULS
Emma Newman: BETWEEN TWO THORNS
Walter Jon Williams: THIS IS NOT A GAME
Mike Shevdon: STRANGENESS & CHARM
Michael Colby: SEEDS OF EARTH

and an assortment of non-fiction i’m not man enough to add. and a bunch of stuff on the e-reader, too, of course. all the crowdfunded stuff of the past year or two! waugh! someday! :)

I’m currently reading (heh, on my e-reader) KHAN OF MARS, a SPIRIT OF THE CENTURY novel by Stephen Blackmoore. I doubt I’m man enough to turn this into a poll, either, so if you have an opinion about what I should read next you’ll have to express it the old-fashioned way, by typing it out. :)

(x-posted from The Essential Kit)

james_nicoll

Members of Rob Ford’s executive committee say they are prepared to take over the day-to-day running of the city if the Toronto mayor is no longer able to perform his duties, amid a scandal involving allegations he was caught on video smoking crack cocaine.

Also posted at Dreamwidth, where there are comment(s); comment here or there.

jimhines

I’ve never been one for big cities. In some ways, I think of it as an extension of my introversion. Big cities = too many people, too much going on, and I get twitchy just thinking about it.

But I’ve watched my fellow authors do the occasional New York trip to visit with editors and agents, and it’s been strongly advised by a number of folks that I do the same, especially with the relative success of Libriomancer.

So when I received an invitation to moderate the Adult Book Bloggers Panel at Book Expo of America in New York, I was happy to say yes. I’m even happier now that I’ve been chatting with my panelists, including Sarah from Smart Bitches, Trashy Books — the woman responsible for making me do this — along with Mandi from Smexy Books and Rebecca from The Book Lady’s Blog.

My BEA schedule, excluding meetings and such, looks like so:

• 5/29, 11:15 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. — Book Blogging Panel.
• 5/31, 3:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. — Signing at the SFWA table.
• 6/1, 12 p.m. – 12:30 p.m. — “Meet the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America,” with myself, Jeri Smith-Ready, and Leanna Renee Hieber.

I am both excited and a bit intimidated. I’ve been to NYC once in my life, helping a friend move, and that was more than a decade ago. On the other hand, I’ll be spending time with a lot of great people, and attending an event devoted to the awesomeness of books. How can you not love that?

So blogging will be light to nonexistent next week. This will be my first time at BEA, and my second time in NYC (the first was more than a decade ago, helping a friend move, and I didn’t see that much of the city). My plan is to try to have fun, hopefully collect some books, and shamelessly gawk at everything.

Wish me luck, and if you’re going to be at BEA, then I hope to see you there!

Mirrored from Jim C. Hines.