Statement From Worldcon Chair [Science Fiction Conevention Warns of Terrifying U.S.]
Seattle WorldCon 2025 ^
Posted on 03/21/2025 4:29:57 PM PDT by nickcarraway
March 20, 2025 by Kathy Bond Dear Worldcon Community,
I am writing this statement in order to share the status of Seattle Worldcon’s current journey through living up to our theme of Building Yesterday’s Future—For Everyone. We have received a number of concerns asking how the convention will respond to orders and actions of the U.S. government, which we condemn, that create hostile conditions and travel barriers for LGBTQ+ members and international members.
We appreciate everyone’s concerns as we navigate the current political landscape together. As I stated when we won the bid, our theme is an acknowledgment that we have not successfully built the future we have aspired to, but we are also inspired by optimism for a better future—including the movements that have existed throughout history pushing us to build communities and pushing us to recognize our shared humanity. The personal is political, and our fandom lives cannot and should not be separated from that reality.
We are not going to get everything right, and I am explicitly asking for your grace as we move forward, do our best, listen to feedback, and correct our course as necessary.
We do not have a list of all the steps we are going to take in light of the political landscape right now, as it continues to shift rapidly. We know this is not a particularly satisfying answer in light of the many concerns that we have heard from you about our members who need to enter the United States and what they might encounter trying to cross the border. We are not minimizing those concerns. The situation is frightening, and we encourage our members to make the best decisions for themselves even if that means that we will miss you at our convention. At the same time we are committed to not cancelling the in-person Worldcon as some have suggested because it is even more important than ever to gather with those who are able to do so to discuss our theme and celebrate the power of SFF to imagine different societies.
We are investigating what concrete actions we can take and offer to our members. Our Code of Conduct, Diversity Commitment, and Anti-Racism Statement provide the guidelines we are using in making these determinations. We would also like to remind people about what we are already doing.
First, we have in place a Virtual Membership for people who determine that they are no longer safe traveling to the U.S. or cannot attend for other reasons. As part of our program, we are partnering with groups from around the world to bring virtual panels to the shoulder hours (before and after in-person programming) every day of the convention to broaden our streaming offerings and include members from other parts of the world. We are actively working on this part of our virtual event and more announcements will be forthcoming. You also can participate in the Hugo Awards online–voting on the final ballot, and discussing Finalists with each other on our social media or in your own book clubs. There is also the on-line Business Meeting as has been previously announced.
Second, building on the work of other Worldcons and conventions, we will be having Safer Spaces Lounges available for members of marginalized communities who attend the convention in person. These spaces will be marked on convention maps.
Third, we will be drafting a resource guide to collate many of the wonderful resources that local organizations have already put together. In the interim, the ACLU of Washington has several Know Your Rights publications available, as does Northwest Immigrants Rights Project for individuals concerned about their rights while traveling.
Fourth, we will be fundraising for the following nonprofit organizations at the convention: Books to Prisoners, The Bureau of Fearless Ideas, and Hugo House. All of these organizations do important work to promote literacy education in the Seattle area and help build community resilience.
Finally, the political landscape is changing daily and impacting all of us in differing, but profound ways. Our staff is not immune. Many of our staff are deeply, personally impacted by the actions of the U.S. president, as his bigoted and hateful orders target our shared humanity. Many of us are federal employees who are now navigating what is happening to the civil service, terminations from our careers, and extreme uncertainty about our livelihoods. Many of us are also still dealing with the impact of the Los Angeles fires, Hurricane Helene, tornadoes, and other recent severe weather events on our families, loved ones, and friends. As citizens in the U.S. and around the world, we have many concerns, which are probably similar to yours. We all care deeply about our community and about Worldcon and are working diligently to navigate all of the waters that surround us, but we are also human with all the fallibility, blind spots, and competing demands on our time that entails.
This is a time to support each other. If you have questions about how we can support you in deciding about your Worldcon attendance, please reach out to chair@seattlein2025.org.
In solidarity, Kathy Bond (she/her)
TOPICS: Books/Literature; Conspiracy; Society
KEYWORDS: conventions; sciencefiction; trump
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So, this is some convention for science fiction, I've never heard of but they are warning people about Seattle?
On what planet could people believe that LGBT people are more safe in Gaza than Seattle?
1 posted on 03/21/2025 4:29:57 PM PDT by nickcarraway
To: nickcarraway
2 posted on 03/21/2025 4:31:12 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
To: nickcarraway
Whatever floats yer boat, Skippy. Just don’t break the law.
3 posted on 03/21/2025 4:39:31 PM PDT by Libloather (Why do climate change hoax deniers live in mansions on the beach?)
To: nickcarraway
I’ve heard that Republicans are forcibly castrating gay men.
No, wait. It’s Democrats and they’re forcibly castrating preteen boys, regardless of sexual orientation.
4 posted on 03/21/2025 4:39:57 PM PDT by unlearner (Still not tired of winning.)
To: nickcarraway
Science Fiction has always had a Leftist component, sometimes with a little balance from liberterians.
There are very few conservative oriented Science Fiction books. I am trying to think of some.
Perhaps someone can help me out with that.
In fantasy, perhaps the Lord of the Rings Trilogy...
Short range SF now occurring “The Camp of the Saints”.
Kurt Schlichter’s People’s Republic series.
Matt Braken’s Enemies Trilogy.
The Weapon Shops of Isher... More liberterian than Conservative
So, there are some. Where are those which incorporate Christian faith in the story?
5 posted on 03/21/2025 4:42:41 PM PDT by marktwain
To: nickcarraway
Seattle used to be, in the not so distant past, the most livable city in the nation.
It used to be called the 'Emerald City'.
Now, since before it became the home of the 'Summer of Love' as declared by the lesbian Mayor of several years ago, it is a dump. No one on the East side of the Cascades wants to go there except for emergencies.
6 posted on 03/21/2025 4:42:54 PM PDT by Parmy
To: BenLurkin
I dunno...maybe we shouldn't laugh them off so quick.
7 posted on 03/21/2025 4:52:14 PM PDT by MikelTackNailer (Free compassion and beer tomorrow.)
To: marktwain
Off the top of my head I would say Gene Wolfe. I great writer strong conservative and devote Catholic. I enjoyed talking to him at the Chicago area sci fiction conventions and was sorry when he moved to Peoria.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Wolfe
I know for a fact he was strongly pro life.
8 posted on 03/21/2025 4:54:07 PM PDT by LauraJean (sometimes I win sometimes I donate to the equine benevolent society)
To: marktwain
Why would Science Fiction have a leftist bent? I'm not sure why it should be political at all.
A lot of people consider Harrison Bergeron to be a conservative Science Fiction story, even though it's writer, Kurt Vonnegut, was not considered conservative.
Also, Nineteen Eighty-Four might be considered some, even though Eric Blair was not a conservative, he grew very opposed to communism.
9 posted on 03/21/2025 4:58:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
To: LauraJean
Don you see it reflected in his work?
To: nickcarraway
Good grief, these people are NUTS!!!
11 posted on 03/21/2025 5:01:45 PM PDT by MAGA2017
To: All
Of course this was based upon Elon Musks threat to round them up and deport them to Arrakis to be food for the sandworms.
12 posted on 03/21/2025 5:02:28 PM PDT by BipolarBob (My ex said I was a psychopath. I said at least I'm on a path because she's off the rails crazy.)
To: marktwain
The classic science fiction of C.S. Lewis is of course pro Christian:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Space_Trilogy
Most dystopias are anti-left in one form or another. They usually show central planning that goes awry.
The science fiction organizations followed Robert Conquest’s Second Law:
“Any organization not explicitly right-wing will eventually become left wing.”
They get nuttier every year.
13 posted on 03/21/2025 5:03:11 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
To: cgbg
I read all the Narnia books, but not that.
To: marktwain
CS Lewis's Space Trilogy would be an example of conservative science fiction. (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength).
Like all his work these are great reading, though very different from what a normal SF fan would expect. Partly due to the difference in worldview, and partly just because he was writing in the 1940's when ideas about other worlds had little scientific basis to go by.
I would particularly recommend That Hideous Strength, which in my opinion is a much better book than 1984, while covering the same ground. I'm not the only one who in recent years has expressed the thought that we are living out the world depicted in That Hideous Strength.
To: cgbg
Didn't see your post, but glad to see others plug Lewis. :-)
And, duh, my screen name provides another example of a conservative body of science fiction. Orson Scott Card has taken a huge amount of flack for his resistance to the homofascists and his non-woke writing. Not that he really pushes a conservative worldview, but at least he doesn't have any "woke" nonsense. My understanding is that he's Mormon, but he is one of the few SF writers who writes intelligently and respectfully in his incorporation of various religions in his future worlds.
To: EnderWiggin1970
My favorite CS Lewis quote—most here probably have heard it:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.
It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.
The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”
17 posted on 03/21/2025 5:17:51 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
To: EnderWiggin1970
Card has a lot of hidden Mormon “code” in his writings fwiw.
18 posted on 03/21/2025 5:19:25 PM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
To: Parmy
I visit Seattle every July. It is always beautiful weather in July. My daughters home is in nice area. Very peaceful & beautiful trees everywhere.
19 posted on 03/21/2025 5:29:59 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (I am in mid-80's and I am not gonna change my opinions.)
To: nickcarraway
“our theme is an acknowledgment that we have not successfully built the future we have aspired to, but we are also inspired by optimism for a better future”...
This must be the person that wrote Kamamala’s speeches.
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