From Books & Such Literary Management:
I’ve been back and forth more times than the airport shuttle on whether I should comment on this topic. We, as Christians and especially as women, are taught to forgive and smooth things over, especially things that make us deeply uncomfortable. I’ve come to the conclusion that to keep quiet is akin to being complicit. So here goes. . . hopefully short and anything but sweet.
What am I talking about? Christian publishing’s own version of Me Too. #metoo.
. . . .
You may have seen the article in Publishers Weekly or the one in World magazine. The articles were carefully written, uncovering a troubling situation that had been going on for years in our writers conferences. Ever since word came out, naming four serial offenders, there’s been silence among industry professionals. I spoke to one person involved in a large writers conference, and she said they had known for a long time and handled the situation quietly but swiftly.
. . . .
There are women, mostly very young women, who have largely been ignored in this frenzy of forgiveness. I know for a fact there are those who felt called to a writing career who have left, feeling disillusioned and defeated. Others are still moving forward, but it has been years since they felt comfortable gathering with other writers. One of those men accused of multiple inappropriate acts said he “took the high road” and quit before being fired from his position. The high road? That is cheap grace. Women have had their lives changed forever. That is not hyperbole.
. . . .
Some of those named were johnny-on-the-spot to come out and ask forgiveness as soon as they heard that articles were in the works. Many of these men had been quietly banned from writers conferences for years– why didn’t they come out then and confess and ask forgiveness? Or even before? One wise commenter hit the nail on the head when he called it “preemptive confession.” Writers by the hundreds came gushing onto those blogs posted on Facebook to tell the abuser how much they admired him for his courage. Seriously? All the while the victims are being traumatized over and over by those very comments. I cringe to read them.
Link to the rest at Books & Such Literary Management and thanks to David for the tip.
I volunteered for years at a college science fiction convention. Several times, one of the writer or publishing guests would suddenly have a large security guy with him. The security wasn’t there to protect him, but the paying guests because the guy had proven to be a pervert who had cornered some sweet young thing. The sf convention community is small and talkative. These guests disappeared off the circuit. A pity more couldn’t be done.
it may be that the ‘formation’ of men in the church is good, but the uses some put goodness and grace too, causes some scoundrels to attempt too soon a public admittance and a public absolution–as it is anethma as taught to not forgive the penitent.
But that leaves out the very real fact of psychopaths and malignant narcissists who are not sorry, only sorry they got caught cause their scams were going so well. But will again as they sail away on the sea of forgiveness from well meaning souls.