Power and "Political Correctness"

I’ve been watching the articles about “callout culture” and “political correctness” come rolling out for a while now in frustrated fascination. I suppose it’s fitting that it takes a week in which both Jonathan Chait’s piece deploring “political correctness” and Jeet Heer’s accounting of The New Republic’s record on race were published to move me to write about it.

This isn’t because “Someone is finally speaking about this.” We’ve never stopped. As long as traditionally disenfranchised people have advocated for more power, the ways in which they exercise that power have been fodder for discussion and condemnation.

No, the reason I need to write about this topic this week is that the irony is killing me. Watching Chait argue that people like him are silenced by (in part) the speech of others—particularly women of color—is annoying. Contrasting that argument with the acknowledgement of how thoroughly the institution that protected and promoted Chait’s voice excluded the voices and interests of black people is painful. Seeing the impetus for that acknowledgement reduced to “intense arguments, mostly carried out online” instead of crediting the—often black—intellectuals and activists who made this accounting necessary…well. Continue reading “Power and "Political Correctness"”

Power and "Political Correctness"
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Humanism Is People

FtBCon is over for another year. We’re resting and planning for the next one–and planning ways to keep the next one from requiring quite so much rest afterward.

Miri pulled the whole thing together into a playlist that you can find here. I also want to draw your attention to a few individual videos as well. The first of these is short. It’s our opening remarks from Debbie Goddard.

I asked Debbie to provide opening remarks because, when I talk to her, I always come away with a stronger sense of what the atheist and skeptic movements are as a whole. I don’t just see my corner of them. I don’t just think of the loud voices. I see all of us, our history, and our interests. This was no exception.

I love this talk. It’s brimming with perspective. It’s funny. It’s compassionate as hell. You should watch it. Continue reading “Humanism Is People”

Humanism Is People

Introducing the Secular Women Work Conference

Or, How I Spent My Winter Vacation

Actually, I didn’t get much of a winter vacation. Or holidays for that matter. In fact, I’ve mostly been running flat out since November. That was when I realized that no Women in Secularism conference in 2015* meant that I knew what I wanted to do for the Minnesota Atheists summer conference this year.

I wanted to put together a conference that celebrates the accomplishment of female and genderqueer activists in the secular movement and makes us all better activists. So I did that. Continue reading “Introducing the Secular Women Work Conference”

Introducing the Secular Women Work Conference

FtBCon Schedule (Updated)

Update: Now, with links to the sessions. Also, we added a session at the last minute on the psychology of trolls that I’ll be part of.

I’d say FtBCon had snuck up on me if I hadn’t put so much time into getting people prepared for it. But it’s this weekend, and I have panels I’m taking part in this time around, not just moderating. Here’s my schedule of those sessions I’ll be speaking at. I’ll come back before the conference starts and add links to each session. All times are CST. Continue reading “FtBCon Schedule (Updated)”

FtBCon Schedule (Updated)