#3 Let's talk about the Honey Badger Brigade getting thrown out of Calgary Expo.

1. The Story

Let's talk about #ExpoGate. Calgary Expo, a comic and entertainment convention in Canada, recently went through a huge PR shitstorm when they banned The Honey Badger Brigade from their convention. For those who don't know, The HBB is a group of podcasters who are anti-censorship. They are known for tackling difficult topics in gaming culture and gender issues, are pro #GamerGate, and uphold the unpopular belief that men's rights are as important to fight for as women's rights.

They attended Calgary Expo thanks in large part to funding by their numerous fans. They had a booth that proudly (if not somewhat fearfully) flew the #GamerGate flag, in addition to the Honey Badger merchandise and HBB founder Alison Tieman's comic, Xenospora. The HBB group numbered 10 in all, 5 women and 5 men.

Thursday, day 1 of the convention, Alison and Sage (one of the men in the HBB group) attended a Women in Comics panel. At one point during the panel Alison asked if she could address a point that the panelists were discussing. They gave permission. Alison said she was an MRA. The panelist said okay. There was a calm dialogue. The panel ended. Twitter blew the fuck up.

Friday morning, day 2 of the convention, the entire HBB group was banned from Calgary Expo and any other events that they run. Calgary Expo released a vague press statement and has failed to explain to the HBB what they did that resulted in their ban. Accusations flew around the internet, but the fact remains that Expo staff themselves did not provide the group with a clear explanation for their ban. Calgary Expo said it received 25 allegations of harassment expressed through social media, and implied that the Women in Comics panel was the issue. They did not conduct an investigation, nor did they communicate any issues with the HBB prior to the ban, and no warnings were given. You can read the HBB press release and the Calgary Expo official statement for more information.

2. Why It Matters

I don't care what side of the feminism and/or #GamerGate debate you're on. It doesn't matter. All of us, no matter our beliefs, should strive to maintain an open dialogue with those we disagree with. The moment we shut out opinions that differ from our own is the moment we cease to grow as human beings. The moment we decide to wrap ourselves within the perceived safety of like-mindedness is the moment we cease to be individuals. It's easy to talk to people who agree with you. Support is great, but forward progress is also essential. We don't just need to eat, we need to drink.

Even if you come at this from an activist's point of view. Your movement can only spread when you engage with those who are not already a part of your movement! Open, honest, and peaceful dialogue must be maintained for that to occur.

It's important to remember that this is not a feminism or #GamerGate issue. This is a censorship issue. It doesn't matter what the opinions are, or what they're fighting for. The HBB came in to protest censorship, and were immediately censored. Calgary Expo seems to define harassment as any expression of opinion that does not fit into the norm.

Why are people so afraid to talk to one another? Why are we so afraid of opposing opinions that 10 peaceful people had to be banned to create a safe space? This is craziness, guys! It's okay to disagree. It's healthy for diversity to exist. We preach about the beauty of physical diversity all the time, but what about the beauty of mental diversity?

You can be a feminist or an anti Gator and still think it was wrong for the HBB to be thrown out! Seriously. Because it's about freedom of thought. It's about protecting the rights of those you disagree with because diversity is an absolute necessity for growth. We don't have to like one another, but we should absolutely strive to protect one another. We're all pro-equality. We're all anti-discrimination. Right?

In Alison Tieman's heartfelt Youtube response, she said something that struck me. It's not about the group of people, it's about the behavior. It's not about hating men, women, feminists, MRAs, anti Gators, Gators, whatever. It's about hating exclusion. Hating censorship. Hating discrimination. Hating the condensing of thought and the judgment of belief.

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."

-Voltaire

Freedom of thought is 100% worth fighting for. What do you think?

3. #GamerGate - A Hate Group?

In the interest of protecting a public safe space, I am all for the banning of hate groups, which are a danger to the public. It should be noted, however, that free thought should not be considered a danger to the public. So let's talk about hate groups for a moment. What does that mean and do the Gators qualify?

A hate group is an organized group or movement that advocates and practices hatred, hostility, or violence towards members of a race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other designated sector of society (copy/pasted directly from Google/Wikipedia).

#GamerGate is a hashtag. There is no leader, there is no organization among the group as a whole. By definition a hate group must be organized. Now let's pretend they are. Ask any Gator what their goal/movement is about. They have never excluded women from their club. In fact, many women ARE Gators. And their goal is ethics in gaming journalism. The Gators I talked to cared less about Zoey Quinn's sexual habits and more about the fact that all such relationships, regardless of the genders involved, should be included in the article. It's about full disclosure.

But Katt! You didn't talk to the MEAN Gators. I talked to anyone who would talk to me. Oddly, I found the anti-Gators to be more hostile towards my unbiased approach than the Gators themselves. I am more likely to fear anti-Gators, despite the fact that most of my friends are on that side of the conflict. Regardless, let me draw your attention to that part above where I said that #GamerGate is not organized. People on both sides have been doxed, harassed, pressured, and people on both sides have been the bully. There are no rules in this internet shitstorm, and you're going to get all kinds of people clamoring to join in the fun. #GamerGate is not a hate group. If they hate anyone, it's anti-Gators. But anti-Gators hate them just as much in return!

4. MRAs - A Hate Group?

Once again, we don't meet the organizational criteria. To explain further, feminism is a socio-political stance. It's a movement, but not an organized one. You would have to analyze independent feminist groups to determine whether they qualified as a hate group or not. The Westboro Baptist Church is a hate group. They are well organized, and strongly advocate against the LGBTQ community. MRAs fall into the same category as feminists. It's a socio-political belief of equality, only looking at our culture through a different perspective. You would have to analyze individual organized groups to determine if it is a hate group, but the entire movement does not qualify. First, it lacks the proper organization. Second, just like there are feminists who hate men and feminists who love men, there are MRAs who hate women and MRAs who love them. The HBB, while in favor of the MRA perspective, is not anti-women. They are anti-censorship - that means they protect views that are different from their own. And there is nothing hateful about that.

Note: I am friends with Honey Badger Anna Cherry. This gives me an emotional bias, because her sadness makes me sad, but not a political bias. I have no problems having different political philosophies from my friends.

EDIT: For clarification, the HBB were all asked to leave the convention without re-entry. Only Alison, the booth leader was permabanned.

#GamerGate #HoneyBadgerBrigade #CalgaryExpo #MRAs #feminism