It has been announced that CONvergence 2021 will proceed as scheduled. Unfortunately, I am not attending this year. Many people have asked me why I am not attending, and so I am making this post to explain why I am not going. I do plan on attending in 2022 as long as things continue to improve, but this year is not in the cards.
Now, let’s be clear on this - I will not be attending. This is only about me and the specific situation that I am in, and no one else. Other people have their own decisions to make, and I am not trying to influence that. This is just to explain why I am not going, because many people keep asking me why and I find it easier to have a central spot to provide an answer.
Those of you who are going, though, I have two requests:
Please take a lot of pictures! I hope to see what it is like this year. I am sad that I am not going.
Please volunteer or donate to CVG! CONvergence needs community support to stay afloat, and I for one would love to see it make a comeback in 2022.
My primary reason for not attending this year is that I don’t trust enough people to be safe in general. The geek community in general has too many conservatives [Note 1], COVID-deniers, and anti-science people for me to feel comfortable attending any convention in person. With the continued rise of fake COVID vaccine cards and the number of people who still believe that the vaccine contains a microchip [Note 2], and the fact that I am high risk [Note 3], I am not willing to take any chances with being in crowded areas for extended periods of time, no matter how much I want to be there.
On top of my general distrust of the conservatives and anti-science people who are members of the geek community is seeing the reaction of certain people to CONvergene’s announcement in its Facebook Group. While the majority of people commenting were grateful for the safety precautions that are being put in place, there have been a few people who have given me pause. Seeing anyone in the community argue that proof of vaccination and masking is “absurd” (it’s not) and “anti-scientific” (it’s not) is enough to convince me that there will be people who will try to bend or break the safety precautions put forth by the hotel & convention.
Lastly, while CONvergence has explained their safety protocols and restrictions (and I am in total agreement with them), I’m not clear on how actual enforcement will be handled, as well as what the penalties for violating the safety precautions are and how those will be enforced. Because of my increased risk, I’m uncomfortable not being in the know - especially after seeing people whine and complain about the safety precautions that are in place. This isn’t as major a point as the previous two for me, but it still nibbles at the edges of my mind.
And so this is why I am not going. I don't begrudge those who are going, but I cannot take that risk.
Notes:
It often baffles me why conservatives like certain science fiction media, especially Star Trek. Steve Shrives has an excellent video essay that delves into why conservatives may like Star Trek: https://youtu.be/nNNWWdsEYGg
At least one former friend of mine has fallen victim to the hoax that says that “the vaccine will make you magnetic”. She did the “magnet test” on her mom by applying a kitchen magnet to her mother’s arm after her mom got a vaccination. After I asked her if her mom made certain to wash her arm first (she didn’t) or if they washed the magnet first (it was not), I pointed out that the magnet was probably sticking to her arm because the disinfectant and the dirty magnet were sticking together. The vaccine is safe.
Per the CDC, “long-standing systemic health and social inequities have put various groups of people at increased risk of getting sick and dying from COVID-19, including many racial and ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities.” I’m Black and Queer. Furthermore, medical conditions in adults that make someone high risk include:
Asthma, if it’s moderate to severe
Hypertension
Obesity
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