Wayne, it is good to hear about what's happening in North Carolina, and
reassuring to learn that folks there are grappling with the same issues we
are. Is the discussion still going on? Keep us posted, and let us know if
they come up with any gems that we can benefit from.
On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 9:47 AM Wayne Hoffman <whoffman@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hi -
Thanks for moving this conversation to BOO.
I just want to add a little east coast perspective. The same news of
sexual harassment/assault etc. in the birding world has also stirred up a
conversation on the Carolinas list-serve. It has been a bit less vitriolic
(e.g., no recommendations that so-and-so should sue his victims) but has
touched on a lot of similar things.
The conversation has included posts from men who cannot conceive of women
feeling uneasy in the presence of male birders, and obviously do not
understand the concept of mansplaining, or what might be offensive about it.
It has included multiple expressions of thanks from women for the posts
that started the conversation.
So far there has been one very public request to be removed from the
list-serve, by a man who undoubtedly knows how to leave by himself,
followed by the usual requests to reconsider, from wannabe enablers.
For me, the worst post was by a man who should have known better. He
called out a person who used a short abbreviation instead of a recognizable
name in a few mildly provocative posts, for breaking the list-serve custom
that posted should identify themselves and their location of residence on
all posts. In other words people who fear reprisals or have had bad
experiences that they do not want to be identified with, are not welcome in
the conversation?
The one thing that was kind of an eye-opener to me was that people who
identify themselves somewhere on the LGBTQIA spectrum have additional
concerns, difficulties, triggering dynamics, etc. in the context of birding
gatherings or field trips. The most eloquent post in this vein was from a
person who I had met while chasing a rare bird a few months ago.
We had a somewhat extended conversation that I thought was totally
appropriate, but I am just now realizing that my identification of this
person as a presumably cis woman may have been mistaken, and continue to
wonder whether anything I said may have caused difficulty for them. If so,
they showed no signs that I picked up on, but I am still concerned.
Wayne
------------------------------
*From: *"Teresa Hertzel" <teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx>
*To: *"Craig Miller" <gismiller@xxxxxxxxx>
*Cc: *"boo" <boo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Sent: *Thursday, February 25, 2021 9:51:01 AM
*Subject: *[boo] Re: Discussion
Craig, I agree with you that people who post inappropriately should be
individually moderated and not just banned outright immediately.
On Thu, Feb 25, 2021 at 8:42 AM Craig Miller <gismiller@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Thank you Teresa for starting this discussion.
I believe OBA was completely appropriate in posting its statement.
The blowback just illustrated that the policy is right on the mark.
I think anytime someone is derogatory toward another person, the post
should be removed if possible, and further posts filtered. If it becomes a
pattern, they should be removed off the list.
Craig Miller
Bend
On Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 4:01 AM Teresa Hertzel <teresa.hertzel@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
BOOers,
Here are some questions for you, although you certainly don't have to
stick to these topics.
Do you think the OBOL guidelines need to be changed?
Do you think the Board violated their own policies by posting a
statement about violence against women on the birding listserv?
How should OBOL handle people who are perceived as bullying others?
How can OBOL be more friendly and welcoming?
OBA has a few hundred members, I think it's right around 300, but I
don't have the exact number. OBOL has almost 2,000, so the vast majority
are not OBA members. Do you think OBOL should be broken off from OBA and no
longer be under their umbrella?
Treesa
