WTF RWA?
I'm going to let Kari Gregg explain since she does it better than I could.

RWA defines romance as:

A Central Love Story: The main plot centers around two individuals falling in love and struggling to make the relationship work. (Emphasis mine. Full text)

Two individuals. In no respect are those individuals differentiated by gender or sexual orientation. LGBT romances are no less romances than stories with heterosexual couples, according to RWA’s own definition.

And yet some still insist on excluding LGBT romance from general romance categories.

Romance Writers Ink(RWI) is a Tulsa, OK based RWA chapter that sponsors an annual contest, More Than Magic (MTM), for published writers. In recent years, LGBT romances have been accepted as contest entries. Many have scored well in the contest, finaled and even won.

This year, MTM’s rules & regulations were changed to state:

– Note: MTM will no longer accept same-sex entries in any category.

No reason for this change is given.

So…I emailed the contest organizer to ask why this change was enacted. The contest organizer replied that RWI chapter members were “uncomfortable” with accepting same-sex contest entries. “Same-sex was just too much.”

Yeah, you read that right.

I don't about you guys, but discrimination makes me pretty 'uncomfortable' too.

Other links:

Online petition.

MTM's rules.

Heidi Cullinan's response.

Stephani Hecht.

Edit: Smart Bitches Trashy Books weighs in.

EDIT 2: RWI responds. They're taking their toys and going HOME because y'all are meanies for complaining about their homophobia. Also, banning YA novels from the contest is totally the same thing as banning same-sex novels. Totally.

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Bit of an update: MTM cancelled

taktuk
2012-02-06 07:18 am UTC (link)

http://rwimagiccontests.wordpress.com/

RWI Magic Contests

After much consideration, RWI regretfully announces the MTM Published Author Contest has been cancelled. All monies received from entrants will be returned as soon as possible. We have heard and understood the issues raised, and will take those concerns into consideration should the chapter elect to hold contests in the future. Please note: our contest coordinator, Jackie, is a chapter member who graciously volunteered to collect entries and sort by category. It is unfortunate that she has become the object of personal ridicule and abuse. We recognize the decision to disallow same-sex entries is highly charged. We also opted not to accept YA entries. We do not condone discrimination against individuals of any sort.

So they're just cancelling the thing rather than dealing with the fallout like mature human beings?

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled ellensmithee 2012-02-06 08:06 am UTC (link)
	They're victims of the gay agenda, obvs.! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled tehrin 2012-02-06 08:30 am UTC (link)
	How adult. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled lied_ohne_worte 2012-02-06 09:53 am UTC (link)
	See, children, we had to take your toys away! And if you don't like that, you can thank those gay people over there, because they misbehaved and made us do it! Lovely. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled ekaterinv 2012-02-06 10:00 am UTC (link)
	They would rather no one have toys than have to share them with gay people. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Bitter sarcasm, of course. chikane 2012-02-06 12:11 pm UTC (link)
	Could you please put scare quotes around "people"? I don't think they would like your insinuation that they are considering those evil gays as actual people. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled ecchaniz0r 2012-02-07 08:50 pm UTC (link)
	Oh my god, that tactic doesn't even fly in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (seriously, every supply teacher I ever had who tried to pull that "X was bad so you ALL have detention" foolishness was EATEN ALIVE); if grown-ass adult people actually fall for that, then they're complete doofii. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled lied_ohne_worte 2012-02-08 12:18 pm UTC (link)
	Don't know - in my experience, it worked when the climate in a class wasn't good and/or the teacher chose an unpopular "culprit". Which might actually be applicable in this case, too, as I suspect there will be homophobes who do blame the people who complained for losing them the competition. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled

ecchaniz0r
2012-02-09 03:54 am UTC (link)

Yah, that's true--it could work then :/ I think in the cases I saw, the antipathy toward the teacher outweighed the antipathy toward the accused--even if it was me, and I was THE social rejectoid.

And you're right about the homophobes too. I'm just like, how the hell do grown-ass adults fall for such transparent blame-shifting. And then I remember that there are grown-ass adults that think you can catch HIV from doorknobs. And I sigh, and want booze.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled ekaterinv 2012-02-06 09:56 am UTC (link)
	We recognize the decision to disallow same-sex entries is highly charged. We also opted not to accept YA entries. I can't believe they actually had the gall to put those next to each other as if they were the same type of decision. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled taktuk 2012-02-06 10:32 am UTC (link)
	"Are You Gay, God? It's Me, Margaret," Why else would they ban same-sex YA? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled ekaterinv 2012-02-06 03:06 pm UTC (link)
	Did they ban same-sex YA, or all YA? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled havocthecat 2012-02-06 05:14 pm UTC (link)
	All YA, period. All same-sex across all genres, period. At least until they decided to ~~take their toys and go home~~ cancel the contest. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled ekaterinv 2012-02-06 05:46 pm UTC (link)
	Okay, I was afraid I'd misunderstood and made a really dumbass comment. I don't see anything wrong with not wanting to include any YA in their contest, since it's pretty much a different genre. The fact that they think that belongs in the same paragraph as banning same-sex romance is ludicrous. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled havocthecat 2012-02-06 06:09 pm UTC (link)
	No, it's fine. It wasn't clearly worded anyway; I had to go and reread it myself to make sure I could clarify properly. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled taktuk 2012-02-06 07:37 pm UTC (link)
	They banned all YA but if I didn't make a joke I'd lose it. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Re: Bit of an update: MTM cancelled platedlizard 2012-02-07 02:44 am UTC (link)
	Wow. so instead of saying, "hey, we screwed up, we'll keep same-sex entries," they're canceling the contest altogether. How mature. (Reply to this)(Parent)

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