I am sure many of you have heard the huge debate going on over The Romance Writers Ink chapter not accepting "same-sexed pairings" in their contest this year. You may have also heard that RWA National is backing them up on their decision, since chapters are "allowed to set their own rules when it comes to contest". Well, I have one thing to say to that argument...WRONG!
I am not just upset because I am a writer in this genre. Nor am I upset because yet again my genre is being looked down on by other members of an organization I have belonged to for over five years. However as a mother of a gay son, I am livid.
Every, single day I have to read comments on the internet that are directing hate toward my son. I see so-called churches carrying vile signs that call my son terrible names and tell him he's going to hell. I see comics spouting hate and then just shrugging it off when people point out how wrong they are. Hell, I have to face mean statements from some of my own family members. Let me tell you, it hurts like hell, too, because that's my baby their talking about.
While I have come to expect ignorance from some people, I would have thought that writers would be the least likely to discriminate. As writers we are supposed to know just how powerful words can be and I can't understand why they would chose to use this kind of weapon against the LGBTQA community.
I sent the contest coordinator a message and I got back a response that some members felt "uncomfortable" with reading such books. To that I have a big WTF? Would they say the same thing about IR couples? Or how about books set in certain countries? We all know that they would never do that and if so, then RWA would be quick to slap them down. So, why doesn't RWA, an organization that I pay full dues to, do the same thing when it's my child being discriminated against?
To Jackie Kramer, all the members of Romance Writers Ink, and Romance Writers of America please, please, please take the time to watch this. Then you will understand why it's wrong to exclude LGBTQ books for any reason. This is more than agenre. These are real, living people and it hurts to know that an organization I have dedicated so much time and money to can turn a blind eye to such blatant discrimination.
