An author sent me this note received from the CEO of the (US) Author's Guild:
Dear all,
I am disheartened and deeply troubled by the insensitivities and refusal to listen that I saw in some of the comments that were posted in the thread titled "When is discrimination against authors by race not discrimination by authors about race?"
This forum is open to all members, and all need to feel welcome and respected. Going forward, posts that are insensitive to the historical and current hardships experienced by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors will be removed under our current terms of service: (https://authorsguild.org/terms-of-use/), and the person posting it will receive a strike.
A reminder that the AG Council adopted a resolution to try to address the imbalances and lack of equity in publishing, and that it is current AG policy to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, both internally and in the organizations' respective programmatic work.
See https://authorsguild.org/about/principles/our-commitment-to-diversity-equity-inclusion-and-accessibility/
The Guild will offer DEIA training to all members, and I encourage all to take it, especially if you are not familiar with the inequality and bias that BIPOC authors continue to experience today. You might find it mind-opening. We like to believe that we live in a country where all are treated equally and have equal opportunity, but we are still so far from that ideal. As writers, you have the power to change minds and so to change the world for the better. I behoove you to use your gifts to help lift us reach the American ideal of equality.
Authors today have so many challenges in front of us. We must support one another and unite to face them. Intentional divisiveness has no place in the AG, and should not be tolerated.
Thank you,
Mary Rasenberger, CEO
