I was hoping to announce that I had already voted in the 2023 site selection, choosing Winnipeg over Chengdu, China for obvious reasons. However, I’m experiencing a bit of website/internet glitch (being worked on) and so, being strictly honest and accurate, I INTEND to vote for Winnipeg to host the 2023 Worldcon and hope that all eligible voters do so as well.
Memphis Tennessee pulled out of the running, which means a far-lower chance of the vote being split between two non-genocidal options, potentially giving the genocidal option a win, which I hope is not the case.
Now is not the time to vote China a Worldcon (and make no mistake – it’s “China”, the Communist Dictatorship, that’s running a bid, hiding behind fans, most likely in most cases without those fan’s willing, expressed consent. Kinda tough to express your own personal thoughts when someone is watching all of the time and can make you disappear in a heartbeat, your friends and family strongly urged not to ask questions.)
Major business outlets caution against travel to China just based on their unfettered and invasive surveillance practices. LGBTQI organizations caution against travel there owing to their discrimination and just about everyone is cautioning against traveling there (for any purpose) owing to the fact that people have been detained upon trying to exit the country for no apparent reason and they are subject to Chinese law enforcement, which can be selective and not subject to international intervention.
In other words, a good portion of the rest of the World has issues with going to China, doing business with China and for good reason.
Here’s a different take: By attending a Chinese Worldcon, you would be giving tacit approval to the genocide being conducted against a Muslim minority, the Uighurs. (No, other countries hosting Worlcon are not perfect, but at least those countries are democratically run under the rule of law. A Chinese Worldcon in 2023 would be the first exception to that fact for the entire history of Worldcon (1939 on).
Every country that has so far hosted a Worldcon has been a democratically run country – US, Canada, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Scotland, Finland, Ireland. Saudi Arabia was recently voted down for similar reasons.
Do not vote for Chengdu, VOTE FOR WINNIPEG!
