On August 1st of 2020, I published the following article on the Amazing Stories website – Why A Chengdu Worldcon Should Be A Chengdon’t. The article detailed what I still consider to be very good reasons for not supporting a bid nor hosting a Worldcon in countries that are under the sway of dictatorial regimes. The two primary reasons for not doing so are pretty straight forward: Worldcons should be safe for EVERYONE. Worldcons (and Fandom) should not allow itself to be a tool to be used by repressive, dictatorial regimes engaged in genocide.
Later that same year, I published an updated version of that original post, where I provided additional information regarding the Chinese Bid and addressing various discussions that had arisen since the original post. You can find that here.
Much has happened since. Far too many Fans have admitted, after the fact, that it was a huge mistake to have hosted a Worldcon there, while being careful to note that it is not the country, not the people, not the Fans, but the government, that is at issue. A largely unsuccessful Chinese Worldcon appears to have been the launchpad for a wholly-owned Sino-centric version, with at least a billion dollars of government and private funding behind it. WSFS and Fandom have so far rejected efforts to amend its constitution with some form of Bid evaluation, vetting or qualification criteria.
I think that accurately describes the landscape.
And now, the situation has gotten even worse. It it supremely ironic that one of the counter-arguments to the protest against the Chengdu bid was a stated belief that exposing the citizens of a repressive regime to the openness and diversity of Fandom would offer an alternative example and somehow inspire governmental change. Instead, the repressive regime has now come to the home of Fandom, the United States, which will have hosted 59 of the 83 Worldcons held by the end of this year. (Leeds excepted.)
It is, therefore, not just appropriate, but necessary, to amend the map that illustrates the relative appropriateness of Worldcon hosting.
This year, Worldcon will be hosted in a country whose government has enacted or intends to enact policies that are both repressive and dangerous to members of Fandom. It will be doing so in the name of all of its citizens as it is a duly and legally elected government (for now), because that is how representative democracies work.
Owing to prior bidding, next year’s Worldcon will also be held in a country that is dangerous to Fans and their beliefs. Three times in four years is a trend that I don’t want to see continue. I hope that the majority of Bid voters agree with me.
Here is the amended map:
