boycott necessities

Music: Antony and the Johnsons: Another World (2008)

As I've discussed previously, currently a number of my colleagues are boycotting the convention location of our professional organization, the National Communication Association. I have elected simply not to go this year, however, I'm still supporting the boycott in any way I can (including, um, not going at all).

Some very awesome people have located alternative spaces in a LGBT friendly, labor friendly, non-convention hotel literally across the street from the Manchester Hyatt. I am responding to a public address panel, and although I will not physically be at the conference, I will still respond (just not from my own mouth), so I worked with our panelists to reschedule our panel, same time, same day, but in the shadow conference hotel. If you want to move your panel to the alternative space, you must announce your intention to do so no later than November first. What you need to do is type in your information on the master calender thingie at this address. After November first, this calendar can then be used to assign rooms. So use it, or no alternative space for you!

Second, and just as important, these rooms are not free. I don't remember the exact figure, but it's costing some very awesome people somewhere between four and five thousand buck-a-roos. So donations are being sought, and you can contribute here. Even ten bucks would help. I've donated $50, which is all I can afford at the moment. However, I have also requested my registration fee be refunded. When I get that I can afford to donate some more. If you don't plan on entering the conference hotel, why not request a refund too and contribute to the shadow conference fund?

I have been truly heartened and impressed by my colleagues, who have managed---not individually, but collectively---to salvage a conference with a clear conscience, do something socially significant that will make an impact, change the by-laws of our professional organization, and ride a common sentiment to its appropriate conclusion. Hats off to you Very Awesome Organizers---Phaedra, Dana, Chuck, and countless others---for reminding us why it is truly is a good thing to be in Communication Studies (it's the people).