IMC Leeds 2016: Brexit and femfog convos

Info on the new #femfog session as printed in the addenda/corrigenda for IMC Leeds 2016.
Click to enlarge (full info provided below in this post as well).

by JONATHAN HSY

[Note: UPDATED July 6 with contextual #femfog links, at the end of this post]

Happy Independence Day to readers in the US! For some timely readings on this day (directly related to Brexit and femfog conversations), see this excellent reading list of medievalist perspectives compiled by Jeffrey.

The International Medieval Congress in Leeds (twitter hashtag #IMC2016) is about to begin!

A reminder for two timely items not listed in the printed program:

Tuesday 5 July 2016: Informal Post-Brexit Chat (6pm, Terrace Bar).

Kathryn Maude and Kate Weikert are hosting a chat on how to move forward post-Brexit. Meet at the Terrace Bar at 6pm. The hashtag for people who wish to follow these convos on twitter is #IMCAntiBrexit.

Wednesday 6 July 2016: Embracing the #femfog (1pm at Michael Sadler Building: Rupert Beckett Theatre).

Abstract: The misogynist invention 'of femfog' and the racist praise of medieval 'white men' had unintended positive consequences: an online surge of willingness to name and act against abuse and unethical behaviour in medieval studies, not just in Anglo-Saxon studies, not just against women. Continuing these discussions, we want to expose the structures that enabled and enable unethical behaviour in universities, and aim to make medieval studies more fully inclusive, collegial, and ethical. We want to explore ways of working against emotional, verbal, and sexual abuse, gate-keeping, exploitation, and bullying especially of students and younger scholars, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ablism, and misogyny in medieval studies, and affirm the openness, collegiality and inclusivity of our fields. 

With David Bowe (Oxford), Liz Herbert McAvoy (Swansea University), Jonathan Hsy (George Washington University), Dorothy Kim (Vassar), Christina Lee (University of Nottingham), Robert Stanton (Boston College), Elaine Treharne (Stanford), and Helen Young (University of Sydney). Chaired by Diane Watt (University of Surrey).

The hashtag for this convo will be, of course, #femfog. It's listed as Session 1198 so if you are doing any tweeting at IMC about this one, it's good to provide the session hashtag too (e.g., use #s1198).

This blog post at ITM has the full information for this #femfog session.

UPDATE July 6 - for reading directly relevant to #femfog convos, some links:

• 20 Jan 2016: CHE article about the #femfog with initial responses online
• 18 Jan 2016: ITM blog post on proactive steps after #femfog, with links to other responses
• 27 Jan 2016: ITM post on plagiarism and violation of trust -- and hope amidst despair
• 29 Jan 2016: A certain scholar interviewed by a floating dog
• 1 Feb 2016: Open letter to MAA, with link to its new diversity & academic freedom statement
• 27 Jun 2016: CHE update on #femfog and certain festschrift
• 30 Jun 2016: Essay by Jo Livingstone on toxic environments and tenure