I reject any and all forms of bigotry, whether based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, country or culture of origin, or anything else my overworked brain has forgotten among the above.
As it is important to be precise about these things, in this case I am specifically calling out anti-Semitism, Holocaust-denialism, and Nazi apologia. For someone who values an accurate and thorough approach to history, I find ahistorical convictions like these particularly pernicious, irrespective of all the horror and misery people have suffered at the hands of those who espouse them.
For context. Over the years, I’ve written many times about my love for M.A.R. Barker’s Tékumel. In light of recent news, I’m in the process of reevaluating those opinions. For several years now, I’ve existed at the edge of Tékumel fandom; I’ve written lengthy show notes for all fifty episodes of the Hall of Blue Illumination podcast.
But this weekend was the first time I’d ever heard anything about Barker’s neo-Nazi affiliations.
I regret that my first post of 2022 has to cover this, but I didn’t want to be responsible for leading anyone to promote Tékumel fandom who wasn’t also aware of this situation. I’ve had some rather significant changes in my professional life since November of last year, and I had planned to post an update in late May, when I expect that my professional life will settle down to an extent that I can determine the future of BFJB and my other RPG writing. For the record, I haven’t written anything with an eye towards publication in many months.
All that said, I barely have time to sleep right now, let alone write something articulate and well-considered about the whole disappointing situation. Instead, I’ll reference this post by James Maliszewski. I think it covers some of what I’m processing right now.
Šukāmu Press 