This past week, I joined the ranks of a select and elite group of industry professionals banned by Worldcon. Why was I banned from Seattle Worldcon 2025 this summer? Great question—one that remains unanswered, as the organizers chose to keep me entirely in the dark. They didn’t bother to have a conversation with me or provide a shred of justification, even when directly asked. This lack of transparency is emblematic of their long history of politicized bans designed to gatekeep who belongs in the SFF community and silence dissenting voices.
Worldcon has been wielding the Ban Hammer since its inception in 1939. Back then, it was the Futurians—luminaries like John Michel and Fred Pohl—who were shown the door for their forward-thinking ideas that challenged the status quo. The Triumvirs, the event’s organizers, had political beef with the Futurians, who explored ideas of societal authoritarianism and who were considered to be communists and far-leftists. The Triumvirs, in their cowardice, opted for censorship over open dialogue, curbing the exploration of complex societal issues, and helped usher in the sickness that was McCarthyism.
Fast forward four score and six years, and it’s alarming to see this pattern persist: rather than evolving, the SFF community remains shackled by a single-minded worldview, herded together like frightened fish avoiding the depths of thought beyond their comfort zone.
In 2018, Jon Del Arroz faced a similar fate, banned for being too far on the right for Worldcon’s increasingly left-leaning ideology. Once again, instead of celebrating diversity of opinion, Worldcon resorted to gatekeeping, confirming that they trade diversity for a compliant echo chamber.
Today, being barred from Worldcon is similar to facing a global embargo in the publishing industry, which can be a devastating setback for any professional in the field. Because the Worldcon organizers were so openly biased and provided no evidence to support their allegations against him, Del Arroz was able to successfully fight them in court and have them apologize. Instead of fostering open dialogue and constructive reasoning, it seems that Worldcon has taken this setback as a signal to become even more secretive and obscure.
In the absence of any rationale from Kathy Bond, the chair of this year’s event, it’s difficult to imagine what perceived crime I’ve committed. With no official reason provided, we are left to speculate—and based on history, the clues are chilling.
Antisemitism? Given the current political trends, my Jewish background and advocacy for marginalized authors could be perceived as a threat. Is this a reflection of the rising tide of anti-Jewish sentiment in progressive circles? It’s a disturbing possibility.
Could it be threats of disruption? Worldcon claims to ban those who threaten the sanctity of the event. However, despite my extensive attendance at conventions without a single complaint against my behavior, it would be unjustifiable to suggest I fit this mold.
Or perhaps it’s the insidious clique mentality at play? It is childish and illegal, yet here we are. The SFF world has, for years, cozied up to an author, Patrick S. Tomlinson, whose online antics invite chaos, culminating in harassment and threats against me for merely pointing out his provocations. He has launched a sustained smear campaign to ruin my professional reputation, illegally contacting my workplace and intimidating those I represent.
Despite his troubling behavior and outright animosity, Worldcon has opted to protect him, just as they once shielded known pedophile Walter Breen for years due to his connections. Breen was finally banned in 1964, but only after a complicit silence allowed his pedophilic actions to continue harming children.
This support for problematic individuals, who are favored by the clique, comes at the expense of whistleblowers and those who stand up to protect the community. It has repeatedly harmed the world of science fiction and fantasy (SFF), and my situation is the latest example. Instead of banning a man whose presence has, by his own admission, led to bomb threats at SFF events—endangering everyone in the community and anyone else at the venue—they praise him and indulge his need to portray himself as a victim.
Worldcon’s complicity in this cycle of exclusion and silence is a disgrace. Rather than fostering an inclusive environment, they have created a hostile terrain that only prioritizes conformity over genuine discourse. As the SFF community stands at this crossroads, it is imperative to question not only the decisions of our institutions but also the moral compass that guides them. Enough is enough.
You can follow Leslie Varney on X here.
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"the sickness that was McCarthyism"
McCarthy was right. Where he went wrong was in underestimating the size of the threat, and how deeply the rot had already set in.
They’re not professional writers, so what use could they possibly have for a professional agent?