[LCC] Journal of Homosexuality related complaint re intellectual freedom

[kmilnor]

Dear Kirk --

How disappointing that this was NOT resolved as it seemed to have  
been. I'm inclined for the LCC to take a strong stance, but (as  
always!) I serve the will of the members. What do you guys think??

klm

On Jun 4, 2009, at 12:06 AM, Kirk Ormand wrote:

> To the Lambda Classical Caucus,
>
> Enclosed are two documents (in one .pdf)  that pertain to the latest  
> chapter in a multi-year conflict.
>
> The short version is this: the Journal of Homosexuality, which is  
> now published by Taylor and Francis (who also own the Routledge  
> Press imprint) has rather suddenly and without warning cancelled a  
> fully refereed and approved special issue that dealt with age- 
> differential same-sex love in the West.  Three of the essays in the  
> volume were to be by classicists.
>
> Needless to say, this raises a rather bleak spectre for those of us  
> in the field who work on topics that might be viewed as  
> controversial by some segments of the mainstream.  While Taylor and  
> Francis is a private corporation with the right to publish or not  
> publish what they see fit, they are also a press that sells to the  
> academic market.  If they are going to engage in a homophobic  
> editorial policy -- as appears to be the case here -- we scholars  
> should carefully evaluate whether or not we are willing to do  
> business with them.
>
> The enclosed document raises, I think, several questions for Lambda:
>
> 1) Should we get involved in this fight?  I think I will,  
> individually; Lambda needs to consider its corporate stance.
> 2) If we do get involved, what kind of actions should we take? some  
> possibilities:
> 	a) letters to Taylor & Francis informing them that we will no  
> longer publish, as individuals, with Routledge, nor buy their books
> 	b) a letter from LCC to Taylor and Francis indicating our corporate  
> disapproval of their editorial policy
> 	c) a letter from LCC to the Professional Matters Committee of the  
> APA (and the CSWMG) urging the APA to deny Routledge a booth at the  
> convention, given the apparent editorial policy of their parent  
> company, which seems to violate the spirit if not the letter of the  
> APA Statement on Professional Ethics (see below).
>
> In any case, scholars should know that Routledge is no longer the  
> press that it once was.  As Tom Hubbard wrote to me in a recent e- 
> mail: "It is also important that classicists know that Routledge is  
> no longer a safe place to publish cutting-edge sexuality topics  
> before someone else wastes their time submitting a book to them only  
> to have corporate management overrule the academic editor, editorial  
> board, and referees."
>
> These are serious matters, and they demand both due deliberation and  
> a certain swiftness of response.  I would urge the leadership of  
> Lambda to initiate a discussion as soon as is feasible.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Kirk Ormand
> Oberlin College
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