[LCC] Journal of Homosexuality related complaint re intellectual freedom

[Jones, Gregory S.]

Dear all,

I also support strong action in this case, especially Kirk's suggestion 
that we co-opt full support from the APA.  This is the latest in a long 
series of events I have witnessed over the past two years which suggest 
to me, as a relatively young scholar, that academia is not the refuge 
of reason and free thought I had once believed it to be, especially 
when it comes to (homo)sexuality.  A conservative backlash, or is this 
typical?

Greg J

Quoting kmilnor <kmilnor at barnard.edu>:

> 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
>>>
>>>
>> <0715_001.pdf><mime-attachment.html>
>
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