[LCC] Fwd: Taylor and Francis

[kmilnor]

Thanks, Kirk. I have not heard from the press, and may well not if  
they are intending to maintain their silence on why they cancelled the  
issue. I think, though, we need to give them a few days. I also would  
like to wait a bit to hear what, if anything, the powers that are in  
the APA are going to do. Obviously, we can do something else/in  
addition to what they do, but I do feel like they might have more  
clout than we do, and I'd like to present a united front with them if  
possible.

best,

klm

On Jun 5, 2009, at 11:31 AM, Kirk Ormand wrote:

> I've written Beert Verstaete (one of the editors of the special  
> volume) and asked him to send me the full text of the e-mail from  
> Kathryn Rutz (editor at Taylor & Francis) declining the issue.   
> Here, evidently, is the e-mail in full:
>
>> Dear Dr DeCecco and Dr Verstraete:
>>
>> After review of the manuscripts of your guest edited special issue
>> Sexual Intimacy between Adult and Adolescent Males, which was sent  
>> to us
>> by Jay Harcourt as intended for publication in the Journal of
>> Homosexuality 56 (5/6), a decision has been made not to publish this
>> material. We appreciate the opportunity to consider the articles for
>> publication, but choose not to proceed.
>>
>> We are grateful to have had the chance to look at this work, and wish
>> you the very best.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>> Kathy
>> Kathryn Rutz
>> Acquisitions Editor, Behavioral Science and Social Work
>> Taylor and Francis Group
>> 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800
>> Philadelphia, PA  19106
>> Tel: 607-222-0169
>> Kathryn.rutz at taylorandfrancis.com
>>
> Not much to go on there.
>
> Prof. Verstaete goes on to describe several phone conversations with  
> Ms. Rutz as follows:
>> As I mentioned in my letter to the ALA, Rutz would not disclose the
>> specific reason(s) for the refusal to publish, simply saying in a
>> subsequent e-mail that T&F had exercised their "judgment." However,  
>> in
>> the one telephone conversation I had with her, she did say that the
>> management of T&F was aware of the controversy created in the early  
>> Fall
>> of 2005 by the special issue of the JofH entitled, Same-Sex Desire  
>> and
>> Love in Greco-Roman Antiquity and in the Classical Tradition of the  
>> West
>> (which was eventually published by the Haworth Press, albeit with  
>> Bruce
>> Rind's article removed), and that one could "infer" from this that  
>> they
>> were concerned about a repetition of the controversy.
>
> I'm not all that comfortable (personally) leading a charge on the  
> basis of an inference authorized by hearsay.
>
> Kristina has, I believe, written Ms. Rutz and asked for  
> clarification; I take it she hasn't heard back yet.  It would be  
> good to be in full command of the facts before LCC takes any action.
>
> I should also say that Andrew Lear's comments (earlier to this list)  
> are well-taken. We have little leverage in a case like this.  While  
> my immediate instinct, if we are convinced that the editorial  
> decision was based on homophobia, is that we should bring financial  
> pressure to bear on Taylor and Francis (i.e. by a boycott of  
> Routledge), this would probably have unintended effects, and not  
> necessarily good ones.  Do we want T&F to drop Routledge's line of  
> studies of ancient sexuality?  Surely not.  But this is one possible  
> result of such action.
>
> Much to consider here.
>
> Kirk
>
>
>
>
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