Read on Twitter
I think I'm not going to be drinking at conventions anymore. Not because I think the alcohol is The Problem (the problem is sex pests), but because I've had my naivete dashed re: all the axes of discomfort and danger that kind of booze-centric thinking causes.
I try to use as my guiding star for public behavior "Do I know for sure this won't make anybody here uncomfortable?"
I now know (and won't pretend this wasn't slow coming to me) that people are pressured to say alcohol is fine with them.
I now know (and won't pretend this wasn't slow coming to me) that people are pressured to say alcohol is fine with them.
Likewise, I've also had it rendered starkly and undeniably clear that monsters *will* use alcohol as not just a weapon but a shield -- an excuse when called out, a way of minimizing callouts by focusing on large drunken groups, etc.
I kind of knew all of this but I wanted to believe maybe Writer drinking culture was different.
Narrator: It's not.
Narrator: It's not.
So I'll just save my liver and some money, be someone people can be more comfortable around, and try to help keep an eye out. If I'm just among friends after-hours, or we're celebrating a major victory, maybe I'll have one (1) drink then. But until then? Coffee, tea, seltzer plz.
