[Air-L] Call for Support on DiGRA Diversity Collective Statement

[Mahli-Ann Butt]

Dear remaining DiGRA executive board members,


After Dr Reuben Kirkham’s threats towards me on Gamesnetwork
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bwOgSuI7UKWB0rJkqONkFnqr9lS0l38J/view?usp=share_link>,
I am sharing a copy of my resignation letter
<https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YidYh80QVgB_aMWW3pc5GpYNczK2Wj-L/view?usp=share_link>
on the Air-L/AoIR listserver as I’m afraid of bad actors like Dr Kirkham –
who leads an Australian-based right-wing group promoting transphobia
<https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/2024/02/13/free-speech-union> and
seeking to legally dismantle Australian laws on hate speech – having access
to this information.


The DiGRA Diversity Collective Statement
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mzBqCRJJiuEGpBmFJsoW54xEKwuffAWxCq4VeEWKgUg/edit?usp=sharing>,
I submitted and the DiGRA board acknowledged on 10 August, said that my
resignation letter was available on request. The content of my resignation
letter and the linked diversity officers’ resignation letter
<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jrY007kty1KhVBJMxnjCDyvKTr7GuHugg3fo4TZxbQI/edit?usp=sharing>
must be treated as integral to the statement shared on Gamesnetwork on 10
August, and any response made by DiGRA should address these three letters
also.


A note to members of DiGRA/AoIR reading this: I made my letter available on
request so I could also give people a content/trigger warning and heads-up
that it’s a difficult read. It contains accounts of abuse, sexual assault,
r*pe, grooming, and gaslighting. If you haven’t read my resignation letter,
please don't feel obligated to read the entire document.


I'm sharing my resignation letter publicly because I fear DiGRA leadership
may exploit my silence to shift blame, discredit me, and avoid
accountability. I demand accountability to ensure the safety of our
community members.


Best wishes,

Mahli-Ann

On Thu, 1 Aug 2024 at 21:31, Mahli-Ann Butt <mahli.ann.butt at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Dear colleagues,
>
> We are writing to you as the recently resigned Digital Games Research
> Association (DiGRA) Executive Board Members, DiGRA Diversity Officers, and
> DiGRA Ombuds Team, as we believe there is need for a collective voice to
> advocate for diversity, inclusion, transparency, and marginalised scholars’
> safety within the DiGRA organisation.
>
> To this end, we have written a statement outlining our concerns and
> calling for specific actions from the remaining members of the
> international DiGRA board. We believe that by presenting a united front, we
> can prompt meaningful systemic change.
>
> We are inviting you to join us in signing this statement and ask you to
> share it with your networks. We welcome individuals as well as collectively
> named signatures. Our goal is to demonstrate the widespread support for
> these important issues and to encourage DiGRA leadership to take concrete
> steps to address them.
>
> If you are interested in supporting this initiative, please follow the
> highlighted instructions in the DiGRA Diversity Collective Statement:
> https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mzBqCRJJiuEGpBmFJsoW54xEKwuffAWxCq4VeEWKgUg/edit?usp=sharing
>
> Thank you for your time and consideration.
>
> In Solidarity,
>
> Cody Mejeur,
>
> Assistant Professor of Media Study, University at Buffalo,
>
> [Resigned: Inaugural DiGRA Ombuds Member (2020-2024); DiGRA Diversity
> Officer (2019-2023)].
>
> Darshana Jayemanne,
>
> Reader in Digital Cultures, Abertay University,
>
> [Resigned: DiGRA Open Seat].
>
> Mahli-Ann Butt,
>
> Lecturer in Cultural Studies, School of Culture and Communication,
> University of Melbourne,
>
> [Resigned: DiGRA Chapter Officer (2023-2024); DiGRA Open Seat (2019-2023);
> Inaugural DiGRA Diversity Officer (2018-2019); DiGRA Student Officer
> (2016-2017); Former President of DiGRA Australia (2023-2024)].
>
> Poonam Chowdhury,
>
> PhD candidate, The English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad,
> India,
>
> [Resigned: DiGRA Diversity Officer (2023-2024), Founding-member DiGRA
> India (2020-2024)]
>
> Premeet Sidhu,
>
> Research Assistant, The University of Sydney,
>
> [Resigned: DiGRA Student Officer 2023-2024].
>