Dear CFI…

What were you thinking?

Yes, there were people calling for Ronald Lindsay to be terminated. Others called for a sincere and heartfelt apology from Ron himself, showing he recognized his mistake and is willing to learn from it.

I’m with Greta Christina myself.

Some people have been calling for Ron Lindsay to resign or be fired. I am not one of them. I have been calling for Lindsay to apologize. But frankly, I would have been satisfied with any action at all on the part of the CFI Board of Directors — censuring Lindsay, calling for him to apologize, apologizing on his behalf — that would have shown an understanding of the seriousness of this matter. I would have been satisfied with any action at all indicating that Lindsay’s insulting and contemptuous behavior did not represent CFI, and that this is not the direction CFI intends to take in the future.

The board wasn’t even willing to do that.

No, you weren’t. Instead, you released this non-committal piece of shit “statement”.

I won’t deny it… there’s a small part of me hoping that this is just the beginning… an introduction, if you will. This little teeny tiny voice of optimism in my head is hoping… beyond hope, perhaps… that CFI is gearing up for a large and public statement, including an apology, preferably from Ron himself.

But, of course, I’m mainly a cynic, and I know better. This is probably all you’re going to put out. Now you’re going to move on, pretending as if you actually did something other than bloviate and pull a “both sides” stunt. Because you’d stick behind Ron Lindsay no matter what.

Which I get. Really. You want to support your leader. I get that. I can even respect it…

But I don’t have to support it. And I won’t.

Good job, CFI, in alienating the portion of your subscribers that supported Women in Secularism, and further, good job in basically supporting and welcoming the harassers. You’ve not done the right thing. That small optimist is still really hoping you’ll turn around and do the right thing, but right now, you’ve fucked up. Royally. And if you don’t fix it, you’ll lose so many.

What I really don’t get… what’s bothering me the most… is this “both sides” thing.

Both sides?

Really?

On one side, you have people who don’t think anti-harassment policies are needed. They really do believe the line “bitchez be lyin’” when women complain of both online harassment and meatspace harassment at conferences. They still deny the harassment even after the women document it and provide evidence of it. And while they continually and obstinately deny the documented and evidenced harassment, they engage in harassment themselves.

The “other side”, of course, is made up of those being harassed.

So can we please top with this “both sides” bullshit? When people are being bullied, you aren’t supposed to yell at the victim.

But when you “both sides” this, that is exactly what you’re doing.

You’ve failed so fucking miserably, CFI, and we are disappointed. I don’t know why you thought this was the right path, but it isn’t. You might be able to win us back with a double-apology and retraction, but I seriously doubt we’re gonna get that.

So thanks, CFI, for showing your true colors. Consider yourself down another donor.