Proving the timeliness of next week's American Society of Bioethics and Humanities' June 13-14th summer conference, entitled "Bioethics & Politics - The Future of Bioethics in a Divided Democracy," I have been denied admission to a "pre-conference briefing and round-table discussion."
It looks like they're ensuring that everyone at the pre-conference will be closed- like-minded.
The invitations were on several blogs and email lists.
From the Womens Bioethics Blog
"Do you consider yourself a progressive bioethics scholar? Are you interested in getting more politically involved? Will you be attending the ASBH Summer conference in Albany, NY entitled “Bioethics & Politics - The Future of Bioethics in a Divided Democracy”? If so, you should email info@womensbioethics.org to get an invitation to a pre-conference (July 13th 11-1pm – lunch included) private, invitation only briefing and round table discussion hosted by Jonathan Moreno, Center for American Progress and Kathryn Hinsch, Women's Bioethics Project. The briefing is not open to the press."
Ms. Hinch also sent an invitation by email to all the members of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics list serve:
Please join the
Women's Bioethics Project and the Center for American Progress
for a Summer ASBH pre-conference, invitation-only, private briefing on the “Progressive Bioethics Initiative” and how you can get involved.
However, I received the following response:
We received your request to attend the pre-conference lunch meeting sponsored by the Women's Bioethics Project and the Center for American Progress. Unfortunately, we are unable to grant your request. If you are still interested in learning more about the Women's Bioethics Project, I will be happy to meet with you at another time during the ASBH conference in Albany or arrange a phone conversation at a later date.
Thanks for your interest in our efforts.
Sincerely,
Kathryn Hinsch
I am an advocate for the right of association and will admit that I am probably not their kind of progressive, feminist, woman. However, I am surprised at the exclusion of any interested party by so-called "progressive," "feminist," men and women.
These are the same people (both the Women's Bioethics Blog and the ASBH editors' Blog.Bioethics.net)who noted a prediction of a "rumble" at the ASBH conference on the Pro-life Blogs and Wesley Smith's "Secondhand Smoke."
2 comments:
No reason given? This is suspicious, though not in itsself adiquate evidence of a biased entry system. The conference might just be full. If you have no formal qualifications, I expect you just didn't meet the entry criteria. Otherwise, your accusations have a considerable possibility of being accurate.
Ugh... why so I start to sound like a robot from 70's sci-fi whenever I post late at night?
Are you a progressive? Do you support the goals of the Center for American Progress and the Women's Bioethics Project? If not, why were you offended that they didn't include you in their private get together? Why did you even respond to an invitation that clearly wasn't intended for you? Just curious.
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