In Defence of Confidentiality

Since The Bookseller mentioned our recent launch, SEEN in Publishing has been subject to a wave of unprovoked attacks from people who work in publishing who think differently from us. We have no objection to their voicing disagreements with our views - that is their right - but we are concerned by the number of publishing professionals who seem to think it is acceptable to defame and threaten to blacklist us. Here one of our members gives their view, and explains why we are not publicising who our members are, much as we would all love to live in a world where that is possible.

Audiatur et altera pars – Let the other side be heard.

This week, SEEN in Publishing has received demands on social media to disclose its membership. This includes a menacing call to, ‘Publish your member list. Now.’ There have also been several posts claiming that by keeping its membership confidential, the network is in some way threatening to those in the sector who identify as LGBTQI+. But this narrative, in keeping with the habits of gender ideologues, has flipped reality. To put it clearly: it is those who express their scepticism over gender identity ideology whose liberties, reputations and contracts are under threat. Indeed, that SEEN is anonymous is the reason for its existence: speaking out costs people their careers. The more radical responses to the announcement of SEEN in Publishing demonstrate this: literary agents, editors, and authors have gone so far as to publicly declare they will not work with anyone who is found to be a network member.

Trans Pride networks in UK publishing do not need to keep their members’ names from the public domain in order to keep their members safe. This is a good thing. It is not, however, progressive to establish one group’s freedom to form while extinguishing the freedom of others to do the same. Remember that the position of SEEN is not unlawful; members’ views have been established in court as worthy of respect in a democratic society. But sometimes (mostly in politically illiberal societies, but now apparently in liberal democracies, too), it is necessary for those who stand for fairness, justice, and truth to establish networks without naming their members, in order to prevent exposing those individuals to discrimination or harm.

Throughout the twentieth century, benign networks kept membership lists private, connecting and protecting political asylum seekers, anticolonial and anti-Apartheid thinkers, Communists, civil rights activists, and women. During the 1950s and 1960s in the USA, attempts to ‘expose’ ‘disrupt’ and ‘discredit’ the membership of such groups were intimidating and sometimes violent. The irony, of course, is that such attempts merely reinforced the need for change. It was during this time that gay rights activist Harry Hay established the secret Mattachine Society, to campaign for equal rights for homosexuals: by 1953, it represented – confidentially – thousands of gay men across the country. In 1955, another network emerged: the Daughters of Bilitis represented lesbians, and kept their membership secret. The need for cover was felt too in the UK, albeit on a smaller scale of operation. Oppression of lesbian, bisexual and gay people was accompanied by the suppression of voices openly questioning homophobic policies. Today, those of us who call out an ideology that seeks to erode sex-based protections for lesbian and gay people find our voices similarly suppressed. SEEN supports equal rights for all. People who oppose our network should not encourage regressive shifts in socio-political values that seek to silence and punish those holding views they do not share.

And limiting diversity of ideas, beliefs, and perspectives is regressive and will not lead to a better, safer world for all. SEEN members want to work in a publishing industry that supports and nurtures this diversity. Of course, transparency is ideal – but sadly, it is not possible, as The Bookseller magazine found out last week when it concealed its writers behind a blanket byline (‘By The Bookseller Editorial Team’) after insults were hurled by gender-identity ‘allies’ against a staff member who merely did her job and reported on the founding of SEEN.

SEEN is under no obligation to disclose any details about its membership. Confidentiality is not a sign of weakness, and not intended here to intimidate anyone in the publishing world. On the contrary, it is intended to let those who cannot be seen feel seen, and who cannot speak out be heard. Rather than seeking to out those behind SEEN, opponents might consider listening.