Those are rarely "books by gay authors" with the romance novels, autobiographies of presidents, books about football that have nothing to do with race, and books about religion all jammed together haphazardly.
Which is to say, the "Gay/Lesbian" section of the bookstore is books ABOUT being gay/lesbian, by authors straight or not. A gay guy writes a book about football? It goes in the sports section. He writes a mystery novel? It goes in the mystery section.
It's not a "segregated by author" section in one of the most openly racist areas of a country with a terrible history on racial issues and massive ongoing systemic racism.
Here's the thing that annoys me about ALL such sections. It's not that they exist per se because it can be helpful to say "I'd like to do more to read more books by POC or by GLBT" and have a section to which you can go to.
What bothers me is that these sub-sections should be IN ADDITION to these books being shelved with the rest of the regular fiction, not INSTEAD OF. Meaning they should be shelved in BOTH places, not just the one.
And "African-American," or "urban fiction," which is code for "black." Booksellers have to classify or they'd never sell anything to anyone but people who came in for a specific title, but how they choose to do it can be...interesting. I was trying to find Emma Goldman's autobiography in a Border's ("there's your problem") and after fruitlessly searching biography, history, and politics for a good 15 minutes, I caved and found an employee. It was in the tiny women's studies section.
This is why brick-and-mortar bookstores are in trouble. Why should I go through the trouble of trying to find a particular book in their store when I can order it online at my convenience in my PJs and have it shipped directly to my door?
Barnes & Noble is doing okay, but that's because they're not flamingly incompetent, and they managed to position themselves as an medium-upscale lifestyle brand.
Why go to a brick and mortar store? Because if you don't know what you're looking for, browsing the shelves is an excellent way to find something new and interesting. Online stores are for getting a copy of something you know you want; meatspace stores are for finding the stuff you didn't know you wanted. Which is why competently run brick and mortar stores are not going to go away anytime soon.
Pretty much this. I occasionally wish there was a "People who liked this book totally didn't look at these things" button online. I'm sure there's something good to be said for breaking out of self-imposed shells.
I was wrong, but only because I have not seen that in any of the wal marts locally. then again a) I don't go in that often b) I never shop for books there and c) it's not like I don't live in one of the most liberal parts of the state. Still, you'd think people would have said something locally.
Wow, I guessed Florida because it's the dangly bit below the Bible Belt... never expected to be wrong.
-- Steve read some fiction set in Florida written during the '50s and '60s and was appalled at the casual racism within... though, to its credit, Alas, Babylon called attention to how stupid it was.
Actually, they don't do this in the only one I've ever shopped at (in Massachusetts; my dad used to shop there and has particular things he likes from there, so I pick them up for him) but presumably it is one of the chain-wide options for organizing the books.
My local Walmart does this in the DVD section as well. I was a bit surprised when I first saw it because I'd never seen it in the other Walmarts I'd visited. Then I realized that I'd never been to a Walmart in a predominantly black neighborhood before.
The best I can figure is that Walmart isn't trying to be racist; they are genuinely trying to make it easier for their black customers to find books and movies that specifically have a black viewpoint. It makes me uncomfortable, and I'm not sure this is the best way to go about things, but then again I don't live in a culture where most of the narratives either cast me as "other" or disregard a core part of my identity altogether. If I did, I might appreciate not having to sort through five million book covers with blondes with heaving bosoms in order to find a romance novel about someone who looks like me.
I guessed Ohio, on the theory that I generally guess Ohio for "screwing with people what ain't white males like us", and switching the focus from "males" to "white".
Days I *hate* being right... I now want to go into our local WalMart and see if they do this.
I'm not sure which bothers me more about that statement, torrain - checking to see if your local store does this, or the fact that you actually want to go into a WalMart voluntarily. *shudders*
I have a friend who throws big pieces of metal at the sky to see if they'll stick. That's the coolest job of anyone I know.
He got a contract in from a US company that specified that he had to enforce the Equal Opportunity Act, and so did all his sub-contractors, to make sure they weren't having separate facilities for employees based on race, sex, or creed. (separate bathing, changing and toilet facilities for different sexes was permitted). He was boggled at getting such a request. In Canada. In 2010.
I pointed him here. Hopefully he'll stop in and say hi.
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(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:45 pm (UTC)It was simply an Ohio reporter who broke the story.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 02:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:39 pm (UTC)Which is to say, the "Gay/Lesbian" section of the bookstore is books ABOUT being gay/lesbian, by authors straight or not. A gay guy writes a book about football? It goes in the sports section. He writes a mystery novel? It goes in the mystery section.
It's not a "segregated by author" section in one of the most openly racist areas of a country with a terrible history on racial issues and massive ongoing systemic racism.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 09:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:40 pm (UTC)What bothers me is that these sub-sections should be IN ADDITION to these books being shelved with the rest of the regular fiction, not INSTEAD OF. Meaning they should be shelved in BOTH places, not just the one.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:49 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 10:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-08 12:24 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:45 pm (UTC)-- Steve read some fiction set in Florida written during the '50s and '60s and was appalled at the casual racism within... though, to its credit, Alas, Babylon called attention to how stupid it was.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 02:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 01:46 pm (UTC)WalMart does this in all of their stores, not just those in Ohio.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 06:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 04:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-08 06:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 07:17 pm (UTC)The best I can figure is that Walmart isn't trying to be racist; they are genuinely trying to make it easier for their black customers to find books and movies that specifically have a black viewpoint. It makes me uncomfortable, and I'm not sure this is the best way to go about things, but then again I don't live in a culture where most of the narratives either cast me as "other" or disregard a core part of my identity altogether. If I did, I might appreciate not having to sort through five million book covers with blondes with heaving bosoms in order to find a romance novel about someone who looks like me.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 07:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 08:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-07 08:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-08 12:28 am (UTC)Days I *hate* being right... I now want to go into our local WalMart and see if they do this.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-08 01:35 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-08 01:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-08 02:16 am (UTC)...and to start complaining if they do, because Jesus.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-10 11:11 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-09-08 02:52 am (UTC)He got a contract in from a US company that specified that he had to enforce the Equal Opportunity Act, and so did all his sub-contractors, to make sure they weren't having separate facilities for employees based on race, sex, or creed. (separate bathing, changing and toilet facilities for different sexes was permitted). He was boggled at getting such a request. In Canada. In 2010.
I pointed him here. Hopefully he'll stop in and say hi.