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We recently spoke with Eliana Rabinowitz, an L2 from Southern California about her experiences as a woman in the Magic community and the concept of microaggressions.<\/p>\n
Eliana plays twice weekly and judges twice monthly at Grand Prix. Since starting with Magic in 2014, she found the community to largely be welcoming. While she recognized there was a gender disparity, she was used to it as a math major and a debater, other communities that are largely male.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201dMy gender did come up sometimes when someone would say something about how few women were at the store or would guess who I was based on my name on the pairings since I was the only woman,\u201d she says. \u201cWhenever there was another female player, other players would always make a point to introduce me to her right away, as well. None of that felt weird to me, since I was used to being in male-dominated environments, but it could be unsettling for someone who isn\u2019t used to that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eliana recalls having played in communities that were less accepting, and against some players that were misogynistic. \u201cI would be more inclined to play local events if I didn\u2019t have to be so selective about where I play and who I play against in order to have fun,\u201d she says<\/span><\/p>\n Eliana recently spoke about microaggressions, or little actions or phrases that often unintentionally discriminate or encourage discrimination against someone of a minority group. She gives as some examples a player calling a female opponent \u201csweetheart\u201d or a player asks a female judge, \u201cHey honey, can you take this match slip up for me?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOther examples include saying to a female player \u201chey, you\u2019re a girl, why don\u2019t more girls play this game?\u201d or when a female judge politely asserts herself during a ruling, and the player says \u201coh RUDE, you are cranky today\u201d or just immediately dismisses a ruling as not credible,\u201d she adds. \u201cSomeone placing a hand on the shoulder of a female while talking to them can also be a mircoaggression that represents asserting oneself over that woman.\u201d Rabinowitz further acknowledges that \u201cthere [are] microaggressions against groups other than women\u201d but she doesn\u2019t have any personal experiences with microaggressions of that sort.<\/span><\/p>\n While microaggessions vary in severity and in tone, Eliana says the end result is to create an unwelcoming environment for women at tournaments. \u201cThis is because these microaggessions make implications about how women are supposed to be,\u201d she says. \u201cUsing pet names like \u2018honey\u2019 and \u2018sweetheart\u2019 that are associated with romance when talking to a woman you aren\u2019t involved with implies that women exist to be romantic interests, or that being a romantic interest is what women are \u201cfor.\u201d It is also really uncomfortable for a lot of women who feel like there is an unwanted advance there from someone they\u2019ve never met! Asking women to speak for their entire gender implies that women are all the same in some way and unfairly groups a large population, and not accepting a woman being assertive or in a position of authority implies that women can\u2019t have that kind of authority.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eliana says she typically does not get upset by microaggressions she experiences initially, since most are accidental. \u201cWhen it happens over and over during a tournament, though, that makes the environment less welcoming, and it really wears on me over a long shift at a GP or an event I might be playing in,\u201d she says. \u201cIt is tough, because a lot of microaggressions aren\u2019t easily addressed by the IPG or JAR. Obviously, outward comments like refusing to accept a ruling from a female judge (and saying that\u2019s why they don\u2019t accept the ruling) or using offensive language fit nicely into policy, but there\u2019s really nothing to be done for someone who uses a pet name or something similar. You can try to talk to the player who does it, but the number of microaggressions is prohibitive. (At some events, if I wanted to talk to every player who called me a pet name, I\u2019d be there longer than the event!).\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Eliana says you have to pick your battles, and that means that mostly you can\u2019t address issues like this directly. Plus, there is definitely a stigma against calling out behavior like using pet names. Doing so can make people think you are just whining or being too sensitive, so it is tough to find the right balance between speaking up to make the environment better and not causing more trouble than it is worth. \u201cThe problem is that while one particular instance of a microaggression might not be worth addressing,\u201d she says, \u201cthe problem on the whole definitely is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n After Eliana posted about microaggressions, she had a few types of responses. She had a lot of people tell her they were glad she was bringing the subject up. There were also a lot of judges concerned that she wasn\u2019t speaking to problematic players. Her take was that it wasn\u2019t practical to try to address the more minor cases of microaggressions.<\/span><\/p>\n Her suggestion for judges who want to reduce microaggressions at tournaments: \u201cIf you notice anyone (player or judge) saying something that might make others feel uncomfortable, definitely say something to them,\u201d she says, \u201cDon\u2019t accuse them of doing it on purpose (they probably aren\u2019t.) Simply point out that it may make others uncomfortable when they say\/do X, and so perhaps rethink that in the future. Not every problem can be fixed with official penalties, and this is definitely an example of that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Moreover, Eliana says, if you notice someone looking uncomfortable, ask them about it. If they\u00a0<\/span>tell you that they are uncomfortable, take it seriously and see if you can do something to help.<\/span><\/p>\n Overall, Eliana says Wizards of the Coast is doing a \u201cpretty good job\u201d at inclusion.\u201cIt is tricky, because female role models aren\u2019t made out of nowhere,\u201d she says. \u201cAs more and more female players get to the top levels of the game and more and more female judges grow into the leadership of the judge program, it will be important to take them seriously as players and judges, not just as women.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In the meantime, though, Eliana says inclusivity needs to come at the local level. \u201cDoes your LGS have a lot of art depicting scantily-clad women adorning the walls and tables? Maybe speak to the owner about toning it down a bit. Do you see local players acting poorly towards females in the community? Say something. Is one of your local judges a woman? Treat her with the same respect you would any other judge. Most importantly, though, just treat females players like any other player. All players want to have fun playing Magic and make friends doing it, and there is no reason why a female player would be any different in that regard.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/blogs.magicjudges.org\/pandaproject\/files\/2017\/03\/168-210x300.jpg\")
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