Message from the IFPA

[AlanJ]

When I was a boy & young teenager I thought all the old people I came across were racist bigots. Especially those old ****s who groaned on about fighting the hun in the trenches.

It took me a long while to understand their point of view.

The pinball world is a subset of people from all walks of life and from all age groups.

That means a tangle of viewpoints, some naturally anchored in past decades.

It’s the way it is. Easy to criticize an earlier generation, or a later one.

Ageism is real and is ignored as a discrimination!!!! Yet to come across “Youthism”.

It’s almost a right of passage to call your elders out as bigots, sexist, racist, etc…….. then you age yourself …. and whilst you don’t ever agree with those from your past, you eventually find yourself ,accused now of socially unacceptable ways of thinking….. by your younger earth mates.

If you think I’m talking bollox, you’re too young.

 

[KendarTheOrc]

Nope I don't think someone's a bigot because they're older. I think they're a bigot because they're being a bigot. There's plenty of older folks in this thread who have expressed support for this and understand this is about people just wanting to be able to live their lives and feel included. It's not a generational issue.

 

[PinballNoobie]

As the world revolves and evolves all ideas become outdated.

When we fail to learn, we learn to fail.

The pinball community is a good one. It is made up of a wide cross section of society, brought together by a shared passion for kinetic fun.

We all have preconceptions about other's life experiences but when we meet and play, hopefully we learn that what makes us individuals is what makes us a fringe collective.

You don't have to like everyone, their point of view or their perspective - you just have to respect that it is who they are, their view and their perspective.

Pinball is about fun and that is all it should be about.

 

[Lecari]

This has been on the IFPA website for at least 6 months or so now. I remember spotting it last year and really liked the wording, borrowed some of it for a work thing. I think it's a great statement, but a shame it's needed. Great to see that they have reiterated it recently.

As others have said, the ladies comps have been about encouraging more women to play, as well as a safe atmosphere where they can have a play and not feel judged or have someone jump in to tell them what to do or try and take over. A lot of women at the Pinfest events said that they don't feel confident playing, and playing around male partners and friends is intimidating for them. It's also sometimes not felt as if it's welcome or open to women - for example if they weren't allowed to play growing up.

If at least one woman has felt more confident and empowered by the ladies events, and more comfortable playing pinball around other people, then that's enough for me.

 

[ailsaclunie]

A few of us started the women’s social at pinfest a few years ago. This was after I personally went round the bar and hotel area talking to some of the women that were not really joining in . The majority of them told me that they didn’t know how to play and / or felt the comps were quite intimidating ( despite the people running these comps doing their best ) . It was more the spectators or indeed their partners trying to help that put them off . The women’s social event was started to introduce more of these women to each other - and get them involved in the fun side of pinball - I think it was a great success . Last year , we ran the first serious pinball comp for women at pinfest in the hope that women from the social event would join in but again some of the women asked us to screen it off from spectators as they felt a bit shy etc which we tried our best to do and again
I think the participants enjoyed it despite the timing clash
There is loads of views/ opinions of why these women felt shy or intimadeted ( as an older women - in the 80s - I never walked into a pub or arcade alone never mind stay and play games - it just wasn’t done in Glasgow ) I am glad that this is changing and I think some of the younger women coming through are amazing and confident and bloody good at pinball and more women are entering the comps . ( yay ! )
My hope is that in the next few years - women will have catched up/ got more confident or come in their droves to these events and there will be no need for seperate comps . This is not taking away from the women who play - are brilliant and already confident - it’s the other women I am talking about ( me ) However I hope the women’s social event continues as we all get a ****ed

 

[PUP]

Ailsa, I love your above post. As someone who believes in full equality meaning equality, I was at first sceptical but I think you have hit the nail on the head there explaining what women's competitions are all about and the purpose.
The IFPA message just gives that little bit of re assurance to some, although I really hope and trust that no one entering these comp's take advantage of what a trans or non binary person really is.

 

[PUP]

And just to add, I really do admire all your hard work promoting pinball to people who may not otherwise be part of our community right now, you have my full support.

 

[cooldan]

Amen to this. I love Ailsa, she gets my vote for president every time

 

[Wayne J]

Just a point to those saying this is unnecessary and ‘virtue signalling’, I totally understand why it feels like that. Just to share my perspective as a trans person,
- we don’t get to assume that we’re welcome in most spaces. Aside from explicitly queer communities, getting involved in a community is scary because you might not be wanted there. Basic things for me like going to the gym and dropping my kid off at school can be anxiety inducing because I’m afraid of being noticed as trans and being treated unfairly for it.
- the chess competitive body has very recently said trans folk can’t compete in the appropriate league, which is crazy and makes you afraid the same will be true in other games. (Similarly there was some controversy when a trans darts player won something in December.)
- basically this provides me the assurance that I am welcome and can play pinball competitively without fear of being abused for it. Which is nice. And if you want pinball to be a welcoming community then this is exactly what you need.

For what it’s worth, generally speaking I don’t give a damn what people think about me - I wasted enough of my life worrying about that already. But not having to be afraid is really quite a lovely thing.

This is sad to read.

Especially the first point, about you not being able to assume that you're welcome in most places. It should be every persons expectation and right that they should be safe and welcomed in to whatever environment they choose to enter, regardless or sexuality, race, age, disability, whatever - but unfortunately that isn't the society we live in.
I personally don't believe that it should be necessary to have a gender based competition, but if it's what is needed to allow people to feel welcomed and safe, then it's got to be a good thing.

@ailsaclunie has done an absolutely fantastic job in bringing more people in to the pinball community and making them feel welcomed.

Something that has been discussed a little is to have a 'newbies' competition to get more people involved who may be nervous or shy in entering the bigger competitions. You can only enter if you are not IFPA ranked. i.e. you have played less than 5 competitions. After you have played in 5 competitions hopefully your confidence would have grown enough to venture into the larger competitions as you will have met others in the same situation.

Fortunately the bigotry on here has definitely reduced and inappropriate comments (even meant in jest) have been addressed.

Rosflip, I hope that by reading the comments on this thread it makes you a little less nervous about joining our wonderful community and attending events without fear.

 

[Wayne J]

And who would they be then?

Luckily the biggest bigot has been banned, but for bullying rather than bigotry.

Someone who has reduced the number of competitions at his house in case people he doesn't like attend. (He can't exclude them as that would mean no WPPR pts)
The same person who created a fake account purely to mock a trans person.
Who created a further account after he had been banned permanently , only for that account to get banned as well.

 

[Tucks]

I got the email and I thought it was ridiculous and unnecessary. You should always treat people the way you want to be treated anyway.

BTW, not believing in the trans ideology doesn't make you a bigot.

 

[David_Vi]

Luckily the biggest bigot has been banned, but for bullying rather than bigotry.

Someone who has reduced the number of competitions at his house in case people he doesn't like attend. (He can't exclude them as that would mean no WPPR pts)
The same person who created a fake account purely to mock a trans person.
Who created a further account after he had been banned permanently , only for that account to get banned as well.

Plenty of people here more bigoted than who you're speaking of.
I don't think it's fair to accuse someone of things where they can't defend themselves. Especially as some of those could be assumptions or rumours.

 

[Wayne J]

Plenty of people here more bigoted than who you're speaking of.
I don't think it's fair to accuse someone of things where they can't defend themselves. Especially as some of those could be assumptions or rumours.

I haven't named anybody.
But one person who clearly assumes it is him has already private messaged me away from here trying to deny what I have said. I wonder who it could have been who informed him and is just stirring?
They are neither rumours or assumptions.

 

[David_Vi]

I think most people know who you're speaking about and we all know he regularly reads this forum.
Still I think it's rude to talk about people who aren't here and able to defend themselves no matter who they are, it's a cheap shot.

 

[Arv]

Plenty of people here more bigoted than who you're speaking of.
I don't think it's fair to accuse someone of things where they can't defend themselves. Especially as some of those could be assumptions or rumours.

Unfortunately David it's not rumours I know for a fact it was a member on here that was in the firing line regarding the mockery.

 

[Wayne J]

I think most people know who you're speaking about and we all know he regularly reads this forum.
Still I think it's rude to talk about people who aren't here and able to defend themselves no matter who they are, it's a cheap shot.

Just like talking about people in Whatsapp group messages that they're not in, surely?

 

[David_Vi]

Unfortunately David it's not rumours I know for a fact it was Courtney that was in the firing line regarding the mockery.

Still, if that's true there's plenty of other accusations mentioned that could be seen as slander.

 

[Arv]

Still, if that's true there's plenty of other accusations mentioned that could be seen as slander.

For it to be slander you need to besmirch someone's character and good name.

 

[Wayne J]

Still, if that's true there's plenty of other accusations mentioned that could be seen as slander.

plenty of other?
There were only 2 other comments, both of which have been confirmed in writing by the person in question.

I don't post unfounded comments or rumours

 

[David_Vi]

Just like talking about people in Whatsapp group messages that they're not in, surely?

If you want to go down that route how about phoning people and ranting about other people

 

[ailsaclunie]

@PUP - I think there will be a time soon that women’s comps will not be needed as more and more women are entering the main comps and indeed last year we had the first female and young person in the uk to win a region ( Lucy Vince ) and as Wayne mentioned - I hope it changes to be a newbie social and comp ( all inclusive singing and dancing ) again the objective will be to increase knowledge and confidence or just to have more fun and make friends

 

[Wayne J]

If you want to go down that route how about phoning people and ranting about other people

I don't think it's fair to accuse someone of things where they can't defend themselves. Especially as some of those could be assumptions or rumours.

Still I think it's rude to talk about people who aren't here and able to defend themselves no matter who they are, it's a cheap shot.

Still, if that's true there's plenty of other accusations mentioned that could be seen as slander.

I'm purely pointing out the hypocrisy in your comments.

 

[Tucks]

I think there will be a time soon that women’s comps will not be needed as more and more women are entering the main comps

When do we change the comps to age groups?

10 - 20 year old
20 - 30 years old
etc
etc

They we won't all be thrashed by the youngsters.

 

[mufcmufc]

Ok I think we’re descending into chaos now, so we’ll lock up

 

[mufcmufc]

I haven't named anybody.
But one person who clearly assumes it is him has already private messaged me away from here trying to deny what I have said. I wonder who it could have been who informed him and is just stirring?
They are neither rumours or assumptions.

Saying I didn’t name Neil M, whilst obviously referring to him doesn’t make it not him your obfuscation clearly has not worked here