In a message dated 3/1/01 3:22:22 AM Eastern Standard Time, littles@lycos.co.uk writes:

<< Well, no, not if it affects fandom in a wider capacity. If you say Diane hates slash, then I believe you. But reading the memo that was leaked (which I'm sure you've read as well), it's clear that although Diane may hate slash, she's using her position as a pretext for something else. And it did contain a number of nasty-sounding personal attacks on Judith Proctor. >>

There are other, much older political factors at work behind Diane's stance against adult material as well. Before the old B7 'fan war' about 10 years back, the actors were all aware of the adult stuff, and were bemused but didn't otherwise comment on it. But when Paul Darrow needed ammunition to begin a condemnation campaign against the faction that opposed his plan to take 50% of the profits from all American B7 conventions (with the help of Laurie Cohen and her associates), he decided to use the existence of slash--and the fact that some of these opposing fans wrote and published slash under assumed names--as fodder for a claim that they were 'peddling porn.' Suddenly, he was officially "horrified" at the betrayal of these former friends. One fan in New Zealand, eager to show her loyalty, cheerfully provided Darrow with the real names (!!!) of all the fans against their pseudonyms for the adult stories, which he promptly confronted them with at conventions. In order to remain in Darrow's good graces, HORIZON and it's staff had to come out strongly in his camp with a show of support for this view.

Of course, the stance had to be withdrawn shortly afterward, when it became apparent that there were as many fans in Darrow's camp who had written and enjoyed adult and slash B7 as there were among the opposition. But HORIZON has needed to remain in Darrow's good graces, and has kept the 'anti-slash' public policy ever since.

Leah