Rant warning. I know it's been a while since I posted here as I've been working on staff for several conventions.(and trying to clear my name) But I've been wrestling with this but I have to say something.
Disclaimer, Everything below is either my opinion or things I've witnessed. and as such does NOT count as a "Defamatory Statement" Read on and find out why this is a necessary disclaimer.
This all started last year, I was sitting in a furmeet and enjoying the company of my friends when one of them came up and informed me that I was appointed the head of the "Game Show" Department for Furry Migration. I was shocked as I never applied for or even knew the existence of such a Department. When I saw him I made a beeline for the head of programming and demanded to know who the hell he thought he was trying to force me to work for a "all volunteer" convention. He was taken back as he told me "I thought you would want this job, you were a great host for the Furry Feud last year so why wouldn't you want to run it this year?" Vouln-telling me is a recurring theme.
Over the next 7 months I worked to make the 2 Game Shows(I got that dropped on me the next week) the best I could to make it blow up in the face of Mr. Vouln-tell(who I had guessed was betting that I would fail). I wish I knew what I was getting into. First off Furry Feud was a given, but then the head of programming's Husband demanded Match Game be the second. I wish I had said no(as that was the only game show that bombed) but I was basically told if I wanted to get any help with the board I'd better give hubby what he wants. Well one less job of coming up with a second I guess. The next month I'm told that because I haven't shown any progress on Match Game Hubby was going to take it over. Never mind that I had been working every free hour on getting it done(I had 2 choices, 1 get it done or 2 write reports about what should be getting done. I chose 1.) The two of us had it out at a picnic over his hubris. To make a long story short Everything I asked for I either didn't get(when a social media guru says "I'm not going to repost your tweet or post on facebook because we only had 33 views on the last post..." or the Website can't alter or announce that something has been added without social media's approval... or people were actually coming up to me at Anthrocon 2015 asking why Furry Migration's website was wishing them a "Happy June" when we were at the second weekend of July!... yeah) or had to beg for and even then I barely got it in time(Guest of Honor I'm looking at you, I had to go around you to talk to a couple of the GOH to get them on the panel for Match Game. Trust me I was shocked when one of them told me that this was the first they had heard of it and were excited to help out! at that point I'd been asking you for 3 months!!! Some PoC you are of you can't even relay a message!!!)
During the convention we never saw the Con Chair except during the Opening/Closing Ceremonies. This wasn't a rumor, as I was on the con floor so much I almost didn't leave it from open to close during the con. I was on the floor so much that I heard a rumor by at least 30 different con goers about the con chair crawling into a bottle and not leaving his room. I don't know if it was true but even today most of my friends will say "How can he still be in that position? He didn't care about anything but alcohol last year." But the convention went off and we got it done.
The planning process started Last January, I was going to go to the meetings but I was in the hospital and was unable to attend. The next month I was out of state(work is a thing) and so I found it curious that I hadn't heard anything about game show, so I asked the person who "vouln-told" me last year and was told to contact the head of programming. So I emailed the new head of programming and asked what's up? I was told your position was eliminated and if you want to run a game show to apply. I didn't want to run them Last Year! But wait a minute... isn't it common courtesy to inform someone when they have had their position eliminated aka They were Fired? I decided that if after all the BS I put up with last year I would just sit out "The Quest for Shiny"(This year's theme). I mentioned this on my Facebook page and explained to a few of my friends in a few posts why I'm not going, including not wanting to work for the "rumored" drunk again and not even getting the respect to be told my position was removed.
The next thing I know I'm getting a phone call from the con chair! Demanding to talk with me. Now I didn't want to talk with him considering that he was not in a sound mind. I hung up on him, and he called back! I sent it straight to Voicemail and he left a 1:30 long voicemail attacking me, calling me every name under the sun. From calling me a glory hog(how is that possible when I DIDN'T WANT THE JOB IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?), to the scum of the fandom, to the bottom of the barrel(I'm not to sure, considering that I was sitting on his head to get the "glory") and on top of all that he threatened to sue me for "defamation and slander" because I reiterated the rumor that was flying around the convention(how can it be defamation when the con chair of the biggest convention in the fandom is known to drink a ton? It's his gimmick!) Well then piss off with your convention! I don't need the drama and BS that came along with it!
I have been dealing with the retaliation ever since. First I got a email from several conventions I'm bringing panels to asking me why 3 people from Migration Staff sent them emails asking them not to allow me to work at their convention with escalating levels of severity.(It started out with he's a glory hound and it has escalated to he's a sexual harasser(which was cute considering that one was sent the day after I came out as trans) but it's funny how when I mention Furry Migration's Con Chair's Name the issues go away... Even had one person say I was a saint for being able to last a year with him!) Next I had to beg repeatedly to have them recognize my volunteer hours. And still after getting them do that I still have yet to receive my "@mnfurs.org" Email. I guess since you guys don't much care for me I don't deserve to receive what was promised any of us that gave at least 20 hours(I gave 50+) So after putting this to bed(all but the email and I'm not holding my breath on that) I have no remorse about leaving Furry Migration in the dust. This is how they treat their volunteers when they decide to inform the rest of the world what is going on.
After all this, it kills me to say this as it is my hometown convention but I implore you, don't go to Furry Migration! There are much better conventions out there that treat their volunteers with respect and and don't use them as the Public Relations versions of human Shields! As I've been told "If you talk about what happened last year, you're only tarring your friends who still work for us." Why anyone would want to work for in my opinion you scumbags, or give you money to go to a con for the board by the board and to hell with what the avg. conger wants!(They aren't even on the floor long enough to know that! they have tweeted out a "Who do you want to see be a GOH at Furry Migration 2017!"post!!!) Don't waste your money! Minnesota has many good conventions to go to, Furry Migration is NOT ONE OF THEM!!!
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