Our Statement Regarding Chris Redmond
This is a statement in regards to the predatory actions and sexual harassment made by a prominent member of the Sherlockian world.
This past week, after he made disparaging, homophobic, ableist, and misogynist remarks at 221B Con, stories began to come in of Chris Redmond’s inappropriate actions towards women and female-identifying members of the Sherlock Holmes fandom at large. These stories included everything from inappropriate and non-consensual touching (hugs, kissing, and general touching) to sexist and sexual comments in private and public conversation that were not welcomed nor asked for to gaslighting, manipulation, and coercing of young women.
We absolutely refuse to be an apologist for serially harassing behavior, regardless of any social anxiety or other “quirks” he may purport to have. We do not say “quirks” to make light of those with genuine anxiety and neurodiversity, we say it because he used this excuse as a tactic, which is shameful by itself. Never-mind the fact he played on people’s sympathy. We have bore witness to the years of people telling him what is appropriate and what is not, educating him on any number of matters. As it turns out, he typically used these means to trick good-natured young women to reach out to him so he could spend time with them and then proceed to make inappropriate comments and sexually harass them.
We believe women who say they’ve been victims. Always.
I, Kristina, also know this behavior to be true from personal experience. There was a time when Chris Redmond spoke, touched, and engaged with me in a manner that gave me incredible anxiety and genuinely scared me. For years I would avoid him at gatherings and online, making every attempt to never have to speak with him or even see him. I remember him gazing down my dress, I remember the hands on my back, even when I tried to move away. I remember not knowing what to do… he was so nice, maybe he was just too awkward, maybe I gave him the wrong idea on accident. I shouldn’t have had to think those things. No one should. He shouldn’t have been allowed to prey on me or anyone else.
I speak not of my own personal history to highlight my story, but instead to further elucidate the fact that the actions of this man have affected so many, even us. Not all of us have these experiences, but that’s not the point. The point is, we all believe every story.
We believe the victims.
In a closed Facebook group for Sherlock Holmes fans, these accusations were posted and brought to light as to inform much of the older generation of Sherlockians about Chris Redmond’s behavior as much of the conversation had been kept to Twitter. The post was met with support from women and annoyance from most men, not wanting such distracting discourse in their fan forum. This juxtaposition was further proven by an admin who explained the types of messages he received following closing comments on the post as the admin team decided what to do about it:
Emotion and logic; female and male. Bullshit. This admin is a wonderful human and a fine man. He is, indeed, one of the good guys in the Sherlockian world despite this flawed logic here. Men were upset because we were being disruptive with our feelings. Feelings that are very valid, especially when it is in regard to personal emotional and physical safety. He then went on to say that he and weren’t the right forum, but he didn’t know which was. So he suggested us.
Preaching to the choir indeed. We are not afraid to stand up to the old Sherlockian guard. We never have been. However, to relegate this to just being a female problem is ignorant. This involves all members of this community. Chris Redmond needed to be checked by everyone, other abusers and harassers will need to be checked and named by everyone as well.
However, we will make a statement and we do invite the victims of Chris Redmond to share their stories. Because we see you. We believe you.
If there was hope that we would be the ones to calm every down and tell them it will be alright and to stop making such a fuss… you don’t know us very well.
We stand with the victims. We stand with the survivors. We stand with safe Sherlockian spaces for everyone. And we are going to be loud about it.
Chris Redmond is a member of the Sherlockian community at large who is hugely problematic, and has been for decades. It is just now that whispers of his behavior and quiet warnings between female Sherlockians are becoming louder and are being posted publicly. There are, rightfully so, many requests that Chris Redmond not be allowed to be part of Sherlockian spaces where he can continue to prey on unsuspecting women and continue to harass those who he has already engaged in.
Sherlockian groups, organizations, and spaces that are built on being positive, safe places for the community need to address this. Calls for his banning and/or removal as well as posts of evidence of his actions should not be silenced. Others must be warned and informed of the years of abuse and harassment that this man has been a part of. These spaces can only be truly safe and enjoyable if abusers are banned and named so that everyone may participate and be unafraid.
We call for members of the Sherlockian community, especially the male members, to call Chris Redmond out on his harmful actions. We call on them to ban him from their events, gatherings, and scions to protect the women who have been affected by his actions and who may yet be. He is a serial harasser spanning decades. He is not going to suddenly change.
We will be removing all association with Chris Redmond and his projects from our website, podcast, and social media. We will not be involved in any of his future projects. He is not welcome at any of our events or gatherings.
If you are a male and have found yourself annoyed, frustrated, or inescapably angry at these turn of events… we ask why. Why would you be annoyed with women coming forward, at great pain to themselves, with stories of them being harassed, touched, and spoken to in a way that made them extremely uncomfortable or were not consensual? Why is having a happy place free of real pain-causing drama more important to you than these women?
Check yourself.
We call on male members of the Sherlockian community to check your fellow men, to hold them responsible and accountable for inappropriate actions and talk.
As a group of women, we support and believe the victims and survivors and we support those who have been harmed by Chris Redmond’s inappropriate behaviour. We want fandom spaces to be safe for everyone. As a group of women of diverse sexualities, we stand with the survivors.
We hear you. We believe you.
We love you.
UPDATED 4/13/19: We have received a statement and apology from Chris Redmond.
“For the good of the community, I will not attend any Sherlockian gatherings in the foreseeable future. I also want to apologize for anything inappropriate or hurtful that I have said or done to fellow Sherlockians. I wish you all well.” – Chris Redmond
UPDATED 5/12/19: Since this posting, the admin of said group began deleting and turning off posting abilities to all those who were speaking out against Redmond and the admin’s actions. He also stripped the only female admin, who was holding him accountable for his poor actions in the group, of her powers and archived the group. Many of us found this not only distressing, but extremely unacceptable. His actions spoke far louder than any words meant to reach out and create any sort of semblance of understanding. Many of us left the group, feeling it was no longer a safe space or a place where women were respected.
This statement will not be updated further, but comments will continue to be monitored and those that are expressly against the truth of what has happened will not be published. We understand that not everyone will agree with our hard stance, but the diversification and safety of Sherlockian spaces is something we take with utmost sincerity and seriousness. We gave many people the benefit of the doubt and they disappointed not only us, but the community at large, and frankly, deserve to be held accountable for their actions.
The Baker Street Babes
Kristina Manente is the founder of The Baker Street Babes, as well as a podcaster, reporter, event coordinator, and PR guru for the Babes. Beyond Holmes, she’s a gamer, a traveler, a freelance writer, an audio engineer, and a Van Winkle style napper. She currently works professionally in podcasting and radio.
You can view her writing and audio work at kristinamanente.me and read her latest publications at www.clippings.me/kmanente. Feel free to stalk her on twitter at @CurlyFourEyes.
Thank you for standing up and taking to Task
Chris Redmond. Much unwarranted actions but appears
to get away with over a long period of time. Enough
is enough.
You have the support of this member of the male Sherlockian community, and I’m quite certain that mine is not an isolated voice. Please don’t take the objections of a vocal few to represent opinion as a whole.
Sexual harassment must be made public for any change to happen. I applaud you courage.
The Sherlockian world is not and should be a “boy’s club.” Tom Stix set an example when he invested women in the BSI (and it was high time). We need to follow Tom’s example an see that women are treated with respect.
Excellent statement. Am posting it on our scion’s FB page. Has there been any official statement from the BSI?
There has not.
I think the admin who passed the buck to you guys had his terms wrong: logic versus emotion.
Listening to witnesses and then weighing their evidence is a logical act.
Removing the discussion from a forum because it made men uncomfortable is an emotional response.
Exactly this.
Thank you for this statement. I was disappointed with Scott’s statement, although I understand his dilemma, and was extremely irritated with his equation of logic as male and wanting the space to remain drama free and emotion as female and wanting harassers to be held accountable and for Sherlockian spaces to protect victims of harassment.
I have been wondering in recent weeks what your thoughts are on Redmond’s gradual re-introduction into Sherlockian society? It seems “the foreseeable future” meant “a period of about a year”, by which time I suppose we are meant to have forgotten that this acknowledgement of his long-term behavior had happened. Personally, I find myself deeply disappointed in the Toronto society and I am questioning whether I should discontinue my own membership. And we wonder why women hesitate to come forward, when these are the consequences for sexual harassers: short-term inconvenience and a hearty eventual “Welcome back”.
We are both incredibly disappointed and not surprised in the least. As long as people can enjoy their hobby, it seems they’re willing to ignore the accounts of many and make a mockery of what we all went through.