An Oklahoma-based company has been forced to cancel an annual romantic writing competition after the decision to ban same-sex entries prompted a furious backlash from romantic fiction authors.
Romance Writers Ink (RWI), the Tulsa, Okla. chapter of the Romance Writers of America, has run the More than Magic writing competition for years. The contest accepts entries covering romance about vampires and werewolves, romance set in the future and the past, erotica and urban fantasy – but organizers, this year, decided that it would “no longer accept same-sex entries in any category.”
According to the UK Guardian newspaper romantic fiction novelist Kari Gregg got in touch with the organizers to ask why, and was told that, “RWI chapter members were uncomfortable with accepting same-sex contest entries. Same-sex was just too much.”
This response met with a furious backlash from authors wanting to boycott the contest. Many wrote to RWI complaining and soon word spread across the Internet.
Gregg told the Guardian that she was “staggered” by RWI’s “nonchalance.” “The arrogant presumption that their behavior was OK infuriated me as a professional, who (reasonably) expected her work to be considered with the same courtesy and respect afforded to every other romance book.”
RWI has since cancelled the competition issuing a statement on its Web site saying,
“After much consideration, RWI regretfully announces the MTM published author contest has been cancelled. We have heard and understood the issues raised, and will take those concerns into consideration should the chapter elect to hold contests in the future.”
