Is Microcosm going to put into practice their rhetoric about supporting survivors, and reflect on their role in perpetuating abuser’s behavior? We are concerned that Joe is not working towards changing his behavior. We are worried about the power that Microcosm gives to an individual who has been known to abuse his power. A statement about whether or not he wishes to take responsibility for his own behavior is long overdue.
A statement where he speaks for himself, and is clear about his role in Microcosm, is overdue.
His name was not added to your statement, and this appears as though he has other people speaking for – and protecting – him. Restructuring is one thing, but our main point is the accountability of an individual who still works for Microcosm. You mentioned transparency, but we ask, what has been done since June 2011? Why is there no visible communication, on your website, newsletter or annual report? We think this to be insensitive, considering that people are emotionally invested in your real and genuine response to Joe’s lack of accountability. ” Yet in 2012, Joe is listed in your newsletters and homepage as a member of Microcosm. You wrote: “Joe stepped down from being a collective member, and Microcosm will be collectively owned by the remaining members by the end of this year. You ended with “We do sincerely hope to open the conversation” and “Expect to hear more from us soon!” We ask, was the conversation opened? And, what was the follow-up to this? We refer to your statement from June 2011, regarding Joe Biel’s involvement in Microcosm. The wide reach of Microcosm’s distribution can be intimidating for any individual to speak out against, so we write this together, in solidarity. We express our concern regarding your support of a perpetrator of abuse. We write as zine distributors, zine-makers, library and infoshop collectives, community accountability supporters, and festival organizers from the DIY (queer, feminist, punk and/or anarcha-) community. We’ll be eager to see what their joined business operation comes up with next.We signed on to this statement about Microcosm and Joe Biel after being informed about Joe’s behavior both in Brainscan 21 zine as well as from Cindy Crabb’s statement about no longer publishing her work with Microcosm. One of Blue’s continuing projects will be the next incarnation of Taking the Lane: an annual Journal of Bicycle Feminism.īlue and Biel are two bright lights in Portland’s amazing constellation of biking thinkers, makers and artists. The merged operation has a 975-title catalog.
Now that we’ll be officially working together, the benefits to everyone are already becoming clear. The merger makes a ton of sense - half the world already thinks that Joe and I are part of the same operation, and we’ve been sharing ideas, energy, and practical efforts since we started dating six years ago, leading to a lot of similarities and connections in our brands, our designs, and how we do business. Bikes are the future and Portland’s right in the middle of it. Obviously, bikes are going to grow as a focus now that I’m bringing my authors and networks to the table. Microcosm has been putting out bicycle-related stuff since way before it was cool (case in point: the company’s chainwheel heart logo, and Joe’s iconic Evolution and Put the Fun Between Your Legs designs). Here’s Blue’s take on her role in the future of Microcosm:
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