For what it is worth, I met Michael Vassar on an after-party to an event when I was at Lighthaven in 2025. So I assume he is still allowed on the Lighthaven premises under some circumstances? If I had known that he is banned I would have let someone know. Pretty sure it was him because I recognized him from YouTube, and he was talking about dumb things like trying to convince Elon Musk to use the power with DOGE to keep printing money to disempower the US government. The only reason I actually stuck around was to calibrate and compare my impressions of Michael Vassar compared to what I read about him online. Mostly I was confused why people like talking with him, he didn’t seem very insightful nor manipulative to me at all, but to be fair he was already slightly intoxicated. Maybe I am too psychologically healthy, and also he didn’t want to get anything from me.
I have seen him show up at multiple different events/venues he is explicitly banned from. I believe he is well aware he is not welcome and decides to enter these places anyhow.
It would have been nice if Ben’s root comment had explained this distinction upfront, because it has meaningful impacts on how allies may want to interact with the space. Would you let an organization host an event at Lighthaven where Vassar is a featured speaker?
Makes sense, I’ll try to be clearer about that in future.
(As to your question, I don’t have a clear yes/no, would depend a lot on context. I care a lot about events at the space feeling comfortable setting their own attendee list, even if sometimes that means having people there who I think have terrible character and/or have committed terrible deeds.)
What would be your bar from banning someone from Lighthaven fully? Feel free to ignore if you would rather not be pinned to it, or if it you feel it may encourage bad behaviour.
For what it is worth, I met Michael Vassar on an after-party to an event when I was at Lighthaven in 2025. So I assume he is still allowed on the Lighthaven premises under some circumstances? If I had known that he is banned I would have let someone know. Pretty sure it was him because I recognized him from YouTube, and he was talking about dumb things like trying to convince Elon Musk to use the power with DOGE to keep printing money to disempower the US government. The only reason I actually stuck around was to calibrate and compare my impressions of Michael Vassar compared to what I read about him online. Mostly I was confused why people like talking with him, he didn’t seem very insightful nor manipulative to me at all, but to be fair he was already slightly intoxicated. Maybe I am too psychologically healthy, and also he didn’t want to get anything from me.
I have seen him show up at multiple different events/venues he is explicitly banned from. I believe he is well aware he is not welcome and decides to enter these places anyhow.
Lightcone events =/= Lighthaven
Orgs renting Lighthaven space for money get to decide their own safety policies.
Correct, our bar for banning someone from Lighthaven in full generality, even for your private event where you can do whatever, is much much higher.
It would have been nice if Ben’s root comment had explained this distinction upfront, because it has meaningful impacts on how allies may want to interact with the space. Would you let an organization host an event at Lighthaven where Vassar is a featured speaker?
Makes sense, I’ll try to be clearer about that in future.
(As to your question, I don’t have a clear yes/no, would depend a lot on context. I care a lot about events at the space feeling comfortable setting their own attendee list, even if sometimes that means having people there who I think have terrible character and/or have committed terrible deeds.)
What would be your bar from banning someone from Lighthaven fully? Feel free to ignore if you would rather not be pinned to it, or if it you feel it may encourage bad behaviour.
It’d be decided on a case by case basis, but I think more criminal behavior (theft, physical violence, stalkers) would meet that line.