[...] effect of the sexist treatment was that our shocked community began speaking back, having important conversations about safety and responsibility that rippled through the blogs and forums. I can’t speak on [...]

[...] been two months since much was made of the San Diego Con’s lack of a harassment policy. The convention staff didn’t respond to questions, and no action was known to have been taken [...]

[...] San Diego Comic Convention folks in response to the recent blog-wide discussion of the need for an anti-harassment policy? I emailed the general address last week asking for their statement but received nothing in [...]

The signs carriers were about 60% female and 40% male. The glompers were about 80% female teens. Otakon banned both behaviors outright and said that offenders would be evicted from the con.

Mind you, this didn’t stop con goers this year from setting up an inproptu hug line for people to come by and get a little human comfort. But at least both the givers and receivers were willing participants.

SDCC needs to put a statement in the convention booklet that bans any form of harrasement and says that such cases will be turned over to the police. Let a couple fanboys get haul off in handcuffs for having roving fingers and see how quickly people start behaving themselves.

Then there’s the way stereotypes about who likes comics, anime, video games, RPGs, etc. could encourage antisocial people to think these fandoms are where they belong in the first place.

If it wasn’t for those stereotypes, then maybe more antisocial people would give sports, music, romance novels, etc. a chance instead. Maybe fewer of them would assume people who actually like comics, anime, video games, RPGs, etc. will welcome rudeness, cater to what they think after they declare “I don’t care what anyone else thinks!!!”, and all that.

* I’ve not seen anything at Bristol Comic Expo, but it’s a relaxed, smaller-than-US convention and I doubt you could carry out sexual harrassment without everyone finding out.

The climate seems to get worse and worse at larger cons now as well. Semi-private parties held by consenting adults in hotel rooms is one thing. But with he larger crowds, media exposure, and a push to a more family friendly event at larger conventions, there is no reason why such a policy is not in place.

After all, isn’t SDCC just one big trade show now? Most of these studios and large comic companies have sexual harrassment policies, its time for Comicon to grow up too.

Let’s say you entered a McDonald’s with a sign posted at the door saying “It is corporate policy that our patrons should not grope each other. If you are asssaulted, please report it immediately to our staff.” Would you feel safe? Or if we assume – again, unfairly in my opinion – that it is ComiCon’s fault, that comics are nothing more than an infantile breeding ground for the next generatiuon of harassers, and they must be stopped at any cost, what is the booklet going to do? I think it is pretty easy to say that Hooters exploits women as sex objects. If you knew that they had a company policy stating that “Women are people too, treat them with respect”, does it suddenly become all right?

I suspect it happens at anime cons because they have a much more proportional attendance of males and females. Someone who carried a “free hugs” sign at a comic con that was 85% percent male (as they used to be) would have a whole ‘nother context.

Can I say how much I hate that whole “free hugs” deal? Call me a prude, but a hug from a complete stranger is beyond creepy. (And why is it always just at anime cons?)

They do?

People can be jerks and, when they are, they often give other people a bad name.

I haven’t been to a convention in years and when I did it was a smaller one. As a result, I didn’t realize the problems you’ve brought up have reached the levels they have.

This behavior is ridiculous and unacceptable. Rules to correct these problems need to be established and enforced immediately. If this is not possible, perhaps (for the sake of respect, dignity, and safety) the practice of comic book/science fiction (etc.) conventions should end.