Here’s a good idea: Universal Fan Con, an event sponsored by Black Girl Nerds and The Black Geeks to offer an event that will offer representation for all fans. It will take place April 27-29th 2018 at the Baltimore Convention Center with an emphasis on POC, LGBTQ and disabled fans and issues.
Jamie Broadnax of BGN and Robert Butler of TBG are spearheading the event, which has a Kickstarter.
Universal Fan Con grew out of the idea that a Con should be a space where everyone can see themselves represented in the genres that they love. From the panels, to the celebrity guests and activities, all the way down to the parties, we believe that the Con experience should be a celebration of the differences that make us strong. In this time of political divisiveness rooted in fear, Universal Fan Con is here to celebrate the power of inclusion and representation.
Whether you’re a fan of anime, comics, gaming, movies or television, or just believe in our mission of inclusion in a time when intolerance seems to be on the rise, we ask that you join and support us. Not only will you have an amazing experience, you’ll help us take one small step closer to making the world just a little bit better for everyone.
According to the Kickstarter, which is already about a fifth of the way there,
Our goal is bring together at least 10,000 of our closest geek friends from all over the nation to have fun and celebrate geekdom in a place where all are welcome. The world of fandom is one in which personal identity plays a pivotal role. From cosplay to live action role play (LARP), identities of race, gender, and sexual orientation contrast with identities of genre, era, medium and myth.
This sounds like a potentially groundbreaking event to bring together a lot of passionate communities.
On the other hand, experienced con runners are looking at this and going “And what actual convention planning and running experience does anyone on the concom have?” “And they’re shooting for a 10K attendance in their first go?” Don’t get me wrong; I hope they succeed, but they really ought to be recruiting some experienced folk for this.
Umm this is great and I hope they do well, but it’s not new. Blerdcon has already been doing the same thing, and they’re happening this year…
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blerDCon is new just like Universal FanCon so neither has “been” doing anything. Instead of being negative let’s support both of these initiatives. I personally will be attending both.
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