A group of women took a stand amidst claims of sexual harassment at San Diego Comic-Con International.
The New York Daily News reports Geeks of CONsent was founded after several women reported being sexually harassed at the convention. Comic Con draws many cosplay enthusiasts with some attendees dressing up as characters who wear “sexier” outfits. Many women shared their sexual harassment experiences on the group’s official website:
“My underage friend was dressed as Touhou and she told me that an adult male commented on how ‘sexy’ she was and then he grabbed her boobs and ran away. I was infuriated and asked her to give me a description of the guy so I could tell security to look for him. She refused to tell me and blew it off as ‘It’s fine, it has happened to me before.’ This made me even more mad, but I tried to calm down and just be supportive of her.”
The women of CONsent claim the sexy outfits are no excuse for the cat-calling, groping and unwanted attention from attendees and photographers some experience at the convention.
"It's a separate, more specific issue within the convention space," Rochelle Keyhan, 29, director of Geeks for CONsent, told the Daily News. “It's very much connected (to the larger problem) and it's the same phenomena, but manifesting a little more sexually vulgar in the comic space.”
The convention has increased security at events and makes attendees sign a Code of Conduct when purchasing passes. Comic-Con has also expressed concern for attendees who are made to feel uncomfortable in any way.
"Comic-Con has an explicit Code of Conduct that addresses harassing and offensive behavior," said Comic-Con International in a statement to The Associated Press. "This Code of Conduct is made available online as well as on page two of the Events Guide that is given to each attendee."
However, Keyhan and Geeks for CONsent want to take the Code of Conduct a step further. The group aims to get the convention to train their employees on how to handle complaints of sexual harassment, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"It makes it feel safer for the person being harassed to report it and also for bystanders who witness [inappropriate behavior],” Keyhan told the Chronicle.
Geeks for CONsent gathered more than 2,600 signatures on an online petition supporting their anti-harassment movement for the convention.
