Every labor day weekend, Atlanta is busy, busy, busy! There’s the Decatur Book Festival, Black GayPride, and DragonCon-a huge science fiction and fantasy convention. One thing that I don’t talk about often is
that I am a nerd and I attend DragonCon every year. This will be my eleventh year! D*Con is held in five hotels: the Westin,
Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, and Sheridan and features many panels, costume
contests, parties, dances, musical and comedy shows, film screenings, venders, games,
a parade, and much more. It’s always a
great time! This year I am presenting
the Feminist Guide to DragonCon, which is a list I have compiled of all the
panels that address feminism in some way.
I have included a lot of
different topics and not just topics that deal with sexism or women directly,
because “my feminism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit” (one of my
favorite quotes). I have the category (track), the title, the description, time, and where the panel can be found. The banner at the end will take you to the DragonCon website to look at the schedule more closely.
Friday
Who are you really? A
look at ideas about identity. 11:30am
Reg V (Hyatt)
Steampunk: Saloon Girls, Actresses, and Other Fallen
Women
From dowdy librarian to clockwork hooker, women can fill
or break the mold of womanhood.
Desirability and social acceptance are two different things. 10p Intl A (Westin)
Steampunk: A Steampunk’s Guide to Sex
Authors with Combustion Books discuss Victorian kink,
alternative sexuality, strange devices, and contemporary subculture. 11:30p Intl BC (Westin)
Art Show: The Five Lies to Bust for Freeing Your
Creativity
Talk with career author/illustrator about smashing
misconceptions and blockages that divert creative productivity or dull the
imagination. 5:30p Hanover A-B (Hyatt)
British Sci-Fi: Gay Themes in Doctor Who
Doctor Who has broken traditional walls of SF by
acquiring a following in straight and gay communities. Here we examine this idea. 10p Crystal Ballroom (Hilton)
Comics: The Superhero as The Other
What insights into diversity, marginalization, &
suppression can we find in superhero comics?
11:30a Hanover F (Hyatt)
Comics: Rise of the Independent
Creator owned, self publishing and kicking @$$! Find out what it takes to get it done. 4p
Hanover F (Hyatt)
Comics: Gender, Power, and the Superhero Self
How superhero comics present conceptions of masculinity
& feminity, in terms of power, transition & coming of age. 7p
Hanover F (Hyatt)
Electronic Frontiers: Trust, Security, and Society
How societies induce trustworthiness and secure
themselves against those who abuse trust and how systems fail in today’s
technology-driven world. 2:30p 201
(Hilton)
Electronic Frontiers: 10 Rules for Dealing with Police
Encounters
Knowing and asserting your rights along with common sense
can greatly improve the outcome of any police encounter. Documentary by flexyourrights.org. 8:30 201 (Hilton)
Horror: Our
Monsters, Ourselves
What each generation’s choice of monsters says about the
world we live in. 8:30p Embassy A (Hyatt)
Sci-Fi Fantasy & Lit: Fandom and Feminism
How are women and feminism perceived in sf and fantasy
narratives and fandom? 1p Greenbriar (Hyatt)
Science: I (Do Not) Want My HPV
An update of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): the virus,
cervical cancer & other diseases it causes (with pictures) & the
vaccines that prevent it. 8:30 202
(Hilton)
Trek: A Woman Leading Change!
Legend Nichelle Nichols first Q&A about her ground
breaking role as Lieutenant Uhura and what she’s accomplished since! 2:30 Grand Ballroom A-F (Sheridan)
Young Adult: Tuff Chicks
Let’s talk about Katniss and other strong female
protagonists in today’s YA. 11:30a A707
(Marriott)
Young Adult: Whitewashing of YA
A look at minorities and their portrayal in YA. 1p A707 (Marriott)
Saturday
Steampunk: Envisioning a Better Steam Society
In an aesthetic based on a historial era rife with
sexism, racism, and classist thinking, can Steampunk come to terms with its
problematic past? 10a Intl A (Westin)
Steampunk: The World is Bigger Than
England-Multi-Culturalism in the Alt History Environment
The 19th Century spirit of exploration begs to
highlight cultural histories and hallmarks beyond the British Isles. 2:30p
Intl BC (Westin)
Anime: Miyazaki, Gender, and Joseph Campbell on the
Heroic Quest
Hayao Miyazaki revisions Joseph Campbell’s universal myth
of the (exclusively) male hero, expanding it to feature girls and young
women. 5:30 Courtland (Hyatt)
British Sci-Fi: Time Ladies in the Whoinverse: The
Portrayal of Women in Doctor Who
Why do ladies love the Doctor? Is it the flashy threads? The sleek vehicle? His hat collection? This & what it says about women in
DW. 1p Macon (Sheridan)
British Sci-Fi: The Monty Python Experience
A celebration of all things Python, from skits, to
sing-alongs, to chats to what they are doing now. 10p Macon (Sheridan)
Comics: Strong
Women in Comics
Discuss how the industry is breaking out of the “damsels
and babes” molds to depict fascinating, strong, layered characters. Hanover F (Hyatt)
Kaleidoscope: Geeks rule!
Geeks are trying to save the world. From Level Up to Lab Rats how are these teens
saving the planet? 1p L405 (Marriott)
Kaleidoscope: Girlz rule!
Grab your glitter nail polish and learn what girls like
best! Including tv shows, music, and
more. 1p
L405 (Marriott)
Sci-Fi Fantasy & Lit: The State of Black Science
Fiction
Local African-American writers discuss the place of Black
science fiction today. 7p Fairlie
(Hyatt)
Star Wars: Masculinity in SW
Vader, Han Solo, Lando-just what does it all mean, &
where was the Maker going with chivalry, patriarchy, & the definition of
masculinity? 5:30p A706 (Marriott)
Video Gaming: Sex in VideoGames
Games are often found at the intersection of sexuality
and sexism. Hear how games from Bioware
tackle issues like sex, gay romance, and inclusiveness. 10p
209 (Hilton)
X-Sexuality in Supernatural
A discussion on sexual orientation and identity on SPN,
paired with a discussion on “shipping,” including the pros and cons of
different “ships.” 10p M106 (Marriott)
Young Adult: Advice for Young Writers
So you’re a teen or a young adult who has a story to
tell. Come hear some advice from
seasoned writers about getting your start.
5:30p A707 (Marriott)
Sunday
Steampunk: Race Relations in Alternate History
Examine how the imperialist 19th century can
be reinterpreted through alternate history for a modern, multiracial
world. 7p Intl A (Westin)
Anne Mccaffrey’s Worlds: LGBT on Pern
Gay men on dragons are standard practice on Pern-but
they’ve got company, and not everyone approves.
Todd weighs in. (Here be
spoilers!) 11:30am Vinings (Hyatt)
British Sci-Fi: Theorizing the Doctor: Then and Again
The evolution of Doctor Who will be academically explored
through a social and ethical lens.
1p Macon (Sheridan)
Comics: The Status
of Women in Mainstream Comics
Roundtable discussion of the status of women creators and
the representations of women in mainstream comics, historial and
contemporary. 7p Hanover F (Hyatt)
Comics: Black Masculinity and Comics
Jonathan Gayles Ph.D screens his film “White Scripts and
Black Supermen: Black Masculinity in Comic Books.” Q&A with filmmaker. 8:30p
Hanover F (Hyatt)
Gaming: Gamer Girls Unite!
Whether it be at the table top, in a computer game, over
an MMO, or even with a foam sword, we talk about gamer girl culture. 11:30a Grand Salon C (Hilton)
Sci-Fi Fantasy & Lit: Race in SF and Fantasy
An examination of the way ethnicity is used in science
fiction and fantasy literature. But
please, keep it civil. 4p Fairlie
(Hyatt)
Sci-Fi Fantasy & Lit: Native Americans in SF &
Fantasy
The use of Native American characters and mythology in
science fiction and fantasy: done well or done poorly, should there be
more? 8:30p Fairlie (Hyatt)
Young Adult: LGBTQ in YA
Are the portrayals of gay, bisexual, lesbian,
transgendered, and questioning teens realistic?
Audience participation encouraged.
4p A707 (Marriott)
Monday
Steampunk: Women in Alternate History
Are women in Steampunk “feminist” or “traditional”
compared to Victorian social roles? How
are women represented in Steampunk books and films? 2:30p
Intl BC (Westin)
Costuming: Recycling: Turning Existing Oddiments in
Costuming Art
Don’t let it sit in the garage collecting dust. Grab those spare parts & odd pieces and
let’s create! 2:30p M103 (Marriott)
Skeptic: How Slippery is the Slope Between Same-Sex Marriage
and Polyamory?
Insanity about same-sex marriages influence debunked with
research on poly relationships, ethics provides boundaries without religious
morality. 2:30p 205 (Hilton)
Stargate: She Blinded Me with Science: Sexism in Stargate
Do female characters get slighted in the SG franchise or
was some of the now-cliché dialogue and plot an attempt to move gender equality
forward? 11:30a Intl FGH (Westin)

Recommended Links:
Aesop to the Right: Why I Believe Pristol Palin
But it’s important for you to recognize that there is a vast difference between facing ridicule or even occasional civic rejection, and facing systematic social and political inequality. […] Supremacy is the habit of believing or acting as if your life, your love, your culture, your self has more intrinsic worth than those of people who differ from you.
The Fat Nutritionist – Food and Exercise are Not Matter and Anti Matter
Food and exercise are not enemies. They are friends. They work together to create and sustain life.
RD Magazine - Masculinity and Mass Violence
Still, in a world in which even the most progressive of religious groups struggle to move away from the He-God of the sexist tradition, the problem is clearly not solved. If we’re looking at race and religion as important elements that mass killers have drawn upon for their violent rage, there’s no reason for us to look away from associated cultural constructions of masculinity as a comparably important a factor.
No comments:
Post a Comment