On the seventy-first edition of Reality Bomb, we’ve given over the entire episode to a special report on convention safety. We’re doing a 90-minute deep dive on the topic on harassment at conventions and what convention organizers need to do to make cons safer.
We talk to outside resources and experts as well as people in fandom and survivors including Christine Chapman of Uplift, an organization which has a special outreach program that creates codes of conduct for conventions and trains volunteer staff. We talk to Trickssi of the Cosplayer Survivor Support Network, an organization supporting survivors of abuse at cons. And we talk to Doctor Who fans Sage Young and Felicity Kuzinitz about their perspective within Doctor Who fandom about con safety. We also talk to regular contributor Heather Berberet, who offers her insight as a psychologist on the issues of harassment. Finally, we offer the stories of survivors of harassment at conventions.
For more information:
Uplift – an organization dedicated to combating sexual abuse in online communities through education and advocacy.
Convention Resources by Uplift – an initiative which offers staff and volunteer training to conventions and consultation on creating codes of conduct and more.
Cosplayer Survivor Support Network – a support network for members of the cosplay community who are survivors of harassment, trauma, sexual assault, or abuse. CSSN offers a report card on convention harassment policies.
If you or someone you know is a survivor and needs confidential support:
In North America call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or go to hotline.rainn.org/online to chat with a specialist.
If you’re in the UK call The National Rape Crisis Helpline at 0808 802 9999 or visit to rapecrisis.org.uk
