Dragon*Con Official Post: Good Intentions, Bad Situations

[astralfire]

At times, good intentions can lead to bad situations. Dragon*Con has become aware of a potentially dangerous situation involving a self-started project that provides ribbons for fans identifying themselves as people who are able and willing to help another fan in the event assistance of any sort is needed in a difficult situation. While we

Comments

[thatwordgrrl]

Just to be clear -- as per discussion with the Dragon*Con concom, this post will be linked on the Backup Ribbon Project website, as well as on its Twitter feed. We feel it is only fair to Dragon*Con attendees why may have ribbons to know the concom's position on on this. At this point, to our understanding, Dragon*Con will NOT be imposing sanctions on those who wear or distribute Backup Ribbons, nor will the ribbons be confiscated

[cetkat]

"We would also ask that if there is an unfortunate incident of somebody with a Backup Ribbon taking advantage of the situation to please let us know

[rap541]

In fairness, if I am to take my concerns to a volunteer, what assurances do I have that the volunteer was screened for their criminal back ground and how is Dragoncon screening the volunteers I am to go to in the event of an assault or otherwise to know that when I approach, I am not approaching a sex offender?

Mind you, I am playing devil's advocate a bit - but if Dragoncon wants to stamp down on a voluntary project, ok... but now I need to know how Dragoncon is screening *their* volunteers so I know if say, I tell my kid to go to a volunteer if they get seperated from me, has *Dragoncon* taken any precautions to know that I am not sending my child to a registered sex offender?

The application I saw asks if you know CPR, not if you are on the sex offender list.

*No, I don't have a child, but frankly I am being told "BEWARE" about some volunteers on a side project, so what assurances do I have about *official* dragoncon volunteers?

[cetkat]

The only answer I have for you (assuming there is no form of background check - which may or may not be true.. sex offenders are after all registered for anyone to look up so D*C would need no permission to do that), is psychology based

[tangerine_milk]

Call me devil's advocate, but I don't think that giving someone a ribbon makes them any more qualified to deal with these situations, and in my opinion could probably make the situations twice as bad. It's not just a wolf in sheep's clothing thing, but also a thing of putting more people in a dangerous confrontation. Some people might mistakenly get a hero complex from wearing the ribbon, and picking a fight with someone who's already harassing people is going to blow the problem up even more. I think it's great to support other people, don't get me wrong, but I don't think the ribbons were really going to make a difference.

Besides, why wear a badge for something that's just a common decency. I think we all need to just keep an eye out individually while we enjoy the con, badges or not. We're all kind of a big Dragon*con family, and we need to help each other out.

[darkink]

the Back Up Ribbon is not intended for "heroes" but "escort to safe places" and to assist anyone accosted to redress their issues through means of authority, or that is how i read it. All dcon is saying is caveat emptor regarding people wearing these ribbons, for they may have slipped you the roofie in the first place. While Hopeing with some degree of personal experience that most people at the Con can step up into that roll to help/assist where needed, Volunteer staff or not.

imho.

[contradictacat]

You'd be surprised how uncommon "common decency" is. It's very easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the con and the excitement and *not see* the person backed up against the wall with a very uncomfortable look on their face. Or an individual may be stalking someone- a quick inappropriate gesture here, an unwanted touch there, and if someone's just walking by, they might not know it's the 5th time that day that person's been harassed. Having the badges means that a) you have the responsibility to keep an eye out for that and to let the person being harassed that you're on their side and b) you can be approached for backup and an exit outta that situation

[braidedmane]

Likewise, the person being harassed may feel better able to deal with the harasser (or simply walk away) when someone else joins them, even if the harasser doesn't take the hint. I know I've felt much more capable getting out of an uncomfortable/borderline harassment situation when I've had other people with me, even if it was only coworkers I didn't know well.

[corpsefairy]

I am not planning to attend D*C this year. This statement makes me even less likely to attend in future years. A badge and key check and more police presence is not sufficient to keep the con safe. Stamping out the Backup Ribbons out of fear of some hypothetical (have you ever heard of your "wolf in sheep's clothing" happening?) means that D*C will feel less safe and less friendly. Don't go down this path; it will blow up in your face.

[esot_erica]

This. I'm an SDCC-goer, and I've always said that if I ever happened not to get a badge some year, I'd spend the money on D*C instead... looks like GenCon or PAX will get me now, unless this is handled.

[brickhousewench]

Wow, way to make a fine project seem creepy DragonCon! A group of women decide to back each other up when they see someone getting harassed and that's somehow a threat to the convention? Did you even do any research into the purpose of the Backup Project before you came out and said they were potentially dangerous people?

As someone who has started another fans-supporting-fans project about a decade ago that involved ribbons, I'm horrified to think that *I* might have been considered a shady character by DragonCon.

Badly handled folks, badly handled. Especially right on the heels of the fiasco at ReaderCon.

[siredgar]

I was a supporter of the Backup ribbon project, and am mulling over now in light of their concern whether or not to continue this year as I read this thread, but I wanted to interject that never was I told it was a group of women backing each other up. I saw my role as a male to assist anyone, male/female, who asked if I thought it was safe and prudent to do so, as would my wife and other male/female friends attending the con.

[siredgar]

To clarify - my mulling is whether or not to wear the ribbon in light of the con's wishes. With or without the ribbon I'd help my fellow geeks if asked and I thought it was safe/prudent.

[brickhousewench]

I did not intend any offense to the fine members of the Gentleman's Auxiliary!

(Although I suspect that Dragon Con DID intend offense to the whole project.)

[contradictacat]

So, all this has made me curious about Dragon*Con's harassment policies, since not only am I wondering what kind of structures are in place for harassed congoers outside of the APD and "Staff and volunteers take security very seriously", but I've also heard (as a non-goer but one who used to want to go) about its reputation as a con where the cosplayers are kind of known for not wearing a whole lot of clothing. What I've found (or rather, what I haven't found) is really quite disturbing and makes me very reluctant to go.

From the main D*C site, the only thing I could find that resembled a harassment policy (Because searching the site for "Harassment" or "Unsafe" did nothing) was this line:We reserve the right to ask you to leave the convention and refuse to refund your membership money if you are behaving - in technical terms - like a jerk. and this: Keep all behavior that polite fans would find offensive in public in your hotel rooms, and from the FAQ wiki, under "How do I keep the fanboys away from me?" there's this: Your sexy

[ninepointfivemm]

Sexy costumes can attract unwanted attention, but so can dressing in normal clothing and just being a chick at a convention. I think signs that state COSTUMES ARE NOT CONSENT would do better to discourage people from being a jerk.

[esot_erica]

Your sexy costume can attract unwanted attention. Be firm with your NOs and travel with friends. You should never feel harassed or unsafe.

Yeah, stop dressing like sluts, you slutty sluts, or else just live with the harassment that your slutty sluttiness brought down on you.

What a fabulous position to take on this issue.

[tawg]

Your sexy costume can attract unwanted attention. Be firm with your NOs and travel with friends. You should never feel harassed or unsafe.

And to break that down further:
Be firm with your NOs and travel with friends - if you get harassed it's probably your fault.
You should never feel harassed or unsafe - if you feel harassed of unsafe you have done something wrong.

Could we have less victim blaming blaming in the flimsy excuse for a harassment policy? PLEASE?