Anti-racism Policy

Like society in general, racism permeates geek culture and geek spaces, making them less welcoming and safe for POC (People of Color). At OrcaCon, we want to prioritize the voices of people who are often spoken over or erased in geek spaces, and make OrcaCon as accessible as we can to people from all racial backgrounds. Problems POC attendees of geek events talk about include:

• People critiquing their cosplay costumes without being asked
• Being expected to be an authority on POC characters in various shows or comics
• Being talked down to or assumed to be less knowledgeable about topics being discussed.

Hate Symbols and Associated Iconography:

As we strive to provide a welcoming, safe environment for all attendees, symbols associated with historical atrocities and current hate groups are strictly forbidden from the convention. This includes (but is not limited to) swastikas, Nazi uniforms, cosplays closely based on Nazi uniforms, and paraphernalia associated with these organizations.

We stand united against white supremacy, neo-Nazis, and the “alt-right.” We denounce their toxic hate, fear, and violence.

While in an ideal world, it would be easy to separate fictional characters who wear these items from real world events, in our current political climate we do not believe it is possible. Anyone wearing or displaying an item of clothing, prop, or other item considered a hate symbol will be asked to remove it from the convention and refusal to do so will result in ejection from the convention without refund.

This sort of behavior will absolutely not be tolerated. (Thanks to Trae Dorn from Nerd & Tie for the updated language)

Why does OrcaCon need an anti-harassment policy? We’ve implemented an anti-harassment policy in response to widespread reports of harassment in geek communities and at conventions. Read more about why action on harassment at geek conventions is necessary by visiting the Ada Initiative website.