GeekGirlCon’s new announcement… Oof. Where to begin?

I’ve been a geek my entire life. I’ve been bullied for it growing up and as an adult. Most of us have. Being queer and nonbinary on top of it means I’ve grown up in a world that wishes I didn’t exist. Okay, I take that back. Many folks in this world don’t care that I’m an Autistic, neurodivergent, disabled, nonbinary queer geek, but there are enough people in the world who wish me harm that it makes for an interesting life. 

Especially in the United States. 

Especially right now.

Molli and I moved from Texas to the Seattle area in 2012 and almost immediately discovered GeekGirlCon. We fell in love with this convention because it’s number one tenet was inclusivity for ALL. 

During our first attendance, we saw geeks of all stripes. It was amazing to be amongst such diversity and positivity. Everyone living and geeking as their true, authentic selves. Everyone was accepted and lifted up in such a positive way. Not just women, but women in the BIPOC community, the LGBTQ+ community, neurodiverse folks, disabled people, and more. 

The name of the game was lifting and empowering marginalized communities in a way I’d never seen done by any convention before (and I’ve been to A LOT of conventions). 

This was a convention where in 2015, I was a panelist on a panel entitled The Analysis of Sex vs. Gender. The discussion was frank and honest. It was eye opening and it was in that panel that I realized I was demi-sexual. Later panels I served on led me to the understanding that I was also nonbinary, specifically, agender. GeekGirlCon gave me the vocabulary to better understand and define myself in both my identity and sexuality.

GeekGirlCon has always been ahead of the curve in inclusivity and equity, and I’m sure I’m not the only attendee or guest who learned something about themselves at that convention. This is why their latest announcement hit me so hard.

When the pandemic hit, GeekGirlCon switched over to an online convention for two years. When states dropped their masking requirements and pretended the pandemic was over, GeekGirlCon continued to be a safe space by requiring masking at their convention.

While other conventions left those of us disabled and those of us disabled by COVID behind, GeekGirlCon continued to be inclusive to ALL by protecting those most vulnerable… and then 2025 happened.

GeekGirlCon has decided that this year, they will no longer require masking at their event. In an email to me (and others as seen in their Discord group), they claim that it is for financial reasons. That by not requiring masking, they will magically return to the pre-pandemic numbers the convention used to see, but their logic is flawed.

Pre-Pandemic, GeekGirlCon used to bring in some fairly big names in the geek community, performers like The Doubleclicks and Samus and industry folks like Wizards of the Coast and Bungie. The pandemic changed this. Lower numbers meant the convention couldn’t afford to bring in the bigger names, but this issue doesn’t fall on GeekGirlCon alone. Many corporations and gaming companies like Bungie stopped sending people to the con. Some of this was due to budget cuts on the companies’ ends, but some of it was also a change or shift in how the United States views inclusivity. 

It’s hard to tout yourself as a place for geeks without the geekery. 

Most volunteer-run conventions haven’t returned to pre-pandemic numbers. I think a lot of that is due to the simple fact that some people don’t wish to attend a large event full of unmasked people. ConCrud was a running joke pre-pandemic but one that swept every single convention. People attended while sick and others caught it. 

Toss in an airborne virus that can do serious damage to every organ of the body and well, I don’t blame folks for not wanting to go to big, in-person events. 

The pandemic also hit most people in the pocketbook. Prices and inflation have gone up. GeekGirlCon is held in a building that’s part of Seattle’s new and shiny convention center. The cost of that new complex gets passed down to the con, who passes it down to the attendees. Ticket prices to attend have gone up a LOT since Molli & I first attended ten years ago. Families already hit financially will struggle to attend a convention with fewer big names to make it worth attending. 

The lack of numbers GeekGirlCon is seeing a mix of a perfect storm: a persistent pandemic, a bad economy, lack of big names, and people’s fear of the current political atmosphere, which has been shaky since Trump’s first presidency. 

While I can empathize with GeekGirlCon’s lack of funds and desire for good attendence, their removal of the masking requirement means that an entire segment of their attendees won’t attend at all.

That means fewer attendees, not more.

Also, GeekGirlCon’s reputation is built upon inclusivity for ALL.

Removing the masking requirement means that those most at risk will no longer have the safe space they need the most. It means GeekGirlCon is no longer built upon inclusivity for all because you can’t have inclusiveness without disabled people.

I asked the board point blank if they were doing this because of political pressure, as we’ve seen a lot of inclusivity disappear in the last few months, and while they said no, I don’t see how we can trust them on this.

If they are willing to remove safety protections for those most vulnerable from COVID, what next?

Will they decide it’s no longer worth the “risk” to provide gender-neutral restrooms? Will they decide that it’s too dangerous to provide a safe space for the transgender community? 

When you strip protections from one marginalized group, it’s easier to do the same for the rest. It’s like that poem by Martin Niemöller… first they came for the socialists and so on until they finally come for you. 

I will admit to being incredibly disappointed by this decision, but not entirely surprised. GeekGirlCon has had drama in its past before which has resulted in at least one reboot of their board of directors. I personally know several people who won’t return after they found the convention unwelcoming.

While my experiences personally (at least up until 2025) have been amazingly positive, that changes with the organization deciding that I no longer matter. It’s hard to ignore the whispers that the convention isn’t as welcoming as it claims to be. 

Removing the masking requirement feels like an absolute slap in the face.

If the con decides to walk this back and promises to do better in upholding their core belief in inclusivity for all, then I will gladly attend again as an attendee, panelist, guest, and vendor, but if this is the direction they’re going, I can only assume that to them, money is more important than people and community.

At a time when we need safe spaces and our community the most, they have made the wrong decision—one that I think will cost them dearly. I’ve seen many conventions fall over the years and I can already hear the death knells for GeekGirlCon over the horizon.

It didn’t help that when people posted about their disappointment and were critical of the board for this decision on social media, GeekGirlCon turned off commenting, directing people instead to their email. Problem is, when one emails about their concern, they receive canned email response, making it feel like the board isn’t interested in feedback at all. Another response that goes against their core values.

Because of these poor decisions, I will no longer be attending or supporting GeekGirlCon in any way. 

I can’t support a group that has decided that inclusivity is only important when it pays.