GeekGirlCon: You’re Never Too Old For Yoda Puppets
I remember dressing like a ballerina for Halloween, singing to The Spice Girls, and learning to apply mascara. I also remember the location of every Warp Whistle in Mario 3, how to swear in Chinese (thanks, Firefly), and why Mill Decks are cheap. I’m a geek and I’m a girl. I also turned 25 this week. Naturally, GeekGirlCon is the perfect birthday present.
Although I look forward to dressing up at the Masquerade and dancing through the GeekGirlCONcert, those aren’t the main reasons I plan to attend. Before I joined the GeekGirlCon staff, I thought of myself as a loner. I wanted to fit in; I didn’t want to be some lonely girl in the corner with a bag of dice. It turns out, there are lots of other girls with dice. There are also a lot geeks who enjoy crafts, gaming, and Labyrinth. At GeekGirlCon, I will get to meet a lot of women with similar interests.
I look forward to meeting the other attendees. I know that I’m going to make new friends in the game room, and I absolutely plan on dragging my new friends to some crafts (because you’re never too old to make Yoda puppets). I also know that this convention is a landmark. It is the first of its kind, and it is going to be amazing. When I attend GeekGirlCon, I can finally describe myself as a girl, a geek, and a feminist. I can truly be myself… at a convention.
Wait, what? Couldn’t I be myself at other conventions?
Perhaps. At other conventions, I was the token female of a group. I had to invent another version of myself. I was the “cool girl.” On the outside, I was okay with booth babes, bikini armor, and jokes at my expense. Sure, I enjoyed geeking out, but the price was too high. A convention should be the safest place to get your geek on. It should be the perfect space for making friends., and it should be a welcoming experience for everyone… gamers, geeks, nerds… and girls. Girls can be gamers, geeks, and nerds.
GeekGirlCon will be a safe space to nerd it up. I can wear my dinosaur earrings and call them “This Land.” I can talk about women in real armor, and I can meet more than a handful of geeky girls. I won’t be the subject of kitchen-related jokes all weekend. I definitely won’t be the token female. I am proud to be a geek, and I’m proud to be a girl, but most of all I’m proud to be a GeekGirlCon staff member. Why is this convention the first of its kind? I have no idea. I’m just glad to see its debut. Thanks, GeekGirlCon, for spicing up this 25-year-old’s life.
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Stephanie Little
Marketing Assistant
GeekGirlCon
www.geekgirlcon.com
www.twitter.com/geekgirlcon
