Although Comic-Con is a time for comic book fans to dress up and celebrate their favorite characters, a group of young women drew attention to the sexual harassment that goes on at the annual comic book convention.
Geeks for CONsent was founded by three women from Philadelphia and has gathered nearly 2,600 signatures on an online petition supporting a formal anti-harassment policy at Comic-Con 2014, according to the NY Daily News.
Women who attended Comic-Con 2014 reportedly told Geeks for CONsent that they'd been groped, followed and unwillingly photographed during the course of the four-day festival.
Geeks for CONsent addressed that the blatant objectification of women was a problem at this year's convention as well. Women were reportedly still used as "decoration" for some presentations.
When Dwayne Johnson made a surprise appearance to promote "Hercules," 10 women in belly-baring outfits stood silently for no apparent reason, according to the Associated Press.
Sexual harassment towards women isn't just a problem at Comic-Con; however, the director of Geeks for CONsent, Rochelle Keyhan, addressed that these cases become more "amplified" at the convention.
"It's a separate, more specific issue within the convention space. It's very much connected (to a larger problem) and it's the same phenomena, but manifesting a little more sexually vulgar in the comic space," stated 29-year-old Keyhan.
Geeks for CONsent reportedly wants Comic-Con to adopt a clearly stated policy against these actions and that staff members should be trained to handle sexual harassment complaints.
"It makes me feel safer for the person being harassed to report it and also for bystanders who witness (inappropriate behavior)," stated Keyhan.
Toni Darling, a 24-year-old model who dressed as Wonder Woman, emphasized that while sexual harassment is an issue within Comic-Con, it is also a very serious concern outside of the convention as well.
"I don't think it has anything to do with cosplay or anything to do with costumes. People who are the kind of people who are going to take a photo of you when you're not looking from behind are going to do that regardless, whether you're in a costume or not," stated Darling.
