Cosplayers sounded harassment alarm before Hollywood
Participants say groping, stalking are pervasive.
Long before the issue exploded in Hollywood, another community of people with a theatrical bent was making noise about a culture of sexual misbehavior.
The world of cosplay (costume play) — with its frequent gatherings of people who dress in outfits inspired by characters in comic books, gaming, anime and other fantasy realms — has been trying to raise awareness for years about groping, stalking, verbal harassment and other forms of inappropriate behavior at conventions.
At the recent Ohayocon, a cosplay event that annually draws thousands to the Greater Columbus Convention Center, participants discussed the issue at a panel with a name that has become a rallying cry: “Cosplay is not Consent.”
It means that just because someone is wearing a costume, no matter how revealing, doesn’t give other license to touch them, make lewd comments or take photographs without asking.
“It’s honestly rather sad that we have to have this panel because so much of it seems so common-sense,” said panelist Ethan Brandt, a cosplayer from St. Louis who was portraying the muscular Batman character Bane. “Don’t touch someone if they’re not cool with it.”
Although many of the sexual-harassment issues are the same as those found in workplaces, Brandt and his wife, Lauren (she portrayed Harley Quinn, also from Batman), said the cosplay world presents a few unusual challenges:
— The conventions attract children and adults.
An audience member at the panel described her discomfort when a 16-year-old boy, a fan of the character she was portraying, began following her around at a convention. She was afraid for him, not herself.
“I’m a good person,” she said. “Not all people are.”
— Photography is common but can easily be abused.
A 29-year-old New Albany cosplayer who goes by the single name Trickssi and sometimes portrays characters in revealing clothes said she has had men try to photograph specific body parts. Often it happens when several photographers are clustered around her.
“I can get harassed quite a bit,” she said. “I’m not alone in that experience.”
Trickssi — who said she has also been stalked online and (and, therefore, would not reveal her name) — has formed the Cosplay Survivor and Support Network for people who’ve experienced similar treatment.
— Wearing masks can be particularly problematic, said the Brandts, who have a business called Thousand Faces Cosplay and Bodybuilding.
“I can tell you that once you put that mask on, people kind of don’t view you as human anymore,” said Mrs. Brandt, adding that, as a result, others’ behavior can become more aggressive.
Signs reading “Cosplay is not Consent” began popping up at conventions throughout the country after an orga- of the same name was formed in 2013. The group’s website (cosplayisnotconsent.org) says the impetus was provided by Mandy Caruso, a cosplayer who wrote a Tumblr post about being harassed at a 2012 comics convention in New York where she was dressed as Black Cat, a cleavage-baring comic book character.
She described walking away from a YouTube interview during which she was asked repeatedly about the size of her breasts. The post prompted an outpouring of stories from cosplayers who have had similar experiences.
Last year, Anime Punch, a group that had organized many cosplay events in Columbus, disbanded after its executive, Michael C. Beuerlein, was convicted of misdemeanor sexual battery in Virginia. Anime Punch announced the disbanding in a Facebook post that said, in part: “The unacceptable behavior from the top of the organization has led to this decision from the staff. There is no excusing what has happened.”
Details of the offense weren’t available, but Beuerlein, 33, of Columbus, is now registered as a sexual offender in Ohio as a result of his Virginia conviction. He declined to comment.
Mr. Brandt said he has no sympathy for people who say that some of the more-revealing costumes provoke sexual misbehavior.
“The amount of clothing one has on is in no way an indication of what their comfort level is with physical contact,” he said.
Although most harassnization ment complaints come from women, men experience it, too.
The Brandts have had to learn how to deal with fans who reach for the biceps of Mr. Brandt, a bodybuilder who sometimes portrays shirtless characters.
“I would come up and remove their hand and say, ‘Please don’t touch without asking,’” Mrs. Brandt said.
Ohayocon, like many other conventions, posts a long list of policies explicitly addressing many of these issues. The policies require consent before touching or photographing, encourage attendees to report harassing behavior or stalking to a staff member and say that costumes must be “street legal” (no nudity).
As they browsed costumes at Ohayocon, Christina Neel and Gretchen Snyder, both of Cincinnati, said they’ve experienced no harassment themselves at cosplay conventions but have heard complaints from others.
Cecelia Shelton, of Ontario, Canada, said she attended an Ohayocon several years ago and was harassed, although not at the convention itself. Men on the street who had been at a beer festival were the culprits.
“There were a lot of drunk people at night, and they hit on a lot of girls,” she said. “Most it was comments and, you know, looks and wolf whistling.”
As a result, she skipped several Ohayocons.
Mrs. Brandt encouraged convention-goers to keep friends around them and be emphatic — and loud — with people who fail to obtain consent.
“It’s perfectly appropriate to make a scene out of it.”