Comic Con's sexual harassment problem: Female fantasy fans complain creepy geeks are groping them in their costumes



A quarter of women who attend comic conventions report being sexually harassed

A new group is demanding Comic Con take a stand against sexual harassment

Women report being groped, leered at and being the victims of upskirt cameras

None of the women pictured in this story have claimed that they were sexually harassed




The rule for women's costumes at Comic Con seems to be less is more. Scantily-clad cosplayers, dressed as Wonder Woman, Princess Leia and dozens of other fantasy characters, have become a fixture at the pop culture convention.



But, many women are saying that some of the fans are taking the fantasy too far. An informal survey found that one quarter of the women who attend conventions have been sexually harassed.

Female fans complain they endure unwanted leering, groping and crude comments at the San Diego convention - which is the largest and most famous gathering of its kind in the world. There have also been reports of fans taking upskirt photos of costumed attendees.



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More than 40percent of Comic Con attendees this year are women, but many female fans say the convention has a problem with sexual harassment. Many women who cosplay say they are leered at, groped or even worse. None of the women pictured in this story have claimed that they were sexually harassed

Less is more: Scantily-clad female Comic Con fans have become a fixture at the gathering. 'Slave Leia,' featuring the Star Wars princess in a bikini, is a favorite character to imitate

An informal survey shows that one in four convention attendees said they had been sexually harassed. Some women say they've changed their costumes to cover up more because of the unwanted attention



Many attendees this year have continued the Comic Con tradition of dressing provocatively and gender-bending Skin-tight bodysuits are in again this year for many of the female cosplayers at Comic Con Allie Shaughnessy came dressed as the X-Men mutant Mystique for Comic Con

'I had a 12- or 13-year-old boy come up and ask if he could touch me,' 19-year-old Marla Russell, who dressed as Batman villain Poison Ivy, told the San Diego Union-Tribune.



'I told him no!'

Mariah Huehner, the author of the True Blood and Emily and the Strangers comics recalls her first introduction to Comic Con was a harsh one. She was a young comic book editor looking to make connections in the industry. But, at a late night party, she found out many of the men she met were looking to make a different kind of connection.



'One of the guys suddenly had his hand on my butt,' Ms Huehner told the Los Angeles Times.



'It’s a shocking reminder that you’re seen differently.'

Female attendance at fantasy conventions is growing rapidly. It's estimated that 41percent of attendees are now women.



A group of female fans has started a movement called Geeks for CONsent to make Comic Con address the issue of sexual harassment. They created a Change.org petition calling on Comic Con to adopt a formal anti-harassment policy, post signs about harassment and train volunteers on how to deal with it.

This cosplayer showed off her figure as Emma Frost, the White Witch from X-Men

Cast of characters: Cosplayers show a wide range of influences - from Disney movies to anime and comic books

Motley crew: This cast of characters includes Wonder Woman, Batman villain Harley Quinn and Disney villain Maleficent

Comic Con has taken steps to curb sexual harassment this year - but activists say organizers are not doing enough to make everyone feel safe Sex sells: Companies that set up booths at Comic Con have caught on to the trend of women wearing skimpy costumes

A group of female fans has started a movement called Geeks for CONsent to make Comic Con address the issue of sexual harassment

So far more than 2,500 people have signed the petition.



Comic Con has responded by including a note in the packet given to all 130,000 attendees this year: 'Harassing or offensive behavior will not be tolerated. Comic-Con reserves the right to revoke, without refund, the membership and badge of any attendee not in compliance with this policy.'

The convention also notes that staff and security guards are on hand to help anyone who is being harassed. Guard also have to authority to kick out the offenders.



But critics complain that Comic Con can be a hostile place for women who dress up as their favorite characters.



A survey on social media by Bitch magazine, found that about 25percent of women at conventions reported being sexually harassed. Eight percent said they had been groped, assaulted or raped.



According to Geeks for CONsent, 'Women also report that they choose what to wear and who to bring with them to conventions based on whether they expect that con’s culture of harassment to be “bad” or “very bad.”'

A spokesman for Comic Con told the Los Angeles Times that organizers are working to ensure everyone feels comfortable.



'The safety of our attendees is a primary concern of ours. For this reason we have more staff and security than other events of our type. In addition we also have a command post in the lobby of our event that is staffed with members of the San Diego Police Department, fire and other emergency services,' Comic-Con spokesman David Glanzer told the newspaper.

Comic Con has responded to the complaints by including a note in the packet given to all 130,000 attendees this year: 'Harassing or offensive behavior will not be tolerated. Comic-Con reserves the right to revoke, without refund, the membership and badge of any attendee not in compliance with this policy' Sexy beast? Comic Con costumes continue to get raunchier every year Throwback: Kelsey Newman, right, dressed up as Tank Girl Even Wonder Woman might blush at this skimpy version of the comic super-heroine's costume This cosplayer 'dressed up' as naked Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones - though she chose to cover up a bit more than Emilia Clarke did in the show Super Girl made an appearance at the convention - one of dozens of female fantasy characters represented among fans

These friends teamed up for a perfectly-coordinated Power Rangers display

Celebrity guests: Actors William Shatner and Betty White were just two of the celebrities who showed up at the convention. They appeared at the Legends Of TV Land Panel