Try as it might, Supanova cannot simply ignore the fact that one of its key guests is also one of the instigators of pop cultures' most destructive hate groups, writes Brendan Keogh.

On paper, Adam Baldwin seems like a natural fit for Supanova. His roles in both the film Full Metal Jacket and Joss Whedon's cult classic television series Firefly make him a cult icon. So why would anyone be upset by his upcoming appearances at the Australian pop culture expo?

Baldwin is more than just a cult icon. He also represents one of the most socially divisive movements within the pop culture that Supanova claims to celebrate.

Online protesters have urged Supanova to reconsider Baldwin's attendance given the inflammatory and offensive comments he regularly makes on social media, particularly about women, transgender people and gay people. But when the expo released a statement saying it would be proceeding as planned, it showed it didn't care about creating a safe and inclusive environment for attendees.

Baldwin has made a name for himself on Twitter for his strong views on a range of political topics, adamantly opposing gun control, feminism, abortion, and 'liberals'.

But the real problem is the hateful and discriminatory slander that Baldwin frequently posts. In February 2014, in a series of now-deleted tweets, Baldwin compared gay marriage to incest. Just last week, he made transphobic remarks about Chelsea Manning, deliberately using her old non-preferred name and putting her chosen gender in scare-quotes.

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Most significantly for Supanova, in August 2014, Baldwin was widely credited with coining the Twitter hashtag #Gamergate, which became the rallying point for a misogynistic campaign of abuse that continues to target women in the videogame industry.

Baldwin continues to lend the movement his support. For instance, he replies to people critical of Gamergate and adds the hashtag to their tweets. This prompts some of his 207,000 followers and as well as anyone else following the hashtag to pile-on and abuse the original tweeter.

It is these bullying and discriminatory practices that make it worrying that Supanova would consider inviting Baldwin back as a keynote speaker at their Sydney and Perth events this year, having previously had him attend the Melbourne and Gold Coast events in 2013.

Pop culture expos around the globe regularly struggle with issues of sexism. 'Booth babes' (scantily clad promotional models) remain popular at electronics expos, perpetuating the idea that the ideal audience for these products are heterosexual men, and making it difficult for women developers to be taken seriously. Stories of sexual harassment against women attendees have been told from Comic-Con, Penny Arcade Expo, and E3. The same sexism in pop culture that manifests through movements such as Gamergate online is alive and well in the actual world as well.

Supanova, then, is already an event that many fans of pop culture might feel uncomfortable attending. So the fact that one of the country's largest pop culture events - ostensibly a Mecca for comic fans, videogame players, cosplayers, and manga fans - would be willing to invite one of the instigators of pop cultures' most violent and destructive hate groups demonstrates a bewildering ignorance for the concerns of women, transgender people, and gay people interested in pop culture.

Almost 6,000 people on one petition have asked Supanova to revoke Baldwin's invitation and the issue has been a hot topic on Supanova's Facebook page and across Twitter. While many of Baldwin's fans rightfully insist that he shouldn't be removed from an event simply because of his political views, those opposing his participation say they would feel unsafe attending an event that implicitly approves of the bullying and sexism displayed by both Baldwin personally and #Gamergate generally.

Unsurprisingly, those critics were instantly met with the exact kind of sexist abuse they were concerned about, as seen in the recent takeover of the #SupaNoThankYou Twitter hashtag, started as a protest but now swamped with sexist slander and memes.

Supanova said in a statement that it embraces "all our fans, whatever their various pop culture passions may be", and that "inclusiveness is at our very heart". But this is hard to credit.

By inviting a known bully, someone who regularly exploits his large following to punch down and silence his critics, Supanova make their event exclusive, not inclusive. In refusing to uninvite Baldwin, Supanova ensures that videogames, comics, sci-fi, and the various other strands of geek culture remain two-tiered hobbies: welcoming a few with open arms and excluding everyone else.

In its statement, Supanova claimed, "All our stars appear to discuss their work in pop culture, not their personal political or ideological viewpoints." Baldwin himself reiterated this, saying, "I believe that pop culture conventions are inappropriate venues for controversial topics, so I will respectfully not be discussing them at Supanova."

Here, not being political really means keeping the political status quo. The freedom of speech that ensures Baldwin can attend Supanova despite his bullying is ensured, while the freedom of speech that should allow those with concerns to voice them directly is dismissed.

The idea that Baldwin can be welcome for his role as an actor while his role as an instigator of harassment and bullying can be conveniently ignored points to a primary issue that holds back inclusivity in videogames specifically and geek cultures generally: the notion that these pop cultural hobbies are somehow separate from everyday politics rather than its very fabric. But by letting Baldwin attend, Supanova are making an explicitly political statement that they are more interested in maintaining the status quo than making any real attempt to make pop culture expos safer, more inclusive spaces.

Brendan Keogh is a PhD candidate at RMIT and a freelance videogame critic and journalist. Follow him on Twitter @brkeogh.