ColossalCon Staffer Says Panels on Diversity Would Be More Appropriate for ‘DashCon’
So Sandusky, OH based ColossalCon, like most conventions, is heavily reliant on attendee submissions for panels. These submissions usually outnumber the amount of timeslots allotted by the convention, so each convention has their own process on how they accept, waitlist, or reject the panels that come in.
Cosplayer Indigo Carr was one of the many people who submitted this year, but disappointingly found out her “Cosplaying While Black” panel had been rejected. She expressed this disappointment in a Facebook post on Sunday, which subsequently got shared to the official ColossalCon Facebook group.
And that’s when a ColossalCon staffer decided to write what was one of the most bone-headed, weirdest replies you can imagine. In a comment, using the official ColossalCon account, a staffer posted the following:
So, to say that response was dismissive, if not offensive and hostile, would be an understatement.
In a turn of events that should surprise no one, people have gotten pretty angry with ColossalCon’s response. What was even more bizarre was a pair of “apologies” the con then put out on social media which didn’t exactly help.
We understand that this apology will not make up for the hurt created. But we wanted to start here. pic.twitter.com/lLMfPfATEW
— ColossalCon (@ColossalCon) April 23, 2019
Thankfully, someone at ColossalCon with an ounce of professionalism finally took notice, and a third statement was issued by the event:
We will continue to follow this story if anything else develops.
I’ve done panels on diversity where all the other authors are straight white men, but sure- ‘Cosplaying While Black’ sure is a divisive subject, boy howdy.