Hi, I’m on the committee to bring Gaylaxicon back to Minneapolis in 2012.  Gaylaxicon is a convention that celebrates GLBT speculative fiction–basically a big party for queer geeks and their allies.  It changes city from year to year and it’s coming back to Minneapolis in 2012.

I attended the last Minneapolis Gaylaxicon in 2009.  When I saw Sofawolf Press in the vendor room, I thought: we need to get more furries here.  It makes sense: furries put out a ton of art and fiction that you could definitely classify as speculative or fantasy.  On top of that, many folks in the furry community are GLBT or gay-friendly, so why not invite them to Gaylaxicon?  Well, I’m now on the convention committee for 2012 and I intend to make that happen.

A little about myself: I’ve been a fan of furry art and fiction for about 8 years.  You could even say it changed my life: the web comic Closet Coon finally convinced me I was gay and Associated Student Bodies convinced me to start coming out.  My favorite author is Kyell Gold, my favorite furry artist is Zaush and my favorite TV show is Gargoyles.  I’m a computer guy by trade and a sound engineer on the side.    I’ve never really reached out to the furry community until now but working on this con has been a great excuse to meet new folks of all kinds.

I have the committee’s approval to incorporate furry topics into the con.  I plan to create a mini-track of furry programming–maybe 3-5 panels and other events and I will encourage full social integration between the furries and the rest of the con.  Making everyone feel comfortable is my #1 priority.  Fun is #2.

I don’t know the history of furries in Minnesota, but I know the closest furry convention to us right now is Midwest Furfest in Chicago.  So I hope for this to essentially be a mini furry convention right here in the Twin Cities held within the inclusive environment of Gaylaxicon.  So my questions are:

1) Does this proposition interest you folks?

2) Do you think Minnesota has a large enough furry community to make this happen?

3) I’ve never been to a furry con so would anyone with experience care to work with me to hash out programming and outreach ideas for this event?

I know 2012 seems like a long ways off, but it’ll come up fast and we’ll be making some big decisions about the convention soon.  I want to start working with furries during the early planning stages and not just have their inclusion be an afterthought.

I'm sorry, my post was insensitive in that I implied that furries are just a GLBT phenomenon.  I absolutely understand that that's not the case.  The social groundwork I'm trying to lay between Gaylaxicon and furries is not gay, it's geek.  I don't have to explain how unfairly ostracized furries are from the rest of the geek community–you only have to log onto the internet to see that.  What we want to accomplish at Gaylaxicon is a celebration of all forms of geekdom: sci-fi, fantasy, anime, and furry.

Let me go over some of my inspirations for this idea:

1. Many furry conventions over the past couple decades started out as room parties and programming tracks at sci-fi conventions that simply grew too large, so they spun off into their own furry convention.  That's how Midwest Furfest started as well as ConFurence, the very first furry convention.  The historical connection between furry fandom and sci-fi fandom is inseparable.

2. A furry short story by Kyell Gold was recently nominated for the Small Press Award by the Washington Science Fiction Association.  In response, Gold said: "I'm deeply honored by this nomination.  I think it validates what many of us have been saying about the writing in the fandom: that it is getting better and has a place in mainstream SF." Source: http://www.weaselwordsmith.com…..ual-award/

3. As I mentioned, Sofawolf Press appeared in the vendor room of Gaylaxicon 2009.  Here’s a pic from that event: http://yfrog.com/5elzvkj They also said, "Nice to be at a local con for once." http://twitter.com/sofawolfpre…..63257357  They publish out of St. Paul.

Furries have always been on the periphery of Gaylaxicon over the years, usually showing up in the vendor room and art show.  I think it's time for them to get a real presence and I want MNFurs to be an integral part of that.

I understand the discomfort of furries finding a home at a GLBT convention.  But there's also the discomfort that many mainstream geeks feel about furries in genereal.  It's unfair, but existential.  Gay folks know what it's like to be ostracized and therefore are very inclusive and welcoming themselves–that's why using Gaylaxicon as a means to get a furry convention presence in Minnesota just makes sense.

That's also why we coined the phrase "straight ally" and put them under the GLBT umbrella (they even include the 'A' at the U of MN: http://www.glbta.umn.edu/ ).  Straight people are absolutely accepted and encouraged at Gaylaxicon.  More than just about any other con, we encourage and celebrate differences.  We would love to have more straight people at Gaylaxicon.

As for stereotypes, I know that furries are a very diverse community with a wide range of opinions.  The best way to fight stereotypes is to get out there and meet new people–especially non-furries.  Paradoxically, a GLBT convention is the best way for furries to get mainstream acceptance, in my opinion.  At least it's a start.

It's also a matter of practicality.  Is CONvergence going to reach out to Minnesota furries?  I'd love them to, but I don't have any connections there.  And frankly, I'm not sure they'd be up for it.

Grunge said:

And who do you think around here has the resources, including time and money?  Anyone?

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[raises paw]  Gaylaxicon is essentially offering y'all the opportunity to create your own con without any financial risk, except for everyone's registration fee.  I know it's not a proper con, but it's a start and I'm sure we can be accomodating if the 3-5 panel thing won't cut it.  And really, what's a "panel" if not your own scheduled hotel space to do whatever you want in?  There's also no reason you couldn't carve your own niche in the art room, vendor space, gaming room, etc as well.  It just needs to be planned.

 

I'm subscribed to this thread so if you change your mind or want to meet at any time over the next several months, just post.