Tweet
bg: I make and sell jewelry and charms. A lot of my charms are video game/anime inspired, so my favorite/best shows are anime cons. /bg
There is a small, local anime con coming up in May. It is one day, being held on a Saturday afternoon from noon-8pm. It is being organized by a high school anime club, and the con itself is being held at their high school. I'm currently registered to be a vendor in their artist alley. A lot of my business, even at bigger cons and other shows, comes from teenagers and young adults, so even though this is a relatively small show, I figured I'd do pretty well since it fits the theme and age range that I usually aim for.
However, the anime club that's hosting the show sent out an email to all the registered vendors and other guests today saying that some major changes are coming to the convention. Most notably, they are going to require a full background check from anyone over the age of 18 walking in the doors, including artists and vendors. Since this is a school function, they are concerned for the safety of the students regarding "strange adults" entering school grounds.
I looked at some of the other rules for the convention, and they seem a little...extreme. No short skirts/dresses, no clothing exposing any part of the back or midriff, no visible tattoos, food/drink vendors much have everything pre-packaged in original factory seal (no homemade stuff), no shows of affection on school ground, no weapons (including prop/fake weapons), basically everything must be rated "G." Most of this I can understand for school rules, but all of these rules apply to the con, too, including cosplayers. Anyone who's ever been to an anime con knows that scant costumes and prop weapons are pretty much a norm, but none of that is allowed at this con.
I don't really have a problem with any of the rules. I don't have anything to hide so they can do a background check on me without me worrying about it. I don't wear short skirts or low cut tops, I'm not vending food, and all of my art is easily "G" rated. What I'm worried about is my husband, who normally comes with me to shows to help me set up/tear down/deal with customers when I get busy.
My husband is a very good person. He is quite, polite, friendly, courteous, a perfect gentleman. But that's the problem -- he's a man, and he's over 18. I'm really, really nervous that if the school is going to be this uptight about allowing "strange adults" on their premises, that they could easily slap him with some kind of sexual harassment accusation if he looks at a student crosseyed. I've heard too many stories about guys being wrongly accused of something by a vindictive girl/student, and even if the accusation is totally unfounded, the guy is still marked for life.
So, am I totally overreacting here?
There is a small, local anime con coming up in May. It is one day, being held on a Saturday afternoon from noon-8pm. It is being organized by a high school anime club, and the con itself is being held at their high school. I'm currently registered to be a vendor in their artist alley. A lot of my business, even at bigger cons and other shows, comes from teenagers and young adults, so even though this is a relatively small show, I figured I'd do pretty well since it fits the theme and age range that I usually aim for.
However, the anime club that's hosting the show sent out an email to all the registered vendors and other guests today saying that some major changes are coming to the convention. Most notably, they are going to require a full background check from anyone over the age of 18 walking in the doors, including artists and vendors. Since this is a school function, they are concerned for the safety of the students regarding "strange adults" entering school grounds.
I looked at some of the other rules for the convention, and they seem a little...extreme. No short skirts/dresses, no clothing exposing any part of the back or midriff, no visible tattoos, food/drink vendors much have everything pre-packaged in original factory seal (no homemade stuff), no shows of affection on school ground, no weapons (including prop/fake weapons), basically everything must be rated "G." Most of this I can understand for school rules, but all of these rules apply to the con, too, including cosplayers. Anyone who's ever been to an anime con knows that scant costumes and prop weapons are pretty much a norm, but none of that is allowed at this con.
I don't really have a problem with any of the rules. I don't have anything to hide so they can do a background check on me without me worrying about it. I don't wear short skirts or low cut tops, I'm not vending food, and all of my art is easily "G" rated. What I'm worried about is my husband, who normally comes with me to shows to help me set up/tear down/deal with customers when I get busy.
My husband is a very good person. He is quite, polite, friendly, courteous, a perfect gentleman. But that's the problem -- he's a man, and he's over 18. I'm really, really nervous that if the school is going to be this uptight about allowing "strange adults" on their premises, that they could easily slap him with some kind of sexual harassment accusation if he looks at a student crosseyed. I've heard too many stories about guys being wrongly accused of something by a vindictive girl/student, and even if the accusation is totally unfounded, the guy is still marked for life.
So, am I totally overreacting here?
Comment