Toggle menu
Toggle preferences menu
Toggle personal menu
Not logged in
Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits.

Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox Convention

A cosplayer dressed as Jubilee at the inaugural Flame Con on June 13, 2015, at Grand Prospect Hall

Flame Con is an annual two-day multi-genre entertainment and comic convention, focused on fans and creators of pop culture who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ). Launched in 2015, it is the first LGBTQ comic convention in New York City,[1] and the largest LGBTQ comic convention in the world.[2][3]

Programming

Flame Con is organized by Geeks OUT, a non-profit organization aimed at organizing LGBTQ events at comic conventions.[4] The convention is a multi-genre event, showcasing LGBTQ-inclusive pop culture across comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, movies, and television. Flame Con features panel discussions, workshops, and an exhibitors floor.[4] The convention is launched with an annual kick-off party, which features a dance party and drag performances.[5]

In partnership with the Ali Forney Center, the Sunday of each Flame Con is designated as "Youth Day", in which attendees under the age of 20 are granted free admission.[6]

History

Flame Con launched as a Kickstarter campaign in November 2014, with a fundraising goal of $15,000.[7] The campaign would ultimately raise over $19,000,[8] and was inaugurated as a one-day convention in June 2015. The following year, Flame Con moved from Grand Prospect Hall to the Brooklyn Bridge Marriott, and expanded to two days of programming.

After the 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub, Flame Con instituted a ban on all prop weapons at the convention, including those used in cosplay.[9][10] In 2018, Flame Con relocated from Brooklyn to Manhattan to be held at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel.[11] The convention switched to a lottery system to assign exhibitor space in 2019,[12] and launched a mentorship program with artist Jen Bartel that same year.[13] In 2020, Flame Con was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] An online-online version of the event was held in 2021, and the convention returned to a in-person event in 2022.[15]

Event history

No. Date(s) Location Atten. Special guests
1 June 13, 2015 Grand Prospect Hall 2,200[16] Template:Smaller[17][18][19]
2 August 20–21, 2016 New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge 4,000[20] Template:Smaller[21]
3 August 19–20, 2017 New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge 6,000[4] Template:Smaller[22]
4 August 18–19, 2018 Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel 7,000[23] Template:Smaller[24]
5 August 17–18, 2019 Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel 8,000[25] Template:Smaller[26][27]
6 August 15–16, 2020 (scheduled) Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic[14] Template:NA Template:Smaller
7 August 21–22, 2021[15] Virtual event Template:NA Template:Smaller
8 August 20–21, 2022 Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel Template:Smaller
9 August 12–13, 2023 Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel Template:Smaller[28]

See also

  • GaymerX, an LGBTQ-focused video game convention
  • ClexaCon, an entertainment convention focused on LGBTQ women

References

Template:Reflist

External links

Template:Commons category

Template:Multigenre conventions in North America

  1. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SLATE
  2. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named POLYGON
  3. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named THEM
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2018-PRESS
  5. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FIRESTARTER
  6. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named SYFY
  7. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named OUT2014
  8. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named KICK
  9. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BAN1
  10. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BAN2
  11. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named COMICSBEAT
  12. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 2019LOTTERY
  13. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BARTEL
  14. 14.0 14.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Cancelled
  15. 15.0 15.1 Template:Cite web
  16. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2015-OUT
  17. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NNN-2015
  18. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named BLADE
  19. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2015GUEST
  20. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2017-PRESS
  21. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2016GUEST
  22. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2017GUEST
  23. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named COMICSBEAT2
  24. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2018GUEST
  25. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named newnownext
  26. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2019GUEST
  27. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named FC2019
  28. Template:Cite web