Fund This: A Comic Con for LGBT Fans

Superheroes are big right now. With Avengers 2 and the rest of Marvel's slate of films on the horizon, the capes and tights crowd is set to dominate the box office for years to come. And when it comes to comicbook world, there is plenty for queer people to like: fabulous costumes, gay characters on Arrow and The Flash, Chris Hemsworth's abs. Yet, not everyone always feels welcome in discussions about what they love, with fandoms splintering and dividing the queer community. "The LGBTQ community is separated into different groups that all too often don't mix or learn from each other's experiences: gays and lesbians, cisgender and trans people, twinks and bears," argues Geeks OUT, an LGBT organization that has helped organize geeky queer events across the country. Now, the group is taking a note from the Human Torch and attempting to bring these groups together. Flame (c)on!

Organizing a new queer focused comics convention named Flame Con, Geeks OUT is seeking to celebrate all aspects of geeky queer culture, from Orphan Black to Dragon Age to Gone Home. "Comic cons are all about mixing! People of every size, gender identity and expression, age, color and type come to comic conventions to get geeky, expressing what makes each of us different, special, and awesome," the group writes. "We've been enjoying queer winks and nods since the dawn of literature. We want to enjoy stories that don't rely on subtext and innuendo to create believable, honest portrayals of LGBTQ experiences. So, let's have a con that just puts it out there!"

Promising appearances from big names and creators such as Lumberjane's Noelle Stevenson, Flame Con hopes to host panels about such topics as queer representation and transphobia, an art show, a cosplay parade, and more. Geeks OUT is trying to raise $15,000 to make its dream of an all-inclusive queer comic con a reality, with funds going to venue rental, promotion and advertising, booking guests, planning for security and insurance, and paying for Kickstarter's fees and sponsor rewards. The group is also hoping to attract corporate sponsorship.

To donate to the project, check out the Kickstarter page for Flame Con and check out the convention's appeal video below: