BULLYING. IS. WRONG.

[crazeyal.livejournal.com]

And the community should stand up against it. We've had issues with drunk frat-boys, Nascar fans, and the underbelly of fandom showing it's face. I'd like to shine a light on some Internet drama I've found from the Facebook community.

There is a rising amount of Ghostbusters fan-groups attending both the con and the Parade. The level of costuming has been fantastic and I've personally never had any issue with any member of the various groups that combine at the Parade. Last year we had, I believe 7 Ecto-1's at the con!!

The drama is that one particular group, http://www.gbfans.com , has decided that using Kickstarter for fundraising is somehow wrong and insulting to them. They've started a campaign of harassment and threats because one fan DARED not go by methods they personally approve.

I found the issue on the FB page of Dragoncon (edit: Either the OP or the owner of the page has removed the post) and their own forum topic, where it contains threats and justification for bullying. A now locked thread where the Moderator espouses "Kicking people around" because they offend you.

As a community, it's my opinion that we should respond to this. That sort of nonsense, online or at the parade, has no place at Dragoncon.

Comments

[real-gb-at-dc.livejournal.com]

Hello, all- actual GB chiming in here. I’d like to take a few moments to address the situation at large. First off, not every GB is supporting this nonsense. Please don’t lump us all into one group. I believe someone said earlier something about not all frat boys are evil? Well, we’re not either. While there are quite a few people being nasty over on GBFans.com, please know that they do not represent the opinions of the majority. Ghostbusters ARE NOT organized like the 501st, or any of your other “standardized” costuming groups. There is no central “head” or anything like that. Any GB group you meet is a local group, with their own local rules and standards. What that means is that GBFans.com is just a fan-site. That’s it. They’re not “in charge” of us, or anything like that. Anything they say should NOT be used to hold the rest of us accountable.

The truth is, the GBFans.com forums are well-known among most of the GB groups as a place of nastiness and harsh judgments. They delight in starting trouble over there. They are a cesspit of troublemaking, but unfortunately, sometimes you have to go over there because it is a good place to find that rare GB comic or toy for sale, or parts you need for your build. Most of us don’t post or even read the boards. So please, don’t judge us all under the actions of a few rabid fans with a little too much free time on their hands. Mostly, we’re fun people, who like to make appearances to entertain folks, drive our Ectos with all the lights blazing, and yes, march in parades. I welcome any and all feedback to this- I’d prefer we ALL get to march in the parade, as well as not get booed for doing it because some people were jerks.

[crazeyal.livejournal.com]

I'd like to point out, that it has been stated several times that the GBFans board seems normal except for a few individuals. I am sorry if you got lumped into a situation where a few individuals made the whole group look bad. But that is the point of objecting to those sort of actions. If you don't defy the troublemakers and bullies, they get more powerful.

Some of the GBFans objected in that very thread. IMHO they were a bit too light hearted about the situation. It can also be said that there was an over-reaction to the situation. I would not agree with that opinion, but I definitely can see the reason someone would think it.

I've tried not to be a typical internet ranter about this. The title of this thread is a bit strong, and there have been some nay-sayers. On the whole, I think this has gone the way intended. Discussion and awareness.

See you at the Parade!