At the LGBT Geek Activism panel with @Elana_Brooklyn! #Flamecon2 pic.twitter.com/npUSOmeddV

— Ashley @ Flame-XT! (@misskittyf) August 21, 2016

HP Alliance uses lessons from the books to confront real-world issues

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Visit r panelist @jackisnotabird of @TheHPAlliance booth. He's on r activism panel 2pm room A @flamecon. #Flamecon pic.twitter.com/IAJ5elPGDZ

— Graphic Policy (@graphicpolicy) August 21, 2016

The HPA works on real-world issues: ex. Hunger Games campaign to work for fair wages. "Fan activism" goes beyond media issues. #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

Bird says that they call their brand of activism "fan activism." That usually means fans organizing in relation to their media, but

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Termed of fan activism, Henry Jenkins, changed the definition from the HP fandom's activism

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Case study for Harry Potter Alliance: getting Warner Bros. to ethically source chocolate (in chocolate frogs, etc.). #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

HP Alliance has been around for 10 years, most recently works on making trans safe spaces & making HP chocolate ethically sourced

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@jackisnotabird says that their first approach to WB about their chocolate included a letter asking about their sourcing #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Warner Bros resisted showing their report after another org gave their sourcing an F. Fans sent them Howlers, own choc frogs #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@jackisnotabird says that public opinion is changing, which means there are more and more ways to put pressure on corporations #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@jackisnotabird brings up the delineation between organizing and activism. He says fans are natural organizers which helps. #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn What are other places we can be using fan power? #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

Bird points out that we have more opportunity to make public pressure against corporations and laws like HB2 #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn "What can we do to make spaces even more safe?" Bird recs Engage and Hollaback #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

#Flamecon is praised for the gender neutral bathroom, which a lot of establishments don't have.

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

"Can I just say that fiction is important? Massively important to making these changes." -JAM #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn: "Critics are not [necessarily] the same as activists" #Flamecon

— Spool of L'Engle (@spooloflies) August 21, 2016

.@elevenafter: "there's nothing we can do that's not political, & I'm so tired" but dominant power structures not viewed as such #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@jackisnotabird and @Elana_Brooklyn mention intentionality as a part of activism #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@cocodevaux "it's radical just to exist and be visible." #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@elevenafter says in her writing she's asserting her own personhood, and doesn't want to label that activism #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

The more stories you present where [progressive change] is possible the more it seems possible – JAM

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

"You need that dominant group of non cishet men of looking up to women in non traditional masculine roles" – JAM #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Levin says that some change doesn't involve reinventing the wheel, but reaching out sometimes to experts to improve spaces #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Last words: De Vaux says a lot of things come down to money, which makes things difficult bc our spaces have little wealth #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Says that #OscarsSoWhite worked bc audience threatened not to consume what the industry produces #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

Levin points out the change #OscarsSoWhite has brought about after several years to judge make ups #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn talking about how Twitter has helped protestors and activists keep it simple. #FlameCon2

— Ashley @ Flame-XT! (@misskittyf) August 21, 2016

.@cocodevaux is a Board Member of @GeeksOUT – she got involved after seeing them as a visible safe space at NYCC #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn asks what can we do when laws works against us in our spaces? #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

An audience member says re: to HeroesCon/transness that the burden should not be put on those at risk #Flamecon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn mentions how sports fandom has taken stances against North Carolina's HB2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

JAM tells audience that all they can do is what's right for them. #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn points out that even people who aren't activists can have influence – think participating in #OscarsSoWhite #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@jacksonisabird "fans tend to be natural organizers."

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

De Vaux says Geeks Out focuses on making a space and community, most often. #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.De Vaux: we don't venture into the political arena too much
JAM: sure you do! #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn "you guys do important work. You write tweets–"@jackisnotabird "that's activism! Writing tweets!" #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn says that Twitter forces people to speak clearly and concisely #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

"How do you define activism?"@jackisnotabird says HP Alliance uses the term "wizard activist" to "soften the blow" #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@elevenafter is it activism or criticism when a reader speaks out about a book with bad representation of them? #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@cocodevaux emphasizes putting YOUR information out there because no one else will speak for you #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@elevenafter "Activism becomes the burden of people lower in the power structure." "People trying to live becomes activism." #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@elevenafter doesn't call herself an activist, says that she works more toward anti-blackness and asserting her personhood #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@cocodevaux says that critics should not be responsible for petitions and other activist change. That should fall on others #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@jackisnotabird eventually identified as an activist, however.@cocodevaux says her org has a unique organization structure #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@jackisnotabird initially identified as an artist. Says that the term activism carries a sense of a lot of responsibility. #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@cocodevaux says that one of her first hurdles was getting over Imposter Syndrome, whether it was about identity or nerdery #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@cocodevaux says Geeks Out came out of lack of queer presence at cons, on panels etc. 2012 at NYCC was their first year #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@cocodevaux was inspired, knowing as a WOC that cons are not always safe spaces and joined. #Flamecon2016

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016

.@elevenafter says, fiction is important to show people that change is possible, a different reality is feasible #FlameCon2

— WWAC (@womenoncomics) August 21, 2016

.@Elana_Brooklyn is an excellent moderator

— ko @ FlameCon! (@dogunderwater) August 21, 2016

Last word, Elana says that she would love "to play matchmaker" between anyone who wants to help make change & orgs #FlameCon2

— Ray @ Flame Con (@RaySonne) August 21, 2016