Dragon Con attendees find inclusion, community and fun amid the whirlwind of reality

Over Labor Day weekend, roughly 75,000 people are expected to visit Dragon Con. Many have returned for panel discussions and celebrity meet-and-greets, but for others, what brought them back is the opportunity to feel a sense of inclusion and diversity that they say is becoming increasingly rare.

According to Renee Cooper, Dragon Con’s director of animation tracking, she and her colleagues have made it their mission to provide a “safe space” for those who often don’t see themselves represented — whether in science fiction, characters, fantasy or their daily lives.

And with the addition of diversity tracking in recent years — which focuses on developing and setting content focused towards people of color, LGBT community members and other marginalized groups — more resources have become available to congoers.