Black Lives Matter

Friends,

We are shocked and appalled by the murder of George Floyd and the many other acts of racial injustice that are occurring across the nation. Right now, we believe the need for action is more important than just words. We stand with the Black community. We know that Black Lives Matter, and we want you to know that we hear you; we see you; we stand with you, and we support you.

Anthrocon believes that silence is not a vehicle for change. To that end, we know that we cannot improve as a convention, and as a community, without the valuable input of various members of the fandom, both staff and attendees who are People of Color. In doing that diligence, we have refrained from making a statement until we could provide a statement that was more than just words. Without their help, we cannot hope to continue working to improve Anthrocon’s diversity for the inclusiveness of all effectively.

Anthrocon is fully committed to proceeding with the following actions:

  1. We will continue, and seek to increase, celebrating the contributions of People of Color as our Guests of Honor.
  2. We will be reviewing our standards of conduct in-depth. We will be looking for ways to address concerns about current policies, which include, but will not be limited to, cosplay and fursuiting guidelines regarding military and law enforcement regalia and/or costumes.
  3. We will reaffirm and commit to our zero-tolerance policy towards harassment or intimidation by attendees, staff, vendors, facilities, contracted security or law enforcement, or other individuals regardless of association with Anthrocon.
  4. We will hold open discussions for individuals to bring up concerns more directly with senior convention staff.
  5. We are committed to diversity. We openly invite members of all ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, and cultural backgrounds to apply to become Anthrocon staff. We wish to commit to greater diversity within our team and represent all persons within the furry fandom.
  6. We commit to having an open-door policy for reporting and dealing with issues of concern. We will implement an avenue for reporting ethics or other concerns directly to convention leadership.

Some of these items will require time to implement. But we are committed to doing so, and in the coming months, we will make these changes a reality.

To the citizens of Pittsburgh, we say this: we support equality for all and celebrate your vibrant diversity. Let us stand together and move forward together to a brighter future.

To the attendees of Anthrocon: We are here. We are listening, we are standing with you, and we will strive to be better.