Panels, Talks, and Special Events 2024

This is our list of scheduled panels, talks, and special events we have planned for QueerCon 2024. QueerCon is being held as a primarily in-person event with hybrid (in-person+virtual) options this year.

Zoom links to selected all-ages panels will be sent to advance ticket holders. Panel talk links will also be posted to our Discord server in the #happening-now channel under the “Welcome to QueerCon!” category. All all talks and panels will have closed captioning enabled.

Skip down the page to:
- Convention maps & Parking
- Vendors & All-ages Convention Hall (12 – 5 pm)
- Photo booth (12 – 4 pm)
- Presentations, Panels, and Special Events Schedules
  - Keynote 1:00 pm
  - QueerCon After-hours Events & Drag Show (18+) 5 – 8 pm
  - Stamp Rally!
- Game Rooms (starting at 12 pm)
- Quiet Rooms (12 – 5 pm)
- Food Trucks and Concessions (12 – 6 pm)

Parking & Maps

Parking and floor maps of Academic West Building. Click to view larger map images.

Map of the western washington university campus. There is a parking lot reserved for QueerCon vendors and those with access needs in Lot 19G, which can be accessed from Wade King service road off of West College Way, and then turning right onto 21st Street. There is free visitor parking in Lot C on Bill McDonald Parkway. — Map of campus and available parking areas

A map of the academic west building ground floor, which includes main panel room A in AW 210, Panel room B in AW 204, Will-call, ticketing, information tables, and Glitt3rlyfe photo booth at the north end of the building, and quiet room in AW 203 at the south end of the building. Exhibitor tables 201 through 219 are also arranged along the main hallway corridor. There are gender-neutral restrooms. There is a lactation room on the south end of this floor. — Map of campus and available parking areas

WWU Queer Con Program & Parking Info

Full Program PDF and Floor Maps: Download the Event Program Here.
Click to expand for Floor and Parking Information: Parking and Bus Maps, Reserved accessible parking requests, and Rooms and Amenities by Floor

Overview of the space:
- Parking and Bus campus map for QueerCon
  - *note: We will have accessible close proximity parking for our vendors, panelists, and mobility-limited attendees. To request proximity parking, use our form to request parking in advance (advanced parking requests closes 12:00pm NOON on Thursday, April 25); any remaining permits will be available day-of at the check-in desk. Email wwuqueercon@gmail.com with questions.
- Ground Floor:
  - Check-ins, Will-Call & Ticket sales, Information, Panel Room A, Panel Room B, Quiet Room 1, Gender-neutral restrooms, lactation room
- Middle Floor:
  - All-Ages (“Rated G”) Artist Alley, Organizations, Clubs, and Vending, Panel Room C, Panel Room D, All-ages Game Room, Restrooms
- Top Floor:
  - Additional Artists, Vending, Clubs, and Organizations.
  - This floor includes darker / more mature themes (“Rated PG-13” content) and 18+/NSFW (“Rated R” content) age-restricted tables in the AW Sky Bridge, PG-13 Game Room, 18+ Game Room, Western Game Design Expo, Quiet Room 2, Gender-neutral restrooms

QueerCon 2024 Guest List & Tables

Artist Alley– Artist and Organization Tables

Location: Academic West hallways & sky bridge, all 3 floors

Main Exhibitor Hallways 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
- Exhibitor tables will be open from 12 pm until 5 pm in the main hallways
- Tables and vendors are posted in our Featured Guest List: WWU QueerCon 2024 Guest List

Photo Booth– Glitt3rlyfe photo booth

Location: Academic West Ground Floor North– Check-in Tables

Photo Booth Hours 12:00 – 4:00 pm
- Capture the moment with Glytt3rlyfe’s amazing full-service photo booth, WWU QueerCon rainbow glitter background, and on-demand photo prints

QueerCon Panels, Presentations, and Special Events by Room:

Panel Room A – Panels, Presentations, and Special Events – AW 210

12:30 – 12:50 pm – Folklore, Fandom, and the Invention of the Acafan
- Presented by Melynda Huskey
2:00 – 3:20 pm – Intersectionality & Afrofuturism through Janelle Monae (PG-13)
- Presented by JoeHahn
  - Janelle Monáe is one of the leading Black nonbinary artists in our time who is known for their acting, music, and short story anthology. In this presentation, we will review the discography of Janelle Monáe through an intersectional and afrofuturistic lens. Features various music videos including one with partial nudity.
    CW: Artistic nudity of breasts and butts, discussion and images of violence, racial oppression and queer oppression.
3:30 – 4:50 pm – Special Event – Queer Poetry & Open Mic (PG-13)
- Special Event hosted by Danny

Panel Room B – Keynote – AW 204

1:00 – 1:50 pm – WWU QueerCon Keynote Presentation featuring DizzyPhoria
- Finding Ourselves in Euphoria: How Radical Vulnerability, Art and Community Can Transform Dysphoria
- Join DizzyPhoria for a meet & greet after the presentation

1:00 – 1:50 pm – WWU QueerCon Keynote – Finding Ourselves in Euphoria: How Radical Vulnerability, Art and Community Can Transform Dysphoria
- Presented by Dizzy Phoria
  - To be transgender is to be born into a body that cannot reflect or describe all that you are. To those that are or know trans people, it is easy to see the gifts and the magic that they bring into this world.
    Unfortunately, many are wrestling with motivations to be hateful and fearful rather than love and understand. More than 1 in 5 hate crimes in America are stemmed from anti-LGBT+ prejudice. It is more important than ever to build and protect spaces that uplift and celebrate trans people for their true, important, extraordinary selves.
    This keynote presentation will shed light on the intersections between drag and transgender identity by honoring the elders that have paved the way to the progress of today. It will also highlight the roots and intentions behind Bellingham’s first and withstanding transgender drag show, “Euphoria,” created by Dizzy Phoria – a local trans nonbinary performer known for their creative, unique and empowering performances. This presentation will end in an exploration of how one can use art as a tool for community connection, political resistance, and personal/collective healing.
  - 2:00 – 2:20 pm: Join us in the same presentation room for a meet & greet with Dizzy Phoria!

Panel Room C – Panels, Talks, and Special Events – AW 304

2:00 – 2:20 pm – Special Event – Queer Star Stories All-Ages Virtual Planetarium Show
- Presented by Astro Erin
  - Greek and Roman Mythology may have been sanitized in recent memory to wash away most of its queer content, but Queer Star Stories is here to bring them back in all their queer glory. This all-ages event will be a half-hour show highlighting queer star stories of triumph, love, and friendship.
    The last 5 minutes will be an audience choice exploration of the night sky and Q&A!
    Visit Astro Erin’s page here: ko-fi.com/astronomyftw
2:40 – 3:30 pm – Costume Design and Cosplay: Are They That Different?
- Panel featuring Artists Avenue Cosplay
  - *for the safety of our immunocompromised and at-risk community members, we request that you please wear a mask while attending this panel.
4:00 – 4:50 pm – Performance – Boreallumi 2nd Live!!!
- Live Performance by WWU Idol Club

Panel Room D – Panels, Talks, and Special Events – AW 303

2:00 – 2:50 pm – Indie Game Dev with Heart 20 Games
- Panel featuring WWU Game Design Club – Ian Cullum, Shell Juett, Jeremiah Johnson, Louise Tollisen
3:00 – 3:50 pm pm – Therianthropy
- Panel featuring Ori ad Hyrae

QueerCon Special Event – Stamp Rally! – check in at booth #326

Check out the three Stamp Rallies going on during the all-ages convention hours through Funtomsoft Studios. Visit table #326 to learn more and get your stamp cards.

QueerCon After-Hours Events – Shows and Performances – AW 210 & AW 204

5:00 – 5:45 pm – Special Event – Planetarium Show (18+)
- - Queer Star Stories Virtual Planetarium Show with Astro Erin – AW 204 (*18+)
    - Greek and Roman Mythology may have been sanitized in recent memory to wash away most of its queer content, but Queer Star Stories is here to bring them back in all their queer glory. This 18+ event will be a full-length show featuring the not-so-wholesome adventures queer star stories of lust, jealousy, and longing.
      The last 10-15 minutes will be an audience choice exploration of the night sky and Q&A!
      CW: Dubious Consent, Power Dynamics, Heroic Death, Tragic Death, General Greek Shenanigans
      Visit Astro Erin’s page here: ko-fi.com/astronomyftw
5:00 – 6:20 pm Special Event: Queer For Fear (18+)
- - QueerCon After-Hours Queer Horror Documentary and Discussion – AW 210 (*18+)
6:15 pm Special Event: Drag Show (18+)
- - QueerCon After-Hours Drag Show (*18+) – hosted by WWU’s Royal Gambit Drag Club – AW 204

*Attendance to 18+ Events is restricted to guests age 18 and over

Game Rooms – Table-top RPG one-shots and board games – Locations AW 302, 412, 410

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm (all-ages and 18+) & 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm (18+ only)
- The Game Rooms: TTRPG Tabletop Role-Playing Game One-shots & board games!
  - Join us for some exciting TTRPG One-Shots & Board games! All skill and experience levels are welcome, character sheets provided / easy to make.
  - The GM registration link is now closed.
  - Players: please reserve your space in the game sessions ahead of time here; stand-by registration for remaining spaces is available at the main check-in desk and must be claimed at least 30 min before start time!
- All-Ages Game Room 1 – AW 302
  - All-Ages Board Games hosted by Andrew
    - 12:00 – 2:00 pm
- Game Room 2: PG-13 TTRPG Games – AW 410
  - The Archanics Job, hosted by Dicky (System: Thirsty Sword Lesbians)
  - 1:00 pm (PG-13). *Standby/waitlist game registration closes at 12:30 pm. Please register in advance to reserve your space.
- Game Room 3: 18+ TTRPG Games – AW 412
  - Dream Apart/Dream Askew, hosted by Rowan Umbehocker (system: No Dice No Masters)
  - 3:00 pm (18+ ONLY) *Standby/waitlist game registration closes at 2:30 pm. Please register in advance to reserve your space.
    - A queer enclave at the end of the world. Ruined buildings, miles of quiet landscapes, and strange new psychic powers color a changing earth.
      
      Dream Askew is a DM-less game using the No Dice No Masters system. Players work together to build a whole setting and community, rather than just their individual characters. Are you the Torch, an inspiring leader? the Arrival, recently fallen out of the society intact? What of the Earth itself? How will we build our new society?
      
      CWs: Some body horror, general post-apocalypse setting, violence, oppression, character death, homophobia/transphobia, offscreen NSFW, expect a TV-MA rating

Western Game Design Expo – Location AW 408

AW 408: 3:00 – 5:00 pm
- WWU Game Design hosts a community game jam every quarter. The 2024 Western Game Design Expo at QueerCon showcases the games made in the Winter ’24 game jam as well as some games made in the community. We will also be showcasing Heart of the Dungeon – a game created by Heart 20 Games.
  Make sure to catch their panel at 2:00 pm in AW 303!

Quiet Rooms – Locations AW 203 & 403

AW 203: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
AW 403: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm (masks required room)
- These rooms are classroom spaces with tables and chairs and sensory/fidget toys that can be visited to get away from the overstimulation of main convention activities. The rooms are on the south-east side of the ground floor and top floor, away from panels or major tabling areas.

Food

12:00 – 3:00 pm – Tacos Tepozteco
- Tacos Tepozteco is a local women-owned food truck that offers delicious Mexican food including tacos and burritos. Website
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm – Sammies food cart
- ~~Sammies offers hot, hand-crafted vegan cheesesteaks made-to-order. They will be outside of the Academic West building from lunch time until 6pm.~~
3:00 pm – 6:00 pm – PNWaffles sweet and savory waffles
- PNWaffles will be offering hot and fresh sweet and savory waffles – We’ll be serving up gluten-free offerings so you can treat yourself for the late afternoon and early evening. Website
1:30 – close – Concessions fundraiser stand at the info desk
- After prime event registration rush hours, there will be packaged snacks and beverages available at the front desk on the ground floor of AW, available by donation. All donations support next year’s QueerCon!