Free Speech Flourishes at GeekGirlCon

Published: 
Monday, October 10, 2011

Over the weekened, I had the opportunity to attend the first ever GeekGirlCon. Over two days, the con covered video games, movies, geeky parenting, blogging, vlogging, puppet making, gaming, music, and of course, costumes. Although the con was a celebration of women getting their geek on, there were no shortage of men in attendance showing their support and enthusiasm to have more female involvement in science and technology.

Niche cultures like these are exactly what the ACLU was designed to protect. I met artists and entrepreneurs who were producing controversial work in a highly competitive environment. Without the protections of net neutrality and the first amendment, these remarkable women's voices would be threatened, hidden, and silenced.

The next time you see a blog post about how to make Labyrinth sock puppets, just remember that little slice of awesome was able to get to you because of a strong fabric of legal protections won in courts and legislatures across the country by ACLU members and advocates like you.

Photo by anitasarkeesian.