Women have been a part of geek culture since Marie Curie, Ada Lovelace and the fandom that sprung up around the original Star Trek. Women drive many fan communities, especially in fan fiction and on social sites such asTumblr. But on the internet and at conventions, outside of their own female-run communities, women are subjected to men accusing them of being “fake geek girls” who they imagine are driven to clad themselves in superhero spandex for male attention. The population of women involved in geek culture is only growing, but attending public events opens them up to criticism and ridicule from men who feel the ladies are muscling in on “their” turf. What's a geek girl to do? In 2011 a group of women determined to give others a safe place to geek out founded GeekGirlCon. Every October in Seattle, WA the convention brings together people from the entire spectrum to celebrate the things we love – be it Star Trek, Doctor Who, superheroes or anything else that inspires what others might see as just a bit too much enthusiasm – in a safe place where all experiences are embraced and celebrated. GeekGirlCon 2013 was held October 19-20th, and your humble reporter had the good fortune to attend. The convention is a success at what it's set out to do. Cosplay – where fans design elaborate costumes based on their favorite characters – was all over the gender spectrum. Women dressed as beautiful elves, as boyishly lesbian interpretations of Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony and as the (male) characters from the Welcome to Night Vale podcast. Men dressed as Klingons and divas, and one memorable man dressed as Aeris from Final Fantasy 7 while unapologetically keeping his goatee. Convention policy required all photographers to ask for permission before taking pictures, which was a firm stand against the “cosplay is consent” mentality that's led to cosplayers being harassed at other conventions. The security staff, all distinguished by plush giraffe-horn headbands, was friendly and involved, making sure everyone, both in and out of costume, felt comfortable and safe. Even out of costume, the convention's attendance was diverse in race, gender expression and age, and so was its schedule. Panels discussed topics such as expressing yourself as a larger woman, the intersectionality of being a geek woman of color, self-expression and disability, writing about queer families and female archetypes in the fantasy genre. There were also panels that went past discussing how things are to fostering change, including several panels on game creation, design and programming. The GeekGirlCon concept is a welcome one in a community where many men still have a boys' clubhouse mentality. Though it got its start in Seattle the women behind the convention are interested in spreading to other cities in the future. Columbus is home to several great geek conventions already, and something like GeekGirlCon would be welcome in our diverse city as an alternative to corporate shows like Wizard World Ohio. More information on the show can be found at geekgirlcon.com.