A lot of ugly, horrible news coming out in the games industry. Please be kind to the women (& people) around you who might struggle to get through today.
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Please, please take care of yourself first; mute this tweet if you must. CW: sexual assault
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I don't have a name to attach to this story because I never knew his name. It was at my first con, 4 years ago.
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I went to the con because I wanted to be a game writer. I flew across the country so I could attend panels & learn from industry folks.
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Lo and behold, I met a Guy. A game writer/professor (so he said, who knows if it's real)
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We talked for a while about story, design, etc. He asked me to come back to his hotel to talk more; I declined.
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I was 24. I'd guess he was in his early 40s, maybe late 30s.
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I started to get (this comes up a lot in these stories) "icky vibes," so I thanked him for the talk and tried to leave.
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He grabbed me and kissed me. Literally grabbed my shoulders so hard that I had bruises. In the middle of a hall, at a con, with people everywhere.
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I shoved him off. None of the people walking by stopped, no one said anything, no one checked to see what had happened.
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I was so shaken I left the con and called a friend. He asked if I wanted help; he'd take off work so he could go with me the next two days. I said no.
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I went back the next day but could only make it through half a day. I skipped the final day and flew home.
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I told my (then-boyfriend, now-husband), almost in tears, afraid he'd think I cheated on him (of course he didn't; he's a good dude). He was livid. I was broken.
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When I got my first game writing contract, it took me weeks to decide whether it was worth it. If that kind of treatment was all I had to look forward to.
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Thankfully, it's not. I've made some of my best friends in this industry. I've loved people, survived the trenches with them, published work I'm proud of.
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But we can't keep protecting abusers, through action or inaction. We need to stop this. It wasn't okay then, and it isn't okay now.
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End of thread: I have your back, always, if someone ever hurts you (or ever has). I'm with you, whether it's to report, go public, or to cry for a while. This industry is full of kind, open-hearted people, and we *can* be better. I believe that. /FIN
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End of conversation
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