I suppose I shouldn't be shocked that there are twisted concepts of sexuality playing out at Cons - one of the big problems I always had with the role-playing and otherwise geeky crowd I hung out with at times (often comprised solely of men) was the often completely fucked-up relationships to women that were played out both on and off the gaming table. Guys who played females were often "raped" in-game, females were aggressively pursued and made to feel like shit because they didn't want to date the "nice guys" (and were accused of wanting rich guys, or some other stereotype, as an alternative). Patriarchal elements played out in fantasy princess-in-a-tower antics, where the emasculated men could be hero for a day, replete with dark and brooding good looks and a very large, er, sword.

Don't get me wrong - I love my geekery and don't begrudge my past. I loved the guys I played with - some of whom where my best friends and boyfriends. I certainly don't want to suggest that these kinds of scenes are the only ones out there, but they are heavily, heavily prevalent. The women who hang out with them are often highly sexualized, even beyond what you might experience in day-to-day life, and the elements of low self-esteem that often draw people to the geeking/gaming lifestyle are often reiterated in the role of the (then, at least) rare female gamer: lots of attention, lots of expectations.

I've rambled enough. But thanks for gathering all the comments and posts and such.