Metro Weekly

Awesome Con’s Pride Alley offers LGBTQ events and programming this weekend

Pride Alley is co-presented by Geeks Out, curators of New York's LGBTQ-themed convention Flame Con

Awesome Con convention floor

A celebration of geek-dom, from comic books to movies to video games, and its influence on today’s pop culture, D.C.’s annual comic-con offers three days of discussion panels, costume contests, gaming tournaments and trivia.

The event, which draws over 60,000 participants, adds two new programming elements this year. There’s Pride Alley, co-presented by Geeks Out, curators of New York’s LGBTQ-themed convention Flame Con, with special programming throughout the event, including “Making LGBT+ Matter in Fiction,” on Friday, June 16, at 5 p.m., “A History of LGBTQ+ Representation in Comic Books & Television,” Saturday, June 17, at 12:30 p.m., and “Pokemon, Musicals & Gay Representation with Voice Actor Jamie McGonnigal,” Saturday, June 17, at 4:30 p.m.

The other new component is Future Con, a partnership with Smithsonian magazine featuring discussions and events at the intersection of science, technology and science fiction — including a StarTalk Live! taping hosted by astronaut Chris Hadfield.

Other celebrities expected this weekend are Spider-Man/X-Men creator Stan Lee, David Tennant (Doctor Who), John Barrowman (Arrow), The Guild creator Felicia Day, and Star Trek‘s Wil Wheaton.

Friday, June 16, from 12 to 8 p.m., Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 18, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW. Tickets are $35 to $45 for a single-day entry or $75 for a three-day pass; VIP passes ranging from $150 to $350 are also available. Call 202-249-3000 or visit awesome-con.com.

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