Cheryl Lynn isn't quite sure who she is, but she's pretty sure of what she wants to be. A warrior woman. A bad-ass mamajama. Perhaps an earth goddess extraordinaire. She spends her days abusing keyboards and screaming at computer screens while she waits for her cult following to finally show up.

She changes her mind more often than extras in rap videos change thongs.

Remember: save to your own server, sweets!

Reading SELF Magazine.

Writing To-Do lists.

Hearing Thunder.

Watching General Hospital.

Building Nothing.

Eating Vitamins.

Drinking Iced Tea.

Buying Comic books.

Thinking "It is HOT!"

Playing Episodes from Liberty City.

Adoring Cold water.

Saying Very little.

Abhorring Bigotry.

Feeling Calm.

Hoping To get in gear.

Thoughts on convention harassment.

Listen, I will go off if a man touches me in a way that I feel is inappropriate at a convention. Please know that I am around my fellow geeks and feel completely at home and secure. This means that I have absolutely no problem wilding out on your ass if you feel that it's okay to touch mine. Contemplate whether that handful of ass is worth a few bruises. Because I don't mind getting a few bruises or getting real loud in order to defend my honor. And you know what else I don't mind doing? Pressing charges.

Now, I fully admit that a person might get confused. You've just seen me kiss a stormtrooper, booty dance with an inker in the middle of an aisle, laugh as a reporter grabs me from behind, tuck in the bra strap of an artist, goose a fan and tell an off-color joke to a convention model. So, why am I chewing you out about grabbing my ass?

Because I don't know you, motherfucker. Understand?

A comic or anime convention is not Free-For-All-Huggy-Time. I am affectionate with people I know. And if I don't know you? I will ask you if I can touch you. And it will be done in a very sweet and non-threatening manner. And if I can't do it in a sweet and non-threatening manner? It won't be done at all. Period. And if I ask and the answer is no? I'll politely accept that answer and roll the hell on. Respect is key. And that applies to both genders. Don't think that every dude likes that glomping mess either.

To be honest, I've never had a problem at a convention that a well-timed side-eye couldn't fix. I can deal with nerds and geeks. Hell, I can even deal with thugs. I have a much bigger problem. Abercrombie Douchebags.

Yup. Abercrombie Douchebags (or their cousins, the Ed Hardy Harassers) are the reason why you will not see my ass at any hotel bar after a convention. I am quickly going to my hotel room or home. Or wherever all the black people in that city party. Because if I don't? I'm usually sitting at a bar that's 50% friendly comic book people and 50% assholes who like to touch me inappropriately and whisper disgusting racist shit about experimentation and chocolate in my ear.

Yeah, you can miss me with that bullshit. Never been with a black girl before? You won't be with one tonight either, sparky.

No one is going to defend me but me. I've learned that lesson. And while it's easy to put that 5'5 guy in the Transformers T-shirt in his place, that meathead in the popped collar with five clones behind him isn't so simple to deal with. Better to just not go to anything taking place after the convention anymore. Which is sad.

Even sadder is that there might be a girl out there who is rightfully afraid to attend the convention itself. Every individual should be entitled to a safe convention experience. We as a community need to get together and figure out what can be done to ensure that. What can I do to help?

Cheryl Lynn @ 10:41 PM EST Link