Capital Geek Girls Ladies Night 3!

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

There is another fabulous Capital Geek Girls Ladies’ Night happening this week at the Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street in Ottawa! Those of you who have attended past ladies’ nights know how awesome this event is. The Shoppe opens it doors exclusively to female-identified geeky girls, making a very inviting and super fun night full of welcoming vibes and little treats. Grrls are invited to attend dressed as-is, to the nines, or in costume. There’s no fee to get in, but there are goodies once you come…

-The Comic Book Shoppe offers a 10% discount on everything in the Shoppe (other than stuff already on sale), and provides loot bags to the first 45 people who make a purchase; they are also offering 50% off back-issues , Manga, Yaoi, and Numbered posters…there are more deals, so check out the Facebook event posting for details.

-The loot bags promise goodies from the Geek Girls, the Shoppe, Venus Envy, Sweetpea Treats, Fat Girl Food Squad, and many many more.

-Treats from Auntie Loo’s vegan and gluten-free treats.

-Geek manicures by Thetis for $13.

-Prizes for best costume.

-Gaming in the basement, including Magic the Gathering, Heroclix, and other board games.

-A mini-craft fair with local artisans.

-Massages from my favourite massage studio, Body Poets Massage.

-Reps from Hollaback! Ottawa.

-And other random fun.

The staff on site will be all female, and you can ask any questions that’ll help you get your geek on, or find new geek favourites.

I hope you’ll join the Capital Geek Girls for this super fun evening! It’s a free evening of geeky girly happy times, and it’s always jam-packed, so be ready for a crowd! Check out the Facebook event page for all the details. 

You can message me, Prez of the Geek Girls, on the Facebook fanpage if you have any questions. And don't forget to keep apprised of what's happening right here on Girl, Crafted--blog central for the Capital Geek Girls!

The CGG Movie Showing!

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

There's a fun little event coming to you here in Ottawa for the Capital Geek Girls; all genders are welcome:

Join Cbs Bank Street and Capital Geek Girls for WONDER WOMEN! THE UNTOLD STORY OF AMERICAN SUPERHEROINES: a documentary which "traces the fascinating birth, evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman and introduces audiences to a dynamic group of fictional and real-life superheroines fighting for positive role models for girls, both onscreen and off. From the birth of the 1940s comic book heroine, Wonder Woman, to the blockbusters of today,WONDER WOMEN! looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect societys anxieties about strong and healthy women.

Screenings are all genders welcome and All ages welcome (rated PG).

Tickets $5 per screening. This price includes snacks, refreshments and 10% OFF ALL SUPER-HEROINE AND VILLAINESS MERCH for the whole day! You can get your tickets from the Comic Shoppe on Bank; First Come First Served! (228 Bank Street) 

Screening are scheduled for 11am, 1pm, and 3pm.

See you there!

WONDER WOMEN! goes behind the scenes with actors Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman) and Lindsay Wagner (the Bionic Woman), comic writers and artists, and real-life superheroines such as feminist icon Gloria Steinem, riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna, and others, who offer an enlightening and entertaining counterpoint to the male-dominated superhero genre."

BendFilm Festival, Oregon (2012) - Best Documentary and Best Director

Dallas VideoFest (2012) - Best Documentary Award

Indianapolis International Film Festival (2012) - Audience Award

Spokane International Film Festival, Washington (2013) - Audience Award for Best Documentary and Jury Award for Most Promising Filmmaker

Check out wonderwomendoc.com
Contact Jaclyn at the Shoppe for details.

The Bake It So Story

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

Five years ago, my best friend MJ left cooking.

She was good at it. In fact, she was great. She made her way up to Executive Chef status by her twenties, and all that without a formal education. But she was tired of working in male-dominated kitchens where sexual harassment and homophobia was the norm. She was tired of getting passed up for promotions, paid a sub-standard wage, and never getting a long enough leash to do her best creative work.

So she left, and took a somewhat less prestigious job--though ironically, better-paid--as a barrista. We supported her in this decision, because she was burnt out and didn't love cooking anymore. But we kept her in the kitchen at home...in a positive way. We encouraged her endless baking of key lime pies, coconut macaroons, meringue eggs, and truffles.

Slowly, the love returned, and a desire to fulfill her passion was rekindled. So MJ enrolled in the bakery program at college. There, she has been kicking ass for the last three months.

Recently, MJ had a project to do: make an outgoing voicemail message for your future self, in five years' time. It was a Business Communications assignment, but it was also an assignment in self-affirmation. Because after years of being beaten down and made to feel less than awesome, MJ recorded this as her 'dream' outgoing message:

You have reached Mission: Bake It So, aboard the International Space Station. We are currently somewhere over Europe, travelling in excess of 17,000mph, and can't take your call right now, but we'd love for you to send us an email at _____, or you can learn more about us online at NASA.gov/bakeitso. Bake It So: literally as close to heaven as you can get.

Me (left) and MJ (right).

I should probably have mentioned, MJ is an uber-nerd. For both the written and recorded 'future self' assingments, all of her science was verifiably accurate. This message is not a joke: if MJ had a genie, she would wish to be baking on the International Space Station doing science and food wizardry.

MJ is my hero. She makes me believe that you can be true to yourself and succeed in your goals. Make your own music, sing your own song, and soon the whole world will be singing along.

Tuition is tight and there's a long road ahead of MJ before she reaches her goal of universal baking domination. But we, her family and chosen family, stand behind her. In a way, a win for MJ is a win for all of us.

(And of course, I can't help but put it out there that if you, too, want to support MJ, you can like her Bake It So facebook page in preparation for when it really gets going, and if I knew how to set up a scholarship fund for her, I'd do that too. I don't, but on the off-chance there's a rich and powerful benefactor out there looking for a place for their money to go, they can email me.)

MJ is my hero in many ways, not just baking and goal-setting. She is the only person who knows exactly who I am, exactly how I think, and exactly what I want when I'm having a meltdown. She is an unwavering friend to all her loved ones, and a daily good Samaritan. These things all make her great. But her ability to say, "I'm a grrl, and a world-class baker, and these things can co-exist!" makes her my hero today. Her straight-A grades don't hurt, either.

Comment below to say congrats! 

An Intro to Our Headquarters: The Comic Book Shoppe!

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

WELCOME TO THE COMIC BOOK SHOPPE 

Ladies and gents, villians and heroes, I’m pleased to welcome the Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street as one of our new Girl, Crafted patrons!

The Comic Book Shoppe on Bank Street has been in business for 14 years now. It is known as the best place to find all sorts of geekery, well beyond comic books. I defy you to go in and not find something you’d want to take home with you.

The Shoppe carries all manner of favourites, with everything from vintage collectors’ items to the latest Tokidoki figurines. Shoppe owner, Rob Spittall, has an unrivaled knack for finding the coolest merchandise before anyone else in town has found it. Whether you’re looking for a Dr Who tardis lamp, or a lightsaber umbrella, you’re in the right place.

The Shoppe is also known for having a great mix of both kid-friendly and mature stock; Heroclix and Pokemon figurines are close at hand, while moving and powerful indie comics are available with staff recommendations to guide you.

Of course, the Shoppe on Bank is also headquarters of our very own Capital Geek Girls, which is our illustrious fanclub for geeky girls. The Shoppe has a strong reputation for being women-positive as well as GLBTTQ-positive, so it’s a great place to come looking for a new geek favourite—you can honestly ask your questions without fear of discrimination. The Shoppe hosts Geek Girl events throughout the year, and there’s even a couple coming up soon (so stay tuned). They've even got a Capital Geek Girls section now, where all sorts of girl-approved merchandise can be found.

Thanks, The Comic Book Shoppe, for coming on board as an official patron of the blog. We’re proud to work with you in so many ways!

Hit the Comic Book Shoppe site

Join the Facebook Group

Follow on Twitter
and head in, at 228 Bank Street, Ottawa Ontario!

And follow the Capital Geek Girls on Facebook, too!

Sexism and Cosplay: CGG on Geek Inked

by Jordan Danger

I wrote a post that just went live on Geek Inked Magazine, talking about my experience at this year's Montreal Comiccon where a fanboy tried to call me out on my Green Lantern knowledge. You can check out the post here.

While I found the situation incredibly frustrating, I have to appreciate the fact that the Universe sent ME this particular experience to contend with...the same ME with the blog, the Geek Girls group, and my status as a contributor to Geek Inked Mag. It's a running joke that when sh*t happens to a blogger, they just roll with it because it's all good blog fodder. I gotta admit, two seconds after it happened, my only thought was, "I am SO blogging this."

An Open Letter to DC Comics on Homophobia & Heroes

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

An open letter to DC Comics on Homophobia & Heroes

credit: Adam Tupper

To: DC Comics

From: Jordan Danger, President of Capital Geek Girls

Dear DC Comics execs and editors,

I am heartily concerned over learning the recent news that several creative minds have left your projects after institutionally-sanctioned homophobia has been affecting their work. This year’s debacle with Orson Scott Card and his outspoken homophobic beliefs was enough of an alarm bell for me regarding your sensitivity to GLBTTQ issues—it took creatives leaving the team, and a giant online petition before you took Card off the Superman series—but now I hear that you’re also refusing to let Batwoman (Kate) marry her sweetheart Maggie. Top this all off with the suspicious and untimely death of the Golden Age Green Lantern’s male lover, and we’ve got a pattern forming. So I’m writing you this letter. Hey, there.

Surely you understand that the comic book world is in enough upheaval after the casting of a certain Ben Affleck as the next Batman was just recently announced, and that nerves are indeed on edge. It seems like maybe this would be the time to give people a bit of what they want, don’t you think? And what people want is for Batwoman and Maggie to be allowed to marry.

DC seems to be (accidentally, I hope) sending a repetitive message that you are not very gay-friendly, and that’s a serious concern for me and many other fans. I don’t understand how a company that promotes superheroes could be comfortable with abetting discrimination against a minority group of any sort, let alone one that would totally support your superheroes’ proclivity for rock-hard abs and public displays of lycra. I don’t remember ever seeing Wonder Woman ignore a man’s pleas for help once he’d been identified as ‘light in the loafers’; I do, however, remember seeing her at the Ottawa Pride Parade in all her 6’2” glory, and only the barest hint of an Adam’s Apple.

credit: Edith Chartier

Clearly the gay community has embraced your work, DC; so why haven’t you embraced us back?

Well, DC, I just can’t rationalize it for you. I think you’re going to have to come clean: there’s a streak of dark, poisonous homophobia running through your veins. Okay, that’s bad news. But maybe I have a solution.

Bring me in to help you.

Meet with me, give me a year, and we’ll convert your whole team to rainbow flag-waving allies. (Does the word ‘convert’ make you nervous, boys? Oops, sorry.)

I, Jordan Danger, am a longstanding, award-winning GLBTTQ activist and sexual health educator. I joined various committees and youth groups when I was in my teens, and spent countless hours educating parents, teachers, counsellors, doctors, and other professionals on the GLBTTQ community. We taught them acceptance—that we’re just like you, and we deserve representation, too. I have hundreds and hundreds of hours doing this kind of work, and I once even stood at the front of a Muslim youth group for over an hour defending my very existence, so I think I could handle your staff meetings.

credit: Adam Tupper

I’m not even joking: bring me in and we’ll get your whole team on board. Before you know it, you’ll have a company that’s popular, respectful, and actually abides by the values of the heroes you create. We’ll start from the top down, and I promise I’ll be gentle. You can ask me anything ‘cause I’ve heard it all—if I had a dollar for every time someone asked me how lesbians ‘do it’, I’d have a nice summer home in San Fran, let me tell you. You cannot offend me in your quest to learn and grow. The only thing offensive right now is your ignorance and uneducated bias.

I see your recent actions for what they are: you are shining a batsignal into the sky, begging for help. Well, let’s have a chat. I may not be the hero you want, but I’m the hero you need.

And if we can get you back on track, I think you can be the creators of the heroes we want, too.

Love,

Jordan

The Geek Girl Message Spreads: Operation Batgirl

This post was originally shared on our sister site, GirlCrafted.com
by Jordan Danger

Recently, Capital Geek Girls (our pet project here, the fanclub for geeky girls) was featured in Geek Inked Magazine.  But it gets even cooler.

Resident roving reporter "Rob" was inspired by our chat, and wrote a killer article called "Operation Truth", where he interviewed about a hundred different people (of all genders) about their experiences with and around sexual harassment and sexism at geeky conventions. He was in attendance at FanExpo in Toronto, and did his research there. Rob's article is fantastic, interesting, and makes me feel like the word of the Capital Geek Girls has been spread a little further with this great continuation and evolution of the geek girl movement. Hurray for cool geeky boys who support geeky girls!

Enjoy the article. Seriously, it's a good read.