By: Kylie Condon
ClexaCon is the largest multi-fandom event for LGBTQ women and allies. And for the second year in a row, it’s taking place in Las Vegas this April 5-9. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Danielle Jablonski, one of the founders of ClexaCon and asked her to shed some light on the event:
KC: Can you give us a little background on ClexaCon and what motivated you to start it?
DJ: The original idea was to have a small event bringing together fans of The 100. After Lexa (queer female character and half of the beloved couple “Clexa”) was killed off, it caused a lot of pain in the community and uproar online. Holly Weinbager had the idea to create an event for fans of the show where they could get together in real life. Ashley Arnold and I then got involved with Holly and soon realized the event should be bigger than the one show.
KC: Right, weren’t several other LGBTQ characters killed off that same year?
DJ: Yes, it wasn’t a good year for LGBTQ characters and we realized it’s a much larger conversation than one show. We started pulling together queer women in the entertainment industry and it became a bigger convention celebrating LGBTQ women in TV, film, web series, comics, books and more.
KC: ClexaCon seems to differ from your typical LGBTQ event in that it’s not focused around a big party festival. Why do you think these types of alternatives are important to have?
DJ: As a community, we’re at the point of being frustrated with how things are and people are becoming more political and vocal about making changes. We’re sick of being treated poorly in film and TV stories and we know those reflect how we’re treated in real life so it’s important to have a dialogue about it. We do also have parties at ClexaCon though!
KC: Always good to have parties! ClexaCon looks like it has a variety of events, any you’d like to highlight?
DJ: Last year we only had a three-day convention, and this year we bumped it up to a five-day event. People are also coming from all over the world (15-20% international attendees) so we want to give them enough time to enjoy their stay. We have events to help people meet each other, pool parties, a comedy show, and even workshops.
KC: Sounds like fun! Any events you’re personally most excited for?
DJ: The One Day at a Time and the LGBTQ Actress panel. I love being able to put members of our community up onstage and making sure people know they’re out there and should support them. The workshops are also really exciting, including: writing, production, illustration, and even a language workshop with the creator of the language on The 100 and Game of Thrones. Also, the comedy night will be a lot of fun!
Win FREE tickets to ClexaCon!
Gay Travel is teaming up with ClexaCon to give away free 3-day passes to you and a guest for the event April 6-8 in Las Vegas! Don’t miss out on your chance to win! Simply follow @lezexploreinsta on Instagram and tag a friend in the comments. Contest ends 3/15/18 so enter now!
MORE INFO
This year’s ClexaCon will take place from April 5-9 at the Tropicana in Las Vegas. ClexaCon will also be partnering with the True Colors Fund to help end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. Make sure you get your tickets today on the website, VIP tickets sold out within 30 minutes so get your tickets while you can! See you at ClexaCon!
For more information on ClexaCon, check out the official website!
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