🔴 Dot 🔜 GenCon 🔴 · @little_red_dot
10th Aug 2022 from TwitLonger
My Experience - GenCon 2022
I have taken a few days to simmer and process. Everything written below has already been provided to GenCon's Policy Team as the actions break the GenCon Code of Conduct. I wanted their team to have it before I went public. Below is my experience with /AWiseArtist. Please note that all of my experiences were outside of Kobold Press as we did not work directly with Daisy in any capacity at this year's convention.
For GenCon 2022 I was assigned a room with Daisy also known as /AWiseArtist online. This room assignment was provided as part of the exchange for working with the GenCon Stream Team. Daisy and I have worked together in many capacities and for many years in the TTRPG professional setting. As part of that, we have served on the GenCon Stream Team for four years together, and she has mentored me professionally in many ways. She has always been nothing but supportive and respectful... until this year's GenCon. Below are the incidents I reported before coming out publically:
1. As roommates and Stream Team partners, Daisy and I frequently spoke via discord and phone during the GenCon weekend and hung out at after-hours events. On more than one occasion, I was prompted by Daisy to open my phone and find her on Tinder. There was expressed intent to have me "swipe right" on her once she showed up. This conversation and forceful request happened many times throughout the weekend, usually while out in the evenings where alcohol was involved. Each time I expressed that I no longer used Tinder and was uncomfortable "swiping right" on anyone much less her. This prompt never stopped and was continually mentioned many times throughout the weekend.
2. On the evening of Thursday, August 4th, myself, Daisy and other industry professionals were sharing drinks and space in the lobby of the Westin. It was past midnight, and Daisy began publically vomiting in front of everyone. It was clear she had too many drinks. Those of us there helped her clean up and got Westin staff to handle the mess left behind. I escorted her up to our room where she proceeded to tell me that I would need to chaperone her at all of the parties the rest of the weekend "to make sure she didn't drink too much." I responded by saying that she was not my responsibility. I left the room so Daisy could be alone to shower and find the bed.
3. On the evening of Saturday, August 6th 2022, I returned to my room early from the Hunter’s Entertainment party because I had an early shift for the GenCon Stream Team. I was already in bed trying to sleep when Daisy returned to the room “tipsy” exclaiming that she was “12 Drink Daisy”. It was very clear she was more than tipsy. After she got undressed she crawled INTO BED WITH ME and proceeded to lay too close putting her arm and leg over my body. Daisy is a larger person than me, and when I told her “no” and asked for her to make space in the bed I was told that “12 Drink Daisy needed cuddles” and that I would just have to deal. I felt completely shocked as she then put more of her body over mine pinning me to the bed. I felt I had no control to get her off of me and had to lay there for about 20 minutes completely at a loss of what to do. She was asleep quickly, and once she was, I rolled her body off of me and left the room. I slept a few hours in the lobby of the Westin until I could contact the Steam Team Lead and ask him to let me in the streaming room early so I could sleep on the couch before my 9:30am shift on Sunday. During this time I expressed to the Team Lead what happened in detail and my uncomfortably. In response, he offered me his room to sleep in on Sunday so that I was safe. I took him up on this offer as I knew Daisy was headed to the Dead Dog Party Sunday night and may come back inebriated. I didn’t see Daisy again until Monday morning when I returned to pack my bags and promptly leave.
In just five short days a friend of many many years touched me inappropriately, came on to me in unwarranted ways, and pinned me in a room under the guise of "cuddles". I will not use this forum to talk about my past traumas, instead, I will simply say... these actions are not okay and do not represent a friend. My heart is broken for those she also harmed. My heart is broken for GenCon. My heart is simply broken. My trust was misused, and that can't be undone.
I want to give a shout-out to my Stream Team lead for stepping up to help me out and feel safe. They even went as far as to let me off my Sunday shift early, so Daisy and I didn’t have to share a workspace after what happened on Saturday night. Please know that GenCon is currently accepting ANY and ALL incident reports from the week. You can submit those to policyteam@gencon.com. I hope these complaints prompt GenCon to take the actions necessary to bring some closure to those hurt.
Ultimately, I've taken the last two days to sort out how to move forward. Daisy has left me with both a personal and professional mess from her actions. Messes that I'm STILL trying to clean up in the wake of also trying to heal. She has ruined the reputation of companies she has worked with in the past and left individuals who trusted her scarred.
For those that Daisy hurt, I am sorry. So so so sorry. Know that I believe you. Know that I was there too. Know that we will speak the truth together in hopes of one day finding peace.