Things have been kind of chaotic over here at Yuri Central, but last week I took some time out to come to NYC for Flamecon 2025. 

Flamecon is “an annual two-day multi-genre entertainment and comic convention, focused on fans and creators of pop culture who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer. Launched in 2015, it is the first LGBTQ comic convention in New York City, and the largest LGBTQ comic convention in the world.”

There is something incredibly lovely about knowing that almost everyone at the event is queer. No one is holding anything back. As you might expect the cosplay is vibrant..luminous, even.  Queer characters from mainstream comics, webcomics, manga and anime, games and indie works mingle on the floors in  kind of way that one doesn’t see at an other con. And still, I found a lovely Noa and her Ingram, Alphonse, from Patlabor walking around. I absolutely squeed. ^_^

I commented that I was going to be there and Michele Abounader said I should say hi, so of course I headed right over to chat with  Michele and boothmate Heather Antos. Did I pick up books? Of course I picked up books! Michele is the editor of the Sapphic Pulp anthology, but this time I picked up Sharp Wit & the Company of Women, which filled my sword lesbian quota. 

and I had to nab a copy of Star Trek Celebrations from Heather. I have many, complicated thoughts about queerness in Star Trek, (I *hated* The Outcast when it aired, but have really come to appreciate Jadzia Dax being taken up (and Terry Farrell’s adoption as) a pansexual trans icon and Seven of Nine as bisexual, when we all know that was never an original intent, but fans made that happen. ST: Celebrations takes a look at the folks we have now as honest representation, and Star Trek queer joy that Paramount cannot erase, no matter how much they want to right now (and always.)

Another amazing works I picked up include Cowboy Lesbian story Big Cats, by Fawnduu.

That pretty much hit me in all the right spots  – sword lesbians, lesbian cowboy, Star Trek queers…everything except sports anime (;_;).

I was looking at a book that kind of reminded me of Last and First Idol,  by Gengen Kusano, an idol scifi, called Hybrid Heart. I immediately was drawn to it because the author’s name was Iori Kusano… (what a coincidence?) and was sold when I saw the quote on the cover, by Isabel J. Kim, that said “This story fucks entirely.” Well…okay then! And so far it has indeed fucked entirely. Review to come.  ^_^

Version 1.0.0

My only negative comment is not at all about the con itself. This is the first location Flamecon has been in that did not offer gender neutral bathrooms. I’m sure it was the venue’s issue and not the con’s, but with this audience, the lack was noticeable and, to be honest, uncomfortable. 

As I checked out the schedule, I noticed that tucked in among the panels was a Kodansha panel! I had no idea they would be there! So of course I settled myself in the front row and heckled. ^_^ (Only a little.) TJ, Ferrentini, Tomoko Nagano, Pei Ann Yeap, Shirley Fang were terrific and the audience was super enthusiastic for all the titles. Omegaverse was popular,  and the reception for the sequel news of Boys Run The Riot – IN TRANSITION (which premiered this week in Young Magazine, check the link for the entire first issue free on Azuki) was huge. Ryo heads of to college and move into the next phase of his life. Lots of enthusiasm for that. 

They presented a lot of BL, a little Yuri, trans, asexual and other GSM books, and the audience *ate it up*. Most of the questions were about Yuri!  

And, in a nutshell, this is what I love about Flamecon – at a panel on BL, Yuri, Trans, Asexual, Queer manga, it is ALL treated with anticipation and positive excitement. This is so far from the days of Yaoi fangirls pointing at my table and sneering “Ewww, Yuri”as to render that experience almost a cautionary fairytale (no pun intended, no, really) rather than an actual experience.

Outside the walls of Flamecon queer media and queer identity and lives are once again under attack Flamecon proves that no matter what they try to say or do, queer people exist and are not going back to the days when we his. Our stories are out there and so are we in all our colorful, luminous glory. To quote Star Trek, as I am a long-time fan, Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. ^_^

See you next year at Flamecon!