Megan Thee Stallion was on a mission as she scanned a room stuffed with followers on the George R. Brown Conference Middle in Houston: to search out one of the best cosplaying hottie in the course of the opening evening of Dream Con.
Dozens of attendees rushed to the entrance of the stage hoping that the costumes they spent hours—weeks and in some circumstances even months—placing collectively would catch her consideration. The three-time Grammy-winning rapper overvalued a girl with an epic inexperienced wig who was dressed as Broly, a personality from Dragon Ball Z. And she or he ran with open arms towards two different girls dressed as characters from her favourite anime, My Hero Academia.
Meg herself donned a purple wig and dressed as Yoruichi Shihouin from Bleach, one of many many instances we’ve seen her cosplay. This time, she was greeted by 1000’s additionally in cosplay, cheering and chanting her title.
“The hotties are making me really feel so good! I really feel proper at house, babe,” she instructed host Storymode Bae after admitting she’d been nervous. And by “house,” she didn’t imply that solely as a result of the conference and sold-out panel had been in her hometown.
After the fandom conference hosted by the favored streaming group RDCWorld introduced Meg because the headliner, controversy adopted. Social media customers referred to as out the organizers for participating with posts in help of Tory Lanez. Some speculated that Meg would pull out of the conference altogether, even regardless of her tequila model, Chicas Divertidas, being a sponsor. Others mentioned the incident highlighted a broader situation: a hostile surroundings for Black girls total at Dream Con, the place about 28,000 attendees had been anticipated.
Organizers issued an apology to the rapper on X: “We acknowledge that our actions contributed to a adverse on-line surroundings, and we take full accountability as we work towards fostering a extra optimistic and respectful house.” Black girls main as much as and at Friday’s panel held organizers’ toes to the hearth and made certain that Meg felt celebrated and seen.
The misogynoir Meg confronted isn’t distinctive. Black girls and femmes in anime and gaming communities typically face disrespect and criticism only for present within the house. And like Meg, their balm for this hasn’t been to retreat from the hobbies they love, however somewhat to indicate up and present out. They usually did simply that at Dream Con 2025. Personifying their favourite heroes, villains, memes and extra, Black girls practiced boundless creativeness and eccentric escapism. The conference additionally hosted quite a few women-led panels.
“I really feel like being right here is us contributing to a greater tradition so we are able to see different girls which might be like us like, ‘Hey lady, we see you, You don’t have to fret in regards to the femcels and the incels and all these people who find themselves making an attempt to make you to be who you aren’t.’” mentioned Bernette Fondong, a 28-year-old visiting from Atlanta.
Fondong, who has been cosplaying for eight years, got here dressed as Marvel’s Scarlet Witch. She attended together with her buddy Trisha Pilgrim, 28, from Maryland. As a nod to her queer id, Pilgrim cosplayed as Emporio Ivankov, a gender-bending character in One Piece.
“I simply actually respect that Black girls are creating that house and we’re popping out and we’re cosplaying and we’re simply creating that house despite all of it,” Pilgrim mentioned. “We actually know how you can stand towards adversity. I really feel like we’re simply making it a extra accepting tradition for ladies to really feel extra free of their cosplay and to indicate up and be right here.”
Even exterior of the cosplay neighborhood, it’s lengthy been thought of taboo for Black folks to lean into nerd tradition. And although there’s been extra visibility and acceptance in recent times, there are nonetheless few official areas for Black nerds to collect en masse. For attendees experiencing their first anime conference, like Chantel Inexperienced, areas like Dream Con appeal to a particular power.
“My first animecon finally ends up being a Black anime con and it makes me actually excited as a result of Black nerds, we simply weren’t seen,” mentioned the 31-year-old from Detroit. She dressed as Persephone from Lore Olympus. “For me to come back right here, I really feel really blessed and I really feel completely happy right here.”
Cosplay for Black girls has additionally turn out to be an outlet for them to precise their creativity with particular make-up results, stitching methods and hairstyling. And it’s a steadily rising neighborhood. Alex Field, 28, was impressed to cosplay by her mom, a fancy dress designer who labored on promenade attire and Princess Tiana robes. The Houston native valued the bonding time she acquired to spend together with her as she acquired steering in making her Elphelt Valentine costume, which took 4 months to make.
Lanihya Duncan, a 27-year-old from Chicago who studied particular results make-up in school, acquired into cosplaying after her buddy prompt it to her. Now at her second Dream Con, she took satisfaction in her handmade Lulu from Last Fantasy costume, which took her two months to create. For Duncan, areas like Dream Con permit Black weebs to not have to cover who they’re.
“Being Black, it may be arduous for folks to actually present that as a result of [of pressure to] slot in,” she mentioned. “ However Dream Con is like no, you may be each. It’s wonderful to embrace as a result of Black cosplayers have that little umph you could’t see. Who else is gonna be rocking braids, cornrows and afros with a Killua costume?”
Gabrielle Kanu, a 35-year-old Houston native, mentioned cosplaying feels “releasing.” Since 2016, she’s dressed as Sailor Moon, Storm and Sophie Hatter. This yr, she’s Dorothy, giving a mixture of The Wiz and The Wizard of Oz.
“There’s no making an attempt to codeswitch for anyone. We may be us on a regular basis, each time. You may see the wonder and shapes of everyone round right here. I’m somewhat plump and I’m glad I’m and also you see everybody else who’s glad of who they’re,” she mentioned “It’s sort of like being at an HBCU. It’s actually like a homecoming.”
Throughout Friday’s occasion, Meg additionally introduced that she’s making an anime with Prime Video. Although she didn’t go into the small print, she revealed that she collaborated with Boondocks producer and voice actor Carl Jones to create it. This marks a serious stride for Black girls behind the scenes in anime and opens up the style for newcomers to dip their toe in.
Whereas it’s not on Black girls to repair the sexism, homophobia and transphobia they encounter in various areas — or in any areas for that matter — there’s an intrinsic energy we possess in exhibiting up as we’re in a majority of these areas. For Meg, the general public has witnessed her do that point and time once more.
“My proudest achievement is staying robust via adversity. I really feel like lots of people in my footwear would have gave up,” she mentioned in the course of the Q&A. “The Hotties have my again.”
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