Sexual Assault Allegation Forces Taiyou Con Director To Step Down

The official Fb web page for Mesa, Arizona’s Taiyou Con introduced on Dec 18, 2021, that the conference director identified by his cosplay identify, Gackto, has voluntarily resigned from his place after he was accused of sexual assault on social media.

25 12 months outdated Arizona resident, Allie Heady, detailed in a public Fb publish on Dec. 15, 2021, that she had been sexually assaulted by somebody identified inside the anime and cosplay communities as Gackto in December 2017.

“It’s taken me a very long time to return ahead and talk about this. However I proceed to see him, and his posts and his ‘achievements’. And I don’t wish to,” she wrote. “And whether or not or not anybody believes me, I can lastly get this off my chest.”

On the finish of her publish, Heady added a name to motion: “He additionally created an anime conference referred to as Taiyou Con. Please boycott it. Please perceive what nightmares he has put me and others through. Please share my story and uplift those that are possibly too afraid to return ahead, as a result of it’s occurred. And I cannot, I don’t wish to keep quiet anymore.”

A Fb account named “Gackto Kristian Ok Takaida” made a public publish on Dec 16,2021, following Heady’s publish, agreeing up to now “this girl”. Nevertheless, he refuted the assault claims.

“An accusation that I inappropriately touched a girl has been posted. That is (a) severe matter, so I wish to deal with it instantly. I’ll make clear and clarify that I’m NOT the individual concerned on this inappropriate incident on the live performance in 2017,” he wrote.

Inside per week after Heady’s accusation, quite a few distributors introduced their withdrawal from the 10-year-old Mesa conference. Some individuals have acknowledged that they are going to not attend. Others have expressed that they’re excited to see modifications and new management.

The workers of the conference posted a press release on Dec 21, 2021, on Fb apologizing to attendees. They acknowledged that Gackto “will not be working with the conference anymore” and wouldn’t be on the premises throughout the occasion.

The conference workers appointed Jai Son as the brand new conference director for Taiyou Con 2022.

Moreover, they acknowledged they’re investigating the matter and are working to transition to new management and possession.

This incident gave rise to a non-public Fb group and Twitter, @BancottTaiyou, devoted to planning successfully boycott the conference and expose misconduct in any respect cosplay and anime conventions. Greater than 70 individuals have joined the group.

Bancott Taiyou is organized by a 23-year-old Kaila Rain, who helped draft an open letter to Jai Son and Taiyou Con workers with solutions on “how we are able to transfer ahead and start to heal this group.”

Boycotters of the occasion demanded refunds for individuals who not want to attend the occasion amongst different measures.

Taiyou Con 2022 is scheduled to happen on the Mesa Conference Middle from Jan 7-9, 2022, after rescheduling it from 2021 the occasion.

Supply: Arizona Republic through ANN