HavenCon, Only Texas LGBTQA Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Gaming Convention Returns to Austin in April for Second Year

Austin-based Haven Con offers gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and allied community members a fun, safe haven filled with gaming experiences, geek activities, incredible artwork, and pop culture panels from industry professionals and local talents.

Austin, Tex. (April 11, 2016) – The only Texas lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning and allied (LGBTQA) comic book and gaming convention, HavenCon, is back for an action-packed second year. The event will be held at the Holiday Inn Midtown (6000 Middle Fiskville Rd) in Austin, Texas on Friday, April 22 through Sunday, April 24.

"It's been a great year with a lot of hard work, and we're proud to show off the amazing amount of events, panels, performances and guest appearances we have slated for our second year," said HavenCon Organizer Shane Brown. "I also couldn't be more excited about our newest addition, the Celebrity Poker Match, where we will play poker to raise funds for this year's feature charity, Trans Life Line."

This year's Grand Mistress of Ceremonies is Lead Editor of video game development company Bioware, Karin Weekes. Weekes has worked on many popular gaming titles including the Mass Effect and Dragon's Age franchises. Television, film star and comedienne Janet Varney will also be returning for this year's show on a question and answer panel. Weekes and Varney will be appearing alongside Brown in the Celebrity Poker Match, as well.

Other guests of honor include: Queer Comic creators Arbitrary Muse, who recently ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for a Julius Caesar-inspired comic book; Sam Killerman and Dr. Karin Rayne, PhD, who will perform their two-person comedy show "Have You Seen S.E.X.?" during a special VIP dinner show; and ELEKTRAFINE, a local musical group that will perform during HavenCon's Friday night variety show.

Aside from standard convention programming and activities, HavenCon also features an after-hours lineup for ages 18 and over.

Brown added, "After Hours will focus on some traditionally taboo and adult topics. We will have representatives from pup culture, gear culture and more. Planned Parenthood will discuss safer sex and alternative forms of contraception. HavenCon is a safe space and judgement-free environment, so it naturally allows attendees to explore these types of topics in a constructive and safe manner."

HavenCon is an all-ages event open to gamers, geeks, cosplayers and everyone in-between. While the event does focus on the LGBTQA community, anyone is welcome. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Children 10 and under may attend for free. Tickets will be available at the door. A schedule of events can be found at https://havencon2016.sched.org/

HavenCon Sponsors include FinjiCo, Dragon's Lair, Austin Books and Comics, Secret Identity Comics, GameStop, and Bout Time 2. For more information on becoming involved with HavenCon, visit www.HavenConTx.com or email Shane@HavenConTx.Com.

About HavenCon:

HavenCon is the first LGBTQ-A geek and gaming convention of Texas. It was created to be a fun, safe haven for geeks and gamers of the LGBTQ-A community to come together and show support for each other and the industries we have all grown to love. HavenCon is a weekend of gaming and activities with industry professionals and local talents, which includes a cosplay competition, an all-gen gaming tournament, and other contests. For more information about HavenCon, visit HavenConTx.com, facebook.com/HavenConTX or twitter.com/HavenCon.