Cosplay is an interesting phenomenon. In essence, it is people dressing up really quirky. What sets it apart from many other activities, especially group activities, is that it does not matter what you look like, as long as you dress quirky, imitating a fictional character.
Race and sex, because they are easily distinguishable, have been the basis of much discrimination for millenia. Slavery, bans on short skirts, continually lower salaries and decreased chances of promotion are just a few from a myriad of different methods of discrimination. Cosplay does not discriminate like that, one might even say girls enjoy dressing up even more than the guys do. With all that make-up and masks, the race of a person often remains a mystery. Even when it doesn't, everyone is equal. Well, except for the people who skimp on their costumes and make sub-par effort and consequently look nothing like the characters they attempt to portray. Other than that, equal. Everyone shows what kind of fiction they enjoy, and that is all.
It bears resemblance to 'casual Fridays' - everyone can dress how they want, as long as it has a 'theme'. You still have to dress proper for an office job, you have to dress like an another person for a cosplay event. You can feel more relaxed than usual as everyone around you do the same. It is a good way to hinder racism and sexism, if not other -isms. It is a way to move towards a more equal society.
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