Gamers who’ve been ignored at best or persecuted at worst will finally have a chance to let their colors fly; GaymerCon, the first gaming and geek culture convention for LGBT gamers, is officially happening. Thanks in part to vocal support from Microsoft, GaymerCon’s Kickstarter has brought in $86,000 — more than three times its original goal. GaymerCon co-founder Jack DeVries has already recorded a sweet thank-you message to all the event’s supporters, and has now announced an official time and location for the event: August 2013, in sunny and welcoming San Francisco.
The GaymerCon Kickstarter page promised that $35k would pay for a concert and a “night of drinking, dancing, and socializing,” $50k would make possible a free “brunchfast” for those who contributed more than $100, and $60k would pay for “a celebrity boss of honor.” With all those targets hit and surpassed, the only question is which celebrities and bands will have the honor of appearing at what promises to be a major event.
In a thoughtful interview at 1UP, the organizers made clear that GaymerCon would be about inclusion, not exclusion. “GaymerCon is about adding MORE gamer space, not taking people away from established gamer spaces,” said public relations director Benjamin Williams. “I think gaming culture has grown to the point where subcultures appearing within it is a natural and healthy progression. We are not separating from gaming culture — we are growing it in our own unique way.”
Speaking to GayGamer.com, event founder Matt Conn also talked about how he has been active for years in creating space for “gay geeks,” feeling like the nerd scene was often openly homophobic, while the gay scene didn’t always have room for his love of anime, video games, and similar subcultural pursuits.
Conn recently spoke to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), stressing the importance of the event as a tool for improving the visibility of LGBT gamers within the industry. “Historically, there has been very little content with [LGBT] themes or options in video games and other geek media,” he said. “We hope to show the world that that this audience not only exists, but is flourishing.” Many game companies justify their uniformity of content by saying that most of their customers are young, white, straight males, and a big showing at GaymerCon could go a long way to changing that belief.
As in many other aspects of American life, LGBT gamers have been making their presence felt in the gaming industry. The Mass Effect trilogy went from explicitly refusing to include gay content to putting serious thought into how to implement same-sex romance that was respectful and smart. The Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO was so gay-friendly that professional hater Tony Perkins condemned it on the radio. And even the notoriously narrow-minded Street Fighter community now has a celebrated champion who cheerfully describes himself as a “fierce bitch.” We may not have jet packs or laser pistols (yet)… but the future is definitely here.
I’m excited. A place where I can go and just be me. I can’t handle the homophobia that most gamers have. I’m a gaymer. This place will be like, my sanctuary. LOL.
I don’t get it. Just go to a regular gaming convention.
It’s hard to understand if you haven’t been a GLBT gamer. When you’re a GLBT person in the gaming world, every time you go to a gaming event, you just know that someone—likely several someones—is going to be a dick to you, and there’s always the possibility of someone doing something much worse than just being mean. Plus, of course, regular gaming events, with their booth babes and beer-commercial-style advertising, are so aggressively aimed at young hetero guys, a GLBT person can really feel like “This event has no interest in talking to me.” So having just 2 days a year (it’s not like they’re running off to an island for the rest of time!) when you can be surrounded by people with the same experiences as you, where you know that all of you is accepted, is a very powerful thing.
My wife is Bi my best friend is a lesbian both are serious gamers and not once have they ever felt left out. Gay or straight at cons someone is always the dick end of story, there has to be that group of people that need to try and make everyone elses life horrible.
As to the booth babes and “beer-commercial-style advertising”, you fail to understand simple marketing practice . Which is to appease you larger core audience, that is not to say that they could be more LGBT friendly its just a simple matter of numbers to them.
While I think that gaymercon is a decent idea, these kind of events just make it so the community as a whole is set back by saying we are different. If you want respect and to be acknowledged go to regular conventions and voice your opinions on where you would like to see things go. What the LGBT community is not looking at is when you throw special events just for your community you are no better then the people you are against. Its exclusion of a specific people that being hetro. Don’t fall into the same segregation loop, just expand on what is out there by taking part and respectfully asking for more LGBT friendly “things”.
Eric, although I do understand where you are coming from I also thing you are missing the point. I believe that it is less about segregation and more about feeling safe and welcome. Sure a gay gamer could go to a regular convention, but will they actually enjoy being there?
The problem with the gaming world is that for ever enlightened and intelligent gamer there is a close minded loud mouth gorilla who thinks that gaming is a straight man’s hobby, and gays and women are not welcome in their boys club. I totally understand it if LGBT gamers would rather have their own convention, heck I am a straight female gamer and I think I would feel more welcome and comfortable at GaymerCon then I would at a regular gaming convention.
I think there’s lots of gamer conventions where GLBT gamers will feel welcome. But there’s a real difference between being surrounded by people who are obviously trying really hard not to visibly express their discomfort with your existence, and being surrounded by people who are eager to debate whether Ken or Ryu is hotter.