S
Squallmuzza
Guest
Originally posted on Nerd Junkies
Gaymercon isn’t a “thing” just yet. It is a team of people who are trying to get another gaming convention going (and I have NO problem with that.) It is a team of LGBT gamers and nerds who would like a convention more tailored to Gay Gamers. Sounds great, in my book. Anyway, in order to move forward with such a massive undertaking, they will need the startup funds. Now, before we move forward, they have already reached their goal of $25,000, which is awesome. But, why stop there?
Gaymercon will happen in San Francisco, in August of 2013. By donating to the Kickstarter, you can go on and secure your passes. For $30, you will get one two-day pass, and you can get 2 passes for $50. Passes will be $40 at the actual event, so you are saving some money already by pre-registering for them now. You can check out their Kickstarter video below, and two others I’m throwing in from GLaDOS herself, Ellen McLain and her real-life husband, John Patrick Lowry (the Sniper from TF2.)
An editorial from Squallmuzza:
As you may or may not know, I’m one of those gay sorts that might be interested in a Gaymer convention. Typically I am bordering on homophobic in my views on gay agenda and gay politics as I feel it’s only a small aspect of someone’s life and nothing to be especially proud or outspoken about. So why has this piqued my interest?
Think about any times a gay character or subject has come up in gaming and the furore surrounding these rare events. Take Mass Effect, where the very potential for a storyline that involved a gay relationship was enough to have half the internet up in arms for days. This is how much of a hot issue gay relations in gaming is.
While I don’t believe in ‘gay pride’ I do believe in gay equality. This is a level that hasn’t been reached yet in the gaming industry. Not even close. For us to progress to world where gay issues are seen as just as relevant as straight in gaming, we need to cultivate the studios creating these games. One thing that would truly give these devs a platform to share their ideas from would be a con.
While I don’t think we should be creating games like ‘Gay Greg’s Shagathon’ or ‘Shopping With Steve’, I do think we should have compelling storylines that involve gay (and indeed bisexual, transgender and transexual) characters as just a normal part of the storyline. Imagine Final Fantasy where the main character is chasing his brave knight. A sideline where you just happen to bump into the character’s partner. All things you normally would have but with a ‘traditional’ relationship in place.
Until we have that level of normality within our gaming, we need initiatives like Gaymercon to bring the current lack of equality into the spotlight. I wouldn’t want to view this as a promotion of gay people and a way to thrust ‘our’ views down other people’s throats. If that’s what it ends up being, I’d find this more damaging than helpful. But as a way to even the odds, I think this could really make a difference.
Gaymercon isn’t a “thing” just yet. It is a team of people who are trying to get another gaming convention going (and I have NO problem with that.) It is a team of LGBT gamers and nerds who would like a convention more tailored to Gay Gamers. Sounds great, in my book. Anyway, in order to move forward with such a massive undertaking, they will need the startup funds. Now, before we move forward, they have already reached their goal of $25,000, which is awesome. But, why stop there?
Gaymercon will happen in San Francisco, in August of 2013. By donating to the Kickstarter, you can go on and secure your passes. For $30, you will get one two-day pass, and you can get 2 passes for $50. Passes will be $40 at the actual event, so you are saving some money already by pre-registering for them now. You can check out their Kickstarter video below, and two others I’m throwing in from GLaDOS herself, Ellen McLain and her real-life husband, John Patrick Lowry (the Sniper from TF2.)
An editorial from Squallmuzza:
As you may or may not know, I’m one of those gay sorts that might be interested in a Gaymer convention. Typically I am bordering on homophobic in my views on gay agenda and gay politics as I feel it’s only a small aspect of someone’s life and nothing to be especially proud or outspoken about. So why has this piqued my interest?
Think about any times a gay character or subject has come up in gaming and the furore surrounding these rare events. Take Mass Effect, where the very potential for a storyline that involved a gay relationship was enough to have half the internet up in arms for days. This is how much of a hot issue gay relations in gaming is.
While I don’t believe in ‘gay pride’ I do believe in gay equality. This is a level that hasn’t been reached yet in the gaming industry. Not even close. For us to progress to world where gay issues are seen as just as relevant as straight in gaming, we need to cultivate the studios creating these games. One thing that would truly give these devs a platform to share their ideas from would be a con.
While I don’t think we should be creating games like ‘Gay Greg’s Shagathon’ or ‘Shopping With Steve’, I do think we should have compelling storylines that involve gay (and indeed bisexual, transgender and transexual) characters as just a normal part of the storyline. Imagine Final Fantasy where the main character is chasing his brave knight. A sideline where you just happen to bump into the character’s partner. All things you normally would have but with a ‘traditional’ relationship in place.
Until we have that level of normality within our gaming, we need initiatives like Gaymercon to bring the current lack of equality into the spotlight. I wouldn’t want to view this as a promotion of gay people and a way to thrust ‘our’ views down other people’s throats. If that’s what it ends up being, I’d find this more damaging than helpful. But as a way to even the odds, I think this could really make a difference.
