Gayming Awards 2023: Best LGBTQ Character Award Nominees
Our 2023 Gayming Awards edges ever closer, with our Broadway debut in New York set to wow and dazzle on April 18. So what better time to sit back and explore the award show’s many categories and the nominees that have been chosen?
For the Gayming Awards 2023: Best LGBTQ Character, we look at a category that recognises the best LGBTQ+ character who is either playable or a significant NPC in a game. Characters in video games are hugely important, and queer ones in particular are a bold step for visibility.
This year’s line-up is as solid as ever, featuring a mixture of visual novels across a range of different genres, horror, adventure, and even a cozy farming sim with a witchy twist. No matter what you’re looking for in games, these nominees have the range to satisfy!
To celebrate the Gayming Awards 2023, check out all our nominees voted in by the public, and what they had to say about them.
Bones Three-Wood (Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands)
Bones Three-Wood is a legendary pirate who blocks the path of the player along the main game. While seeming like a scary encounter, he has a tragic backstory and skeletons in his closet. But don’t worry, because he himself isn’t there as it becomes quite clear that he has an attraction to other men due to his relationship with fellow swashbuckler, LeChance.
The love story between him and his separated love LeChance has players go on an epic adventure where the real treasure is the chance to get Bones Three-Wood and his partner to open up about their fears and their relationship.
Bones Three-Wood does not hide that he is a queer, gay man who cares deeply about his romantic interest despite the mistakes that have been made. This side quest is an epic tale of two flawed men that go through their own journey of forgiveness, growth, and learning to be better.
Bridget (Guilty Gear -Strive-)
Bridget has been a contentious character with a rocky history, largely in part due to her backstory and how other characters within Guilty Gear have treated her identity. Due to a superstition in her England hometown, parents who had twins of the same gender were expected to sacrifice one or throw them out into exile. Bridget’s parents didn’t want to do this, and so raised Bridget as a girl.
As Guilty Gear’s storyline has progressed over numerous games, so has Bridget. While previous games have been downright offensive in how they’ve regarded Bridget’s gender identity, Guilty Gear -Strive- has strived to correct those wrongs by confirming Bridget as a trans woman.
Catalyst (Apex Legends)
Respawn introduced Tressa, aka Catalyst late last year in October, showcasing a new Legend with a unique power yes, but also one that was openly trans. She is the very first trans woman included in Apex Legends (with Bloodhound being the first trans character at the game’s launch).
Catalyst was developed with involvement from GLAAD as well as trans creators & artists who worked hard to make sure she was her own character. Beyond GLAAD’s consulting on Catalyst, the Legend is also voiced by a transgender woman named Meli Grant. She has previously played side characters in titles like Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and the One Piece anime dub.
Elster (SIGNALIS)
Elster is the main protagonist of SIGNALIS, a sci-fi horror adventure game that has Elster looking for her lost girlfriend. But first, she must brave nightmares and abominations who want to do nothing more but tear her apart.
The portrayal of Elster has proven popular among fans of the game, particularly how the character will go through absolutely anything in order to cherish the promise she made to her lover. Who doesn’t want an android girlfriend to do the same for them?
Lor (New Tales from the Borderlands)
Lor isn’t a brand new character in the Borderlands series, but has a brand new role in New Tales from the Borderlands.
Players of the series will remember Lor from Borderlands 3, where they mentioned wanting to transition. By the time New Tales from the Borderlands has come around, Lor has just done that and now goes by he/him pronouns. This is the very first instance a character has transitioned in between games and we’re here for it!
Tara Wylde (Wylde Flowers)
Tara Wylde stole the hearts of everyone in the small town of Fairhaven, and it isn’t just because of her bewitching good looks!
As Tara, players are able to express themselves as queer through dialogue options. It should be noted, however, that Tara shows interest in both men, women and non-binary people without prompting, making her a character with a defined sexuality rather than playersexual.
Tara is also voiced by Valerie Rose Lohman, an openly-queer voice actor.
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