Spanish indie developers protest appointment of transphobic member to DEV Board of Directors
On Friday, indie developers behind 2023’s The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Deconstructeam, took to Twitter to protest Luz Castro’s appointment to the Board of Directors of La Asociación Española de Empresas Productoras y Desarrolladoras de Videojuegos y Software de Entretenimiento (DEV), due to her transphobic views. Several other Spanish indie developers, publishers, associations, media outlets, and unions have joined the protest, demanding that DEV take action.
“La Asociación Española de Empresas Productoras y Desarrolladoras de Videojuegos y Software de Entretenimiento ha nombrado recientemente a Luz Castro, una persona que apoya en redes ideas que fomentan la transfobia, como vocal de su organización … DEV has recently named Luz Castro, a person who supports a network of ideas that promotes transphobia, as a voice of its organization,” the protest statement image reads.
“Es imperativo crear una industria inclusiva y segura que vele por los derechos de todas las personas, independientemente de su identitdad de género, raza, sexualidad, discapacidad, etc. … It is imperative to create an inclusive and safe industry that ensures the rights of all people, independent of their gender identity, race, sexuality, disability, etc.”
“Los estudios, medios, sindicatos y asociaciones aquí representados consideramos necesaria la retirada del cargo de Luz Castro, y la creación de un código de conducta que no tolere ningún tipo de discurso de odio por parte de sus asociados, con tal de proteger a todas las personas que conforman nuestra industria. .. The studios, media, unions and associations represented here consider it necessary for Luz Castro to withdraw from office, and to create a code of conduct that does not tolerate any kind of hate speech by its associates, to protect all of the people that make up our industry.”
Deconstructeam also linked to an Imgur collage of Twitter screenshots from Castro’s account, where she is liking and retweeting anti-trans talking points from other Spanish-language accounts. DEV announced that it added Castro to its Board of Directors on September 27, alongside several other new additions.
Other developers and Spanish gaming communities issued statements about the situation as well. La Madriguera LGBT+, Resistencia VideoLúdica, FemDevs, and MálagaJam banded together to release a statement of their own on Thursday that echoes the other protest demands.
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