Rainbow Tech Fest 2025, a Pride Month hack-a-thon, comes to Twitch
Rainbow Tech Fest 2025 is a 3-day virtual hackathon taking place June 19-21, 2025, celebrating Pride Month by showcasing LGBTQIA+ talent in technology and streaming, where the goal is to be the gayest hackathon Twitch has ever seen!
Hosted entirely on Twitch with Discord coordination, this innovative event invites participants to complete the statement “Creating Because…” in their own unique way – whether building websites, apps, tools, overlays, bots, or digital visualizations that express personal creativity and technical excellence. Over 3 days, Rainbow Tech Fest will feature 5 tracks, a pride indie showcase and an exciting raid train finale!
Rainbow Tech Fest’s purpose is to create a vibrant celebration of connection, creativity, and innovation that showcases LGBTQIA+ talent in tech and streaming through digital creations. Whether participants build for others, themselves, or the community, the focus is on finding joy and personal growth while pushing creative and technical boundaries.
The event celebrates all forms of digital creativity and welcomes participants across the full spectrum of Twitch’s creative community:
- Software Development: Web apps, mobile apps, APIs, databases, full-stack applications
- Gaming: Game development, mods, gaming tools, interactive experiences, esports utilities
- Digital Art: Visual art generators, design tools, creative software, artistic streaming setups
- Music & Audio: Music production tools, sound generators, audio streaming enhancements, podcast tools
- Streaming Technology: Overlays, alerts, chat bots, extensions, moderation tools
- Community Platforms: Discord integrations, engagement tools, community management solutions
- Creative Tech Applications: Visualization tools, interactive art, experimental digital experiences
- Accessibility Solutions: Inclusive gaming tools, accessible art creation, adaptive streaming interfaces
- Any digital creation that expresses the participant’s personal “Creating Because…” statement
Stay connected with all Rainbow Tech Fest announcements, schedule changes, and special surprises by registering for updates here.
Creating Because…
Unlike traditional hackathons focused solely on competition, Rainbow Tech Fest emphasizes personal expression and the joy of creation, allowing participants to define their own “why” by using the “Creating becuase…” theme. This inclusive theme invites participants to complete the statement personally:
- “Creating because it brings me joy”
- “Creating because it connects us”
- “Creating because I can”
- “Creating because representation matters”
The kaleidoscope metaphor represents both technical complexity and holistic diversity – encompassing profession, age, gender identity, and more – while staying firmly rooted in technology during Pride Month.
Awards & Recognition
Main Award Categories:
- Technical Wow Factor Award – Outstanding functionality and complexity
- Visual Delight Award – Exceptional aesthetic and design quality
- Community Choice Award – Participant favorite (voted by attendees)
- Creative Brilliance Award – Most innovative and unique concept
- Compelling “Because” Award – Best expression of personal motivation
Special Recognition:
- “Most Necessarily Extra” Award – Most delightfully over-the-top features
- “How Did We Get Here?” Documentation Award – Most entertaining project documentation
- “Emotional Support Function” Award – Most wholesome or supportive tool
Schedule Highlights
Day 1 (Thurs, June 19) – Opening ceremonies and Press Gay to Play, LGBTQIA+ indie game showcase
Day 2 (Fri, June 20) – Community and creation, heads-down working
Day 3 (Sat, June 21) – RTF Twitch, raid train finale
Stay connected with all Rainbow Tech Fest announcements, schedule changes, and special surprises by registering for updates here.
Press Gay to Play Showcase
Day 1 of Rainbow Tech Fest features the Press Gay to Play Showcase which will feature indie games with LGBTQIA+ themes or those made by queer developers. Games at ALL stages of development are welcome – from early concepts and prototypes to released titles and works-in-progress. No minimum requirements – even a playable demo or concept presentation is perfect!
Games can be submitted by following this link and registering: link.rainbowtechfest.dev/LrChOb
Meet The Organizer
Esnueil (she/her) is a multidisciplinary creative who bridges technology, storytelling, and community healing through her innovative Twitch channel. As a software engineer, singer, artist, and storyteller, she’s created a unique platform that integrates “rest as resistance” – merging sleep stories, community gardening, and inclusive gaming into a holistic approach where Black, queer, and neurodivergent folks can heal collectively rather than just escape temporarily.
This philosophy of holistic community care directly inspired Rainbow Tech Fest’s “Creating Because…” theme and commitment to mental health resources, authentic inclusion, and sustainable participation over burnout culture. Through both her streaming work and event organizing, Esnueil demonstrates that true innovation in tech happens when we center healing, rest, and collective wellbeing alongside technical excellence.
Beyond traditional streaming, Esnueil addresses both digital and physical wellbeing by cultivating real gardens alongside digital ones, offering practical sleep solutions beyond entertainment, and showcasing games that inspire action rather than just representation. Her work recognizes that fragmented solutions create fragmented healing, which is why she has built a platform where collective rest becomes a transformative practice – addressing the overlooked connection between digital consumption and physical restoration for communities navigating both without support.
About The Author
