How GLAAD Gaming’s new program changes gaming for the better
In the ongoing fight to make gaming inclusive for all, few organizations are doing as much as GLAAD Gaming.
A subset of GLAAD, the world-renowned nonprofit that pushes for queer representation in the media, GLAAD Gaming was founded because it recognized just how much power video games have today. Not only in that they influence pop culture — though it can’t be understated how much gaming has shaped modern cinema and fashion — but in the way they influence the players who pour thousands of hours into their digital storytelling.
It’s because of this impact that it’s important video games reflect the many identities of the fans who love them. And while there has been some success in the fight to make gaming more inclusive, it’s a tenuous battle that has been halted countless times due to issues with the industry — which is why GLAAD Gaming’s new Queer Emerging Developers Program plans to change the gaming industry altogether.
“Our goal is to create lived acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community,” explained Blair Durkee, Associate Director of Gaming, when she and the rest of the GLAAD Gaming team sat down with Gayming Mag to discuss this new initiative. “Because the way that we get portrayed in fiction impacts the way that people view our community…and unfortunately, many times, it’s stereotypes. It’s tropes. It’s misleading information about what our community is and who we are.”
It’s an unfortunate fact that many LGBTQ+ gamers know well; while queer people have always been a core part of the gaming community, only in recent years have we truly seen stories that respectfully portray their identities. And while there have always been queer characters in gaming, as Blair explained, too often these fall into harmful stereotypes, teaching players a warped view of what it truly means to be LGBTQ+.
“There’s this idea that gamers are a very silent group, and in essence, we kind of are,” explained Annabelle Cook, Gaming Associate and GLAAD Gaming’s resident pop culture expert. “A lot of people consider themselves outside of it, but [they don’t] know that gaming is already mainstream.” This becomes more visible every year; whether it be million-dollar movie franchises, beloved television shows, or even famous designers being influenced by their favorite characters, the easy access millions of people now have to gaming means that this once niche hobby has become a driving force of modern culture.
Which means that its negative aspects — particularly around the historically dismal portrayal of queer communities — is also beginning to fill the general population in increasingly disturbing ways. It’s an issue that many people have dedicated themselves to pushing against, with GLAAD Gaming innovating this advocacy through their new Queer Emerging Developers Program.
“We want to use everything in our power to provide [queer developers] what we can,” explained Sabrina Mah, Gaming Program Consultant and the mind behind this program. “I, as a game developer, have benefited so much from mentorship opportunities, from attending conferences like [the GDC Festival of Gaming], and [I’m so] glad that I might be able to share that experience with more LGBTQ developers and open up opportunities that allow more people into our community.”
This multi-month program sees six LGBTQ+ developers gain the conncections, resources, and advising they’re too often denied in this industry. The GLAAD Gaming team was overwhelmed by the massive amount of applications they received for this inaugural cohort, and have been astounded at how much their selected group have already accomplished only two months into the program.
“They’ve improved their craft. They’ve connected with developers in their field that they would not have been able to connect with otherwise. They got to see San Francisco [for] the first for the first time with queer friends, which I think is so special and amazing, because there’s such a large proportion of queer career developers who go to GDC as well. It’s also a bit of community building, in that sense.”
It’s a heartening initiative centered around this community which is too often forgotten, and it couldn’t have come at a better time.
While non-LGBTQ+ developers can still create good representation, it’s undeniable that the most resonant examples of inclusion are only possible because people of lived experiences helped create them. Without these lives experiences, development teams not only lack the in-depth awareness that living as these identities entails, but may not even realize the many communities that deserve to be represented today. It’s led to both the flawed and nonexistent portrayal of queerness in gaming, with Blair emphasizing, “When I talk to video game studios, what I often emphasize to them is, ‘If you’re making a game with characters that are based on humanity…you need to reflect what humanity actually is’. And if you have no LGBTQ+ characters, you are [misrepresenting] humanity — you are erasing LGBTQ+ people from humanity.”
Not only will this program benefit representation in gaming, but create a safer industry for the queer developers trying to create stories today. It can be a harrowing experience working in gaming while queer; there are too many stories of people being denied work due to their identity, or being hired only to have their entire existence disrespected by unsafe workplaces.
It’s an unfortunate part of profession that the entire GLAAD Gaming team knows firsthand, with the Queer Emerging Developers Program fighting for more representation in video games by making a safer space for queer developers to create the stories they love.
As the conversation came to an end, the entire team made one thing clear: this first cohort is only the beginning. The Queer Emerging Developers Program is already prepping for its second round, with the team hoping for many more years of amplifying these creatives and creating a gaming industry open to all. They encouraged anyone interested in the program to apply, urging queer developers to recognize their importance while silencing the many voices trying to exclude them from this vital work.
On that point especially, Sabrina ended the interview with a message that she knows so many developers need to hear right now:
“Hello, queer developers. This is for you: We care about you. You’re doing amazing work right now. You matter right now. When [you’re] in a space where it feels like part of [you] isn’t as important or isn’t as valued as it would have been a few years ago — we’re here saying [that] your existence in this industry matters, and we want you to get to the next level. We can only help a few people at a time, but we’re going to help more and more as we can, and our message is: we see you, we care about you. Let’s make amazing things for our players.”
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