GaymerCon
August 3-4, 2013
San Francisco, California
Downloaded from the Internet by Madeline B on August 17, 2012
http://gaymercon.org/
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gaymercon/gaymercon-everybody-games?ref=cardGaymerCon is the first gaming and tech convention with a focus on LGBT geek culture.
Community is important. We believe that there are a great number of Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Gender Queer, and Bisexual folks out there, of every color and creed, that at the end of the day, love to geek out. Geek about video games, tabletop games, tech, comics - all that fun stuff. And we believe that creating a community for these folks, Gaymers as they are affectionally dubbed, is important to help shape a more tolerant and safer space in gaming. After all, everyone games.
Gamers come in all sizes, genders, races, and sexual identities. Unfortunately stereotypical bias among gamers does exist and it can make a hostile environment for minorities in the gaming community.... Gamers, as a whole, have had to make space for themselves in a society that, for a long time, treated them as outsiders.... Just like most gamers, queer geeks and gaymers want that same sense of community and belonging. Therefore we intend to create a space where all gamers and queer geeks can come together in a welcoming and safe space.
GaymerCon: A Gathering For Gay GamersPOSTED BY NOAH J NELSON ON AUGUST 15, 2012
GaymerCon is scheduled to have its inaugural run next year in San Francisco and is billed as "the first gaming and tech convention with a focus on LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) geek culture."
We spoke with two of the events organizers, Noah Silas and Ben Williams, about how the idea for the gathering came about, and the state of current affairs for Gaymers.
Noah: "We've heard lots of stories from folks telling us about times that they have felt unwelcome or uncomfortable in gaming spaces. Mostly we are hearing about online negativity.... In real-space the discourse is usually better, but when an LGBT person comes out in gaming circles there is often a feeling of needing to prove ones-self, as if being LGBT and being a gamer are somehow opposed. Even in spaces that are more tolerant, the gaming industry is incredibly sexually charged, usually in a way that is extremely catering to straight men."
Noah: "There are a variety of existing communities, but the vast majority of them are online groups and forums. GaymerCon hopes to complement many of these communities by providing a real-world space for gay gamers to gather, meet, and mingle over a weekend of gaming."
