We attended GaymerX2 and were blown away by the positive energy everyone had in meeting others and sharing their stories. It was more exciting and diverse of a convention as most others we attend. Everyone whom attended was proud to be amongst their friends and peers. They helped represent the need for support and acceptance in an industry that still has a ways to go to be as inclusive as other groups have achieved. Many also showed support for online friends that were just coming out.
What we didn’t see were the occasional publicly suggested ‘showing off’ of the gay community, or that of pushing a supposed ‘agenda’ onto others. These are unfounded ideas some in the mainstream media still assume LGBT folk are somehow after.
Want to know what all goes on at a convention of LGBT gamers? Here’s our introduction to GaymerX2:
Celebrating Diversity in the Game Industry
While GaymerX2 supports those whom identify as “Gay”, the event also caters to the entire LGBT community. It reaches deep into the professional game industry across all orientations. So many prominent developers attended, including several from Ubisoft, Bioware, and Riot Games. We also attended to show our support as a site whose very existence depends upon a strong diversity in the game industry.
Equality in diversity is the key phrase. Think about when you sit down at a computer and fire up a game. Have you ever created a character of the opposite gender? Have you even added a touch of pink or green to their hair, longer eye lashes, a change in skin tone, or voice inflection? Does it really matter to others in the game who is behind that avatar? It usually never crosses their mind, as it’s simply not a concern.
Equality in diversity is what GaymerX2 is about in our view. It’s a resouce for others to use to celebrate their natural preferences and diversity together. Two key concepts we all share on some humanistic level. The difference with GaymerX2 is that attendees have a safe space to pull back that game cloak without being afraid of supposed friends shaming them for also being different in the real world.
The Hotel Space and Showfloor
All of the planning that went into GaymerX2 was worth it, starting with the coordinator’s choosing an upscale modern hotel, the San Francisco Intercontinental Hotel. While we definitely have to give props to all involved in making GaymerX2 happen, including hundreds of volunteers, the hotel staff were also instrumental in supporting the event. Without a place for the guests to stay and gather under a safe roof, a GaymerX type of event of this scale wouldn’t be possible at all.
The convenience was welcomed by all. It was a quick ride down the hotel escalator to meet friends. Some stopped to get their face painted or to pick up a new t-shirt before heading off to the Cosplay Pageant or board game rooms. Three floors were dedicated to the event. The third housed meeting and panel rooms, as well as the main ballroom where keynotes and ceremonies took place. The fourth held registration and a variety of workshops. The expo, a Pokemon gym, and several rooms filled with a variety of board and indie games were found on the fifth floor.
Sessions, Roundtables, and Panels
While conventions are mostly about celebrating the fun in games and dressing up in Cosplay, there are also typically a series of daily panels and roundtable sessions. GaymerX2 had these spread across three different rooms fully equipped with projectors and recording equipment. It was just as well setup as any other events we’ve ever attended.
A roundtable highlight included a Riot Games hosted developer focused discussion about including more variety in game content. Characters, flags, banners, housing styles, and even entire MMO zones were put out there as possible ways to allow a stronger diversity. Developers should be designing games with diversity as a natural selective process that makes sense for that game, not as something that has to be included simply because it is expected. Every game has the opportunity for a gay character, but it doesn’t have to look like it’s included to appease the lawyers.
Once straight gamers don’t think twice about that gay character selected, then true acceptance and diversity has been achieved.
Panel highlights included ‘Coming Out in the Game Industry’ on Friday. Panelists talked about their experiences in coming out both personally and professionally. Positive and challenging stories captivated the packed room for an hour. The panel moderator (writer of this article) even came out to his entire Facebook group at the beginning of the panel, later presenting the comments to the attendees at the conclusion. There were only 100% positive comments, and quite a few of them too.
Expression of Diversity Through Cosplay
One of the highlights of the event was of course the Cosplay Pageant. No convention of gamers and geeks is complete without contests that show off the amazing talent in attendee creativity. Every convention we have attended has a strong presence of super hero characters, anime, or those identifying as a “Furry” who dress up as some sort of human recognized animal. Sound strange? Just think about all those times you played a Ratonga in EverQuest, transformed into a bear in World of Warcraft, or as an Aurin in WildStar.
Just because events like GaymerX2 present characters in the real world and not just in a fictional pixelated setting, doesn’t make them suddenly too close to reality to accept as an important emotional attachment.
The Cosplay Pageant at GaymerX2 went beyond furies and characters in role-playing games. There were DC and Marvel characters, such as Superman and Cyclops. A Malovocent from the recent movie also made an appearance. And of course there were brave cosplay participants that created entirely unique costume themes.
Everyone was cheered and celebrated for their diversity, including two kissing on stage as shown in the photo below. No one thought twice about whether someone was male, female, or identified as something else under the costumes. Everyone just had a good time seeing them presented on stage and then getting a chance to select the winners at the conclusion.
At the end of the convention’s closing ceremony, we came away with a very positive view, including from those that retweeted our updates in support. There’s little doubt that we plan to attend and support next year’s event.
Would You Attend ‘GaymerX3’?
While we’ve heard that there won’t be a GaymerX3 specific event next year, there were suggestions an alternative named similar even will still be put on. To show your support in gamer diversity, we are posing the question of whether you should attend one of these types of events.
What if GaymerX was in your city next year? Would you attend, even if you identified as straight, or as some other diverse group like furies or as a character in your favorite MMO? We think you should then attend any convention like GaymerX where you’re brought together with like-minded gamers that share common interests. It’s almost guaranteed that usually allies, not enemies, are made along the way.
Keep watch at GaymerX.com and here on Events For Gamers for the latest updates on all game industry events related to the LGBT community, as well as many other minority groups that want to get together and game with others in a safe and friendly environment.
Also visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/eventsforgamers to view the complete photo gallery of the event, or updates at www.twitter.com/eventsforgamers.
We support you!
Mathew Anderson, Editor-in-Chief
This sure looks like a watershed year for Internet of Things, augmented reality, and virtual reality conferences. Silicon Virtual Reality Conference, Augmented World Expo, NeuroGamin Conference and Expo, GLAZEDCon and many, many others are nascent events in their first or second year.
