Organizers of this year’s GaymerX, the gaming convention described as a “safe place” for LGBT gamers, announced on Twitter this week that their sophomore event will be their last. Without the help of large corporate sponsors, the event “became too much of a burden,” they said.
Founded in 2013 as a Kickstarter project that aimed to celebrate the diverse LGBT culture in the gaming world, GaymerX launched a second Kickstarter campaign to fund this year’s meeting at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco. The campaign raised over $24,000 — $14,000 above their initial goal — but the event couldn’t be sustained without the help of corporate sponsors.
“We decided that we could no longer continue as a convention as the price of running a yearly convention downtown in San Francisco was just too high — we weren’t able to get the corporate sponsorship that we needed to make it something sustainable, and we were racking up huge amounts of debt to put this years con on,” organizer Matt Conn told Polygon. “That being said, we’re going to make the very best convention we can and we’re super eager to see a rise in more alt-cons in the future, making gaming accessible to everyone.”
But it’s not the end of the line for GaymerX. Conn also says that “anything could happen” and he’s “not against it coming back in some other, more sustainable form.” Until then, gaymers will have to endure the rampant transphobic mockery at events like the Eurogamer Expo.
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ingyaom
Too bad they’re closing. (Cute picture.)
MikeSmith
If no one comes, it isn’t much fun.
ashersea
Try Seattle
stranded
@ashersea:
I agree, why San Fran? Try another city.
stranded
@stranded:
also, segregating by sexual orientation is just limiting possible audiences. I know it’s about being gay and a gamer, but if you make an awesome gaming convention non-gay gamers would go.
MyDadPulledOut
too many fatties.
MyDadPulledOut
@stranded: maybe some people want play games without hearing 9 year old’s shouting faggot at each other…
TVC 15
Their first mistake is holding in San Francisco (super expensive). The second is that they should partner with a bigger gaming convention.
@ingyaom: Agreed, the pic is adorable.
Kieru
It’s a shame but I cannot say I’m surprised. While I certainly like the idea of a convention more focused to the LGBTQ community it DOES by virtue of that focus make your pool of sponsors and visitors that much smaller. What makes Origins or Comic Con so successful is that they cater to a broader audience.
Broad audiences appeal to corporate sponsors.
I think they should look into other cities though – San Fran isn’t the only LGBTQ-friendly city, though it is certainly one of the more expensive ones. Even on the West Coast there are more affordable options – and if they are willing to switch coasts the options multiply exponentially.
tazz602
First of all, having been to the big Comic Cons, I never understood why this was needed. Gay gaymers, comic book nerds, geeks of all kinds are all over the place and represented in panel topics and in the speakers. I have never felt unwelcome or marginalized in any way. This is one convention that was just not needed as being gay was never excluded or sidelines or discriminated against in the mainstream comic or gamer conventions.
Bromancer7
@tazz602: Just because this has been YOUR experience doesn’t mean it’s shared by others. I’m glad you’ve never had issues, but other people have. I’m sorry you’re too ignorant to understand why cons like this are sorely needed.
Cee
Did gays really need a separate convention?
AxelDC
There are lots of gay gamers out there. Instead of a grandiose convention at an expensive hotel in the most expensive city in the US, why not a few homegrown events around the country? Most gaming conventions occur in cheaper areas. Avalon-Hill’s convention was held in a Baltimore suburb. GenCon is held in Indianapolis.
Try setting up meet ups and more reasonable venues than expecting everyone to fly to SF to play boardgames. If those are successful, then try a big national gathering, but not in pricey SF.