Video game culture isn’t exactly known for its queer and trans inclusivity—at least, not yet. A recent OnlineRoulette.org study found that 88 percent of LGBTQ+ gamers who were out to their gaming communities reported experiences of harassment while playing.
Amid the hostility, though, video game makers are “leveling up” their efforts to make games safe and affirming environments. The company behind Spider-Man Remastered, for instance, banned a modder who removed rainbow flags from the game. And the makers of The Sims, a game series that has always allowed same-sex relationships, have been making the hit simulator more trans-inclusive with the recent additions of customizable pronouns, top surgery scars, and binders. Meanwhile, independent developers have centered queer and trans experiences for years, with games ranging from wholesome to, ahem, hole-some.
Related: Despite years-long troll campaign, LGBTQ developers keep creating super-queer video game
“We’re seeing games feature LGBTQIA+ characters, queer coming out stories, and queer relationships,” Stephanie DeBiase, gaming and future tech coordinator at the It Gets Better Project, told The Guardian last year. “More and more, games are giving players more options to create characters that reflect them, removing binary gender selection, building character customization that allows for subversive and nuanced gender expression, including non-binary pronoun options, and more. Games that offer the opportunity for romance are starting to allow players LGBTQIA+ romance options. This representation is not only making games more enjoyable for LGBTQIA+ players, but also helping gamers explore their queerness in safe, virtual spaces.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
And gaymers—an umbrella term for queer and trans gamers—deserve much of the credit for this progress. Gaymers have not only staked out communities on Reddit, Discord, and Twitch, but they’ve demanded that video games depict LGBTQ+ experiences with affirmation and authenticity.
Related: This eSports player used his coming out to call out “rampant” queerphobia in the gaming community
So in a tribute to all the gaymers out there being total (final) bosses, here are choice tweets about gayming experiences—whether it’s finding queer subtext in video game plot lines, lusting after (or finding alter-egos in) video game characters, getting a Nintendo Switch for gay visibility, or just trying to keep up in first-person shooters.
gay people when they need to clutch in a video game pic.twitter.com/bji3P3AG23
— Czech Hunter (@hauntedbottom) December 12, 2022
is this an aspect of queer culture or just another silly little patrick quirk, but did anyone else spend most of their childhood happily watching their friend play video games, but never wanting to play yourself because it made you too anxious?
— Patrick Lenton (@PatrickLenton) July 19, 2022
Gaytale
Gay Stone
Gay Adventure DX
Super Gay Bros.
Gay Raider
Uncharted: Drake's Gay
Gay of War
Five Gays at Freddy's
Bendy and the Gay Machine
Doki Doki Gay Club
Gay Mania Plus
— Henry / Hanna (Scott Pilgrim Arc) (@SakataLouis) October 30, 2020
Gay guys will see a cartoon pig from a children’s video game and be like “miss priss is giving MOTHER of the house of Cuntiana”
— Jager Maestro (@GovernmentSlime) November 8, 2022
There are 2 types of single player video game: AAA story-driven games about a heterosexual dad learning not to hate a child while committing 30+ hours of unrelenting violence, and indie card-based dating sim visual novels about being gay and depressed under capitalism.
— Hi, I'm Rich Tapestry (@MildCuthbert) November 6, 2022
do you want me to explain to you how gay am i losing my mind over a girl’s hand from a video game i’ve never played pic.twitter.com/3mR18pijLp
— ???? ???????? (@adonistartt) March 17, 2023
gay people be like hm today i will get intensely attached to a video game side character
— yuribeast (@rubycumulous) June 8, 2020
iconic gay video game character: Adramelech from Castlevania Circle of the Moon, the giant leatherman bondage sub demon tied up and blindfolded in a church tower waiting for you to come and whip him pic.twitter.com/5LcjejPclQ
— ??Rick, Gnome Homomancer?? (@Monstrous_Rick) October 15, 2020
(WARNING ??VERY EXPLICIT) This is what playing video games with the gay men be like ?? @DeadByBHVR #dbd #DeadbyDaylight #ps5 #gay (@baldwithbeard_ @Mykel701 ) pic.twitter.com/et3oRKGzG3
— Derek Frazier (@TheDerekFrazier) March 16, 2023
I do not use voice chat while playing video games often because I'm usually solo queuing. Today, I was playing a game and I have an LGBTQ+ badge on a character, as soon as my tag showed, one of my teammates said, "hi gay!"
queer folks are amazing ?
— S.T. Coles, M.Div (@Scoles_7) March 20, 2023
Telling gamers I play on mobile is harder than telling a homophobe I’m gay pic.twitter.com/tE0RphFRCk
— Cyster Frenic (@CysterFrenic) March 20, 2023
I feel like I have to stay on Twitter because "Is video game character Kirby a queer icon? Please discuss." feels too chaotic to quote on Facebook.
— Xanith ??? (@xanithofdragons) March 19, 2023
Since I am nonbinary and not restricted to simply male or female, anything you do with me is automatically gay:
Sex = gay
Dating = gay
Hugging = gay
Handshake = gay
Grocery shopping = gay
Social distancing = gay
Video game coop = gay
Video game competitive = very gay
— Unusual Salty Dog ????? (@Grey_IsTrue) April 7, 2020
Ok time to confess something.
Like twenty years ago I made a deal with the devil and he said if I beat every video game that I could finally be gay so that's what I've been working on this whole time.
— Lawrence Sonntag (@SirLarr) November 2, 2020
me in 6th grade romancing penny in stardew valley and convincing my mom it was cause all the men in the game are boring and NOT because i’m a lesbian ???
— Jamie ?? ?? (@jamiesparkleson) March 18, 2023
“My son can’t be gay. He’s obsessed with video games and women.”
The video game women: pic.twitter.com/lj1uOTf4KC
— ?ALIEN SUPERSTAR? (@hot_cheet0es) September 13, 2020
Xbox Users: Playstation is Gay!
Playstation Users: Xbox is Gay!
Switch users: We're Gay.
Good for the switch users, good for them.
— LusiferSans???? (@Lusifer_Sans) September 16, 2021
Every gay has at least a book, a Nintendo Switch, or a cat.
— Andrew Z¡gler (@andrewzigler) December 9, 2020
The British Sign Language sign for gay is someone basically twiddling a joystick held in their hand, and if that’s not proof video games are gay I don’t know what is. https://t.co/fZzxfPrxib
— Laura Kate Dale – Mastodon "@[email protected]" (@LaurakBuzz) August 3, 2019