When Alex Garcia struggled to find members in his Seattle locale that shared his “nerdy” interests, he took matters into his own hands and created Gay Geeks to find others like him.
“I started that group out of just me and my best friend. We wanted to meet other LGBTQ nerds,” he told our friends at INTO last October. “We didn’t really know anyone else like us.”
Within one year, the Facebook Group had gathered over 10,000 members worldwide, fostering real-life friendships and relationships along the way and ultimately transforming into a network of 25 different groups catering to the LGBTQ+ community.
Related: Let this 18+ game take you back to your hottest, gayest ‘Dorm Days’
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.
Today, Gay Geeks is an online powerhouse, bringing together over 150,000 LGBTQ+ gaming geeks and nerds across 25 groups.
“It’s a lot of work. It’s a full-time job at times. People wonder why we do it—it’s literally for the love of community and having a safe space.”
Garcia remains active in all of them, taking charge in ensuring his community is a healthy safe space for all. We asked him and his crew for a list of their favorite games and why they love them.
Here’s what they came up with…
Dragon Age
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “Dragon Age: Inquisition is the most diverse game I’ve ever experienced, and it does so with dignity and grace.”
“The Dragon Age series tends to be pretty diverse. Especially Inquisition, which has the best trans representation I’ve seen in media.”
The Sims
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “Honestly, in The Sims 4 you can live your perfect gay life.”
“You can choose your gender, how you identify, customize your look and personality. Date, marry, adopt kids–anything you would want!”
Life is Strange
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “Features queer coming-of-age as a major story theme.”
“I didn’t even know they had a queer theme when I bought them. It was a pleasant surprise”
Mass Effect
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “As a lesbian, I noticed it in the first Mass Effect, with a romance option between the FemShep character and Liara that carries over all three Mass Effect games. And I believe there is also a male romance option for MaleShep and Kaiden.”
Dream Daddy
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “You get to date hot dads–what else could you want?!”
Tell Me Why
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “You play as a transitioned character.”
“Story-wise it is so compelling–from the complexities of returning to a town where you were [previously] known as one gender.”
We Know the Devil
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “Features queer coming-of-age as a major story theme.”
The Last of Us
Why people love it (quotes from members of the group): “The Last of Us 2 features a gay protagonist and it’s an action/adventure game.”
“For me and my limited gaming, The Last of Us is up there. In The Last of Us 2, Ellie is lesbian, Dina is bi, Lev is trans.”
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Pier
This just offends so many