Where can LGBTQ representation in games go next?
On paper, LGBTQ representation in video games and video game development is better than it's ever been. Games like Haven will spend time and effort to expand the portrayal of same-sex couples, more developers like 343 Industries are supporting character creators that don't rely on strict gender binaries, and when Pride month rolls around every June, more studios will include in-game content and participate in local Pride parades.
Key word though--on paper. The last few years of revelations about alleged sexual harassment and toxicity at companies like Activision Blizzard, Quantic Dream, and even Bungie have shown that decades of industry homophobia and transphobia don't go away overnight.
What can developers do better, not just in designing game characters, but for their workers and their players? These are questions that GLAAD associate director of games Blair Durkee has been answering with game studios for some time. We chatted at DICE 2022 about what developers are doing right, and where there's still room for growth.
Durkee began our conversation by pointing out you can't talk about the LGBTQ community in video games without acknowledging world events.
And there are far, far too many world events. The state of Texas recently attempted to deem gender-affirming care for minors as "child abuse." Florida is advancing a "don't say gay" bill that would shut down mention of homosexuality in schools. Countries like China, Russia, and the United Kingdom have all advanced domestic agendas targeting gay or transgender individuals.
Durkee evoked the argument that 2014 right-wing hate movement gamergate helped give rise to the modern "alt-right," and helped conservative activists find their sea legs in game communities. "Gaming is
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