In the leadup to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, SBS2 series The Feed will be highlighting a series of topics that relate to the LGBITQ community. Last week they met transsexual porn star Buck Angel, and tomorrow (Wednesday, 19th February) they will be shining a light on a group in Sydney that call themselves “Gaymers”.
I had the opportunity to chat to Joshua, one of the four people behind the group, to learn more about the “Gaymers” in the leadup to this special feature on The Feed. As listed on their official website, the Gaymers are a group for “geeks, gamers and allies no matter their gender or sexual orientation”. The meet ups are about creating open, friendly environments that moves the discussion of collaborative gameplay away from the oft-focused upon topic of online bullying. Joshua told me more about this:
“We’d like to think that groups like ours are very important to the LGBT community, as anything that allows people to meet like-minded individuals in a safe space and get representation within their hobbies helps. At times, especially amongst a younger demographic of LGBT individuals, the community can seem like little more than the bar scene. While that certainly has its place, for people who don’t feel like they fit in with it or have a bit of social anxiety around the idea of clubbing they can begin to wonder if the community has a place for them at all.”
“This can breed a lot of resentment and an unfortunate level of misplaced isolation. While our events always have a gaming focus, we also like to think that we’re giving members a bit of a baby step into the wider LGBT world that they might have felt unfamiliar with before. And, obviously, having a place to meet people, make friends and share interests can help immensely if you’re dealing with issues with family, school or work regarding your orientation.”
As the group has grown in popularity, the opportunity came about last year to march in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade – with the first video-game themed float in the event’s 35 year history. I asked Joshua to reflect on this as he looked ahead to next month’s event:
“Last year our group participated in Mardi Gras for the first time. It was incredibly rewarding to get out there and march amongst other groups who have participated in Mardi Gras for years and we’re definitely doing it again in March. Our float this year will be much more technologically savvy than the one we debuted with, allowing people watching the parade to see some of our members playing games live on the float while many of our members march down Oxford st in gaming cosplay. The Mardi Gras parade is, at its heart, an enormous statement of awareness that rings out worldwide. With issues like the Russian, Indian and African treatment of LGBT individuals, this statement is needed now more than ever and it’s extremely empowering to help be a part of that.”
Ultimately, however, as much as it’s about the community, it’s also about their love of games and I asked Joshua to share with us the five most popular games amongst Gaymers at the moment. And they are, in no particular order:
1. Pokemon X/Y for 3DS
2. Titanfall for Xbox One
3. Elder Scrolls Online (various platforms)
4. Thief (various platforms)
5. League of Legends for PC
The Feed screens Monday to Thursday on SBS2 at 7:30pm with repeats at 10:30pm. The special on the Gaymers will screen tomorrow night, 19th February. Find out more on their official website. To learn more about the Sydney Gaymers and their meet ups, you can head HERE.
