Your Guide To Gayming

We have entered the age of the gaymer. In the last year, LGBTQ-inclusive games and organizations of out-and-proud gamers have stolen the show, both at conventions and with major companies like EA Games. In case you've missed the gayming train, here are 3 organizations that are helping LGBTQ gamers to feel included:

1. Gamers Against Bigotry

Who They Are: Gamers Against Bigotry (GAB) is an all-inclusive organization that is trying to "create a gaming community that is welcoming to gamers of all identities." While they are not as queer-specific as some of the other organizations on this list, they want to make the online multiplayer world friendly to people of all backgrounds and identities, including LGBTQ folks.

What They Do: Right now GAB is asking gamers to sign "The Pledge," which calls on them to treat everyone online with respect. Specifically, it states that gamers who sign it promise to avoid "bigoted speech," which includes speech against different races, ethnicities, classes, genders, sexual orientations, and disabilities, although they say that this is not an exhaustive list.

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2. GaymerConnect

Who They Are: GaymerConnect is a one-stop hub to meet other queer gamers and allies. They are at the center of the queer gaming community, and their site has discussions on almost every game under the sun.

What They Do: GaymerConnect could easily win "busiest queer gaming organization of the year" for 2013. Their site hosts multiple forums for gaymers, as well as guilds based on gaming preference to meet gaymers with similar tastes. They also hosted the first-ever gaming convention aimed at LGBTQ gamers in San Francisco in August, and they are already preparing for next year's con, GaymerX2. Perhaps their most exciting project, whose Kickstarter opened at 9:10 on 11/12/13, is a retro-styled, adventure game called Read Only Memories. Read Only Memories will feature LGBTQ characters and storylines, along with 8-bit graphics and an electronica soundtrack which almost guaranteers a good time for gaymers everywhere

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3. Gaming in Color

Who They Are: Gaming in Color is a documentary featuring LGBTQ gamers, and the queer presence in the gaming industry at large. They want to show the struggles of this still-small community, while giving a voice to a rapidly growing sector of the video game world.

What They Do: After their Kickstarter campaign succeeded, Gaming in Color started working on their film. No specific release date has been set yet, but watch out for this documentary and its depictions of awesome gaymers in early 2014.

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Images: Gamers Against Bigotry/Twitter; GaymerConnect/Twitter