I’m thrilled to say that the inaugural Queerness and Games Conference is officially moving from idea to full-blown reality. Thanks to my amazing co-organizers, we now have a website, a Twitter feed, an event space, a bit of basic funding, and the interest and support of both the industry and academia. I’m currently in Toronto for the American Comparative Literature Association conference, and everyone I talk seems excited to hear that we’re organizing a conference about the intersection of LGBT issues and video games. Plus, word is getting around. Today I mentioned the event to two separate digital humanities grad students I’d never met before, both of whom said, “Oh, everyone keeps telling me about that!”
The call for papers is now open, by the way, with a submission deadline of July 1. If this is a topic that you’d be interested in speaking to, we’d love to hear from you. Academics and game-related professionals from all disciplines are welcome to submit proposals for talks, panels, or experimental sessions. Possible topics include (but are definitely not limited to) LGBT representation in games, LGBT concerns in the games industries, and the intersection of queer theory and games studies. More detailed submission guidelines are available on our website. There you’ll also find contact info if you’d like to get in touch with the co-organizers with any questions. Spread the word! Tell your friends! Send us cool ideas and then come present them!
I love the idea – but I’m gay, work in the industry, and the term ‘queer’ offends me as it does countless others in the LGBT community.
Could you not have chosen a more inclusive name?