Aired Jun 22, 2023
Trans and Nonbinary Inclusion in Gaming
Research consistently demonstrates that trans and nonbinary people make up a growing part of the gaming industry and gamer community. And these creators, developers, and players deserve to see themselves represented in the games that they play – and when they don’t, they may read gender expansive identities into existing characters like Link from the Zelda franchise.
Join us this Thursday, June 22 at 4:30 PM ET / 1:30 PM PT for Something to Talk About Live where we will be discussing “A Link Between Genders: Trans Joy and the Legend of Zelda“, by Linda Codega which appeared on Gizmodo. We’re excited to invite Mackenzie Harte and Angel Kearns from the PFLAG National team to join the conversation!
You can join this discussion live! Mark your calendar for Something to Talk About Live on Thursday, June 22 at 4:30 pm Eastern/1:30 pm Pacific.
Article: A Link Between Genders: Trans Joy and the Legend of Zelda
Source: Gizmodo
Author: Linda Codega
Questions for Discussion:
- If you’ve played video games, have you ever felt connected to the character(s) you were playing as? How did it feel? Have you experienced stories from gaming that you haven’t experienced otherwise?
- Game franchises like The Legend Of Zelda that have been established over the course of decades have major impacts on the gaming industry. What opportunities do you think these franchises have to show allyship to the LGBTQ+ community? Do you think the production team should consider making their characters canonically trans? Is there a power in letting players have their own interpretations?
- Unfortunately, many trans and nonbinary gamers discuss bigotry and transphobia inside the video game community. What can members of that community do to make gaming more inclusive for all players? What can video game creators do to keep this in mind for their games?
Bonus Resources: Check out “Why ‘The Sims’ Trans-Inclusive Update Means So Much to Me” from The Daily Beast by Shannon O’Connor, and these resources from GLAAD.
About Our Guests:
Mackenzie Harte, Learning & Inclusion Coordinator, PFLAG National
Angel Kearns, Chapter Services Coordinator, PFLAG National
Ways to Watch:
Something to Talk About Live is a series designed by PFLAG National’s Straight for Equality program to create conversation about LGBTQ+ issues. Each week we offer an article on LGBTQ+ topics and suggest a few questions you can use to lead a discussion with your ERG, community group, or PFLAG chapter.