The best of TechRadar’s LGBTQ+ Gaming Week 2021
Amplifying LGBTQ+ voices and topics in gaming
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TechRadar’s LGBTQ+ Gaming Week 2021 has now reached its end, but you can still check out all the articles featured during the week right here as well as our other LGBTQ+-friendly pieces.
Welcome to TechRadar’s LGBTQ+ Gaming Week 2021, a week-long celebration during which we’re inviting LGBTQ+ gamers to tell their stories, and explore topics within the LGBTQ+ gaming community. That means throughout the week you’ll be seeing features, opinion pieces and more, on a variety of LGBTQ+ gaming-related topics, appearing on the site.
LGBTQ+ Gaming Week is about amplifying voices within the LGBTQ+ gaming community – and dedicating the time and space to ensure that those voices are heard. We’ve aimed to cover topics on a range of genders, sexualities, and important issues. We’ve ensured that members of the community have had a say in each and every piece that’s being published, which means all the writers featured are from the LGBTQ+ community, and many of the articles feature bespoke illustrations fromR Healey Art.
We’re aware that not every piece will be reflective of all LGBTQ+ experiences, but they’re the experiences and topics that our writers felt were important to explore.
This is the first time TechRadar has hosted an LGBTQ+ Gaming Week, so why are we doing this now? These continue to be challenging times for those in the LGBTQ+ community, with many continuing to have to defend their identity and rights. Here at TechRadar, we believeallLGBTQ+ rights are human rights.
So however you identify, we welcome you to TechRadar’s LGBTQ+ Gaming Week 2021.
LGBTQ+ Gaming Week
Lesbian love syndrome: a history of Yuri and lesbian romance in gaming
A history of how lesbian narratives have made their way into pop culture and gaming. Read the full featurehere.
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The history of LGBTQ+ visual novels
Visual novels have always been flourishing with the LGBTQ+ representation that AAA games still lack. The history of queer visual novels goes all the way back to the beginning of games, read all about ithere.
Games still haven’t got bisexuality right
Bisexuality comes in many stripes – but this writers believes that games keep defaulting to playersexual, a one-size-fits-all label that pleases no one. Read the fullfeature.
Where is the Pride in gaming?
Why it’s important for the games industry to do more to promote LGBTQ+ voices – and why gaming struggles to do this outside of single-player stories. Read the full featurehere.
Queer indie games deserve more recognition
This writer believes that mainstream games are rewarded for doing the bare minimum when it comes to queer representation when smaller indie games have been doing far more. Read the full featurehere.
Street Fighter’s Poison is a metaphor for the evolution of trans characters
Final Fight and Street Fighter’s Poison is one of the earliest transgender characters in gaming, and where her creators have often failed to give her respect, her fans have stepped in. Read the full featurehere.
A labor of queer love: the battle to preserve the history of LGBTQ+ games
How one person took on the task of documenting the representation of queer themes in gaming over the years – and why their work is as important now as ever. Read the full featurehere.
I’ve finally found a mobile game that I can see myself in
Because they could relate to the characters, the mobile game Choices allowed this writer to reimagine the way stories are told, and gave them the escape they needed. Read the full featurehere.
Sims, sexuality, and the promiscuity of female ‘woohoo’
How playingThe Simsover the years helped this writer deepen their understanding of sexuality and overcome heteronormativity. Read the full featurehere.
The search for the elusive queer parent in gaming
A gay father talks about the validation they found in games, reflecting on their experience as well as their frustration at the lack of more queer parent representation. Read the full featurehere.
More TechRadar LGBTQ+ content
Twitch LGBTQIA+ tags: do they work?
As LGBTQIA+ streamers strive to be seen and heard on Twitch, is the current tag system doing more harm than good? Read the full featurehere.
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands heralds a more LGBTQ+-inclusive future for the game
World of WarcraftShadowlands is going to start working in a lot more LGBTQ+-friendly elements, andBlizzardis just getting started. Read the full featurehere.
The best LGBTQ+ representation in PC games
For PC Gaming Week 2020, we took a look at the best LGBTQ+ representation we’ve seen in PC games so far. You can read the full featurehere.
8 new and upcoming games with LGBTQ+ characters and narratives
Again for PC Gaming Week 2020, we gathered up eight new and upcoming PC games that feature queer characters and narratives to help you round out your game library ,or annoy your friends with as you gush about them. Check out the full listhere.
LGBTQ+ resources
If you want to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community, check out the resources below:
Charities and non-profit organizations
Film
Books
An award-winning games journalist, with seven years of experience in games journalism and a degree in journalism from City University, London, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, The Telegraph, VG247, Dot Esports and more to the TechRadar table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel, as she’s previously appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5, BBC Radio Ulster and more. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she’s appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter for more.
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