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 from R 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 believe all LGBTQ+ rights are human rights.
So however you identify, we welcome you to TechRadar’s LGBTQ+ Gaming Week 2021.
LGBTQ+ Gaming Week
We’ll be rolling out our LGBTQ+ Gaming Week features throughout the week, and adding them here so you can find them easily.
A history of how lesbian narratives have made their way into pop culture and gaming. Read the full feature here.
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 it here.
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 full feature.
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 feature here.
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 feature here.
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 feature here.
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 feature here.
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 feature here.
How playing The Sims over the years helped this writer deepen their understanding of sexuality and overcome heteronormativity. Read the full feature here.
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 feature here.
More TechRadar LGBTQ+ content
As LGBTQIA+ streamers strive to be seen and heard on Twitch, is the current tag system doing more harm than good? Read the full feature here.
World of Warcraft Shadowlands is going to start working in a lot more LGBTQ+-friendly elements, and Blizzard is just getting started. Read the full feature here.
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 feature here.
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 list here.
LGBTQ+ resources
If you want to learn more about the LGBTQ+ community, check out the resources below:
Charities and non-profit organizations
- Stonewall: a non-profit organization that campaigns for the equality of lesbian, gay, bi and trans people across Britain – also has a Youth division.
- Gendered Intelligence: A UK-based charity whose objective is to increase people’s understanding of gender diversity, working with the trans community and specializing in supporting trans youth aged 8-25.
- LGBT Youth Scotland: Scotland’s national charity for LGBTI young people, working with 13-25-year-olds across the country, which also delivers the LGBT Charter program to schools, organizations and businesses.
- Mermaids: UK charity supporting transgender kids, young people and their families since 1995.
- The Trevor Project: A US national 24-hour, toll-free confidential suicide hotline for LGBTQ youth.
- Trans Lifeline: Run by and for trans people with a goal to provide trans peer support and care. Covers the US and Canada.
- Planned Parenthood LGBT Services: A non-profit organization that provides sexual health care and education for the LGBTQ+ community in the United States and globally.
- Human Rights Campaign Foundation: The largest LGBTQ advocacy group and political lobbying organization in the United States, with a focus on protecting and expanding rights for LGBTQ people.
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