Say what you will about the internet — There’s so much reference humour! It’s an echo chamber for assholes and extremists! Why are there so many cats? — but one thing I will give it credit for is that it’s done a lot to help level the field for independent artists and has helped people find arts and media they wouldn’t normally be familiar with.
Case in point: GaymerX, the San Francisco queer video game and geek culture convention, has launched a crowd-funding drive to help create a cross-platform, LGBT-inclusive game. Read Only Memories would include a diverse cast of characters and will launch on PC, Mac, Ouya, iOS and Android once complete.
According to the Kickstarter page, GaymerX works “with many members of our community to make sure that each game character (queer or non-queer!) is unique and authentic. We started GaymerX as a community-based event, and through it we’ve made many friends who can help us shape realistic characters of every creed. Plus, we love audience feedback and will have hangouts for you to join in on!”
Here’s the thing: it’s easy to criticize the media when there’s a noticable lack of queer-inclusive characters or storylines. But stuff like this gives us a chance, no matter how small, to rectify this. I’m just saying, if you don’t at least try to make the world a better place, you don’t get to complain when it isn’t.
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