I’m really, really happy to announce that I am part of the GaymerX staff as the Diversity Liaison for GX3!
What does this mean exactly? Well, I’m helping to review programming in order to make sure that panels have a diverse range of speakers, and also that the convention’s programming meets the GaymerX Mission Statement;
GaymerX seeks to make the gaming world safer and more inclusive to marginalized people, especially those in the gender and sexuality spectrum. This is handled in three major ways.
Making Progress Fun is a big factor in the way that GaymerX does things. When people are genuinely excited and engaged by a concept or a technique they are far more likely to learn it and put it into practice. Gaming, socializing, and partying can be effective avenues to test out social conditions that favor inclusiveness and conflict resolution.
Creating Better Practices for safety and inclusiveness in physical and online gaming spaces. This can mean rules and enforcement but more-so helpful guidelines and tools for people to interact with one another as well as exposure to rarely discussed social concepts and issues that help people relate and empathize with one another.
The GX Convention is a yearly event where all of GaymerX’s work can be put into practice. It is a physical space where people can meet and interact in a different way than they would at a mainstream gaming event. When people know that the event’s audience, volunteers, staff, vendors, and guests are all supportive of their identity and open to discuss conflicts, it creates a unique positive atmosphere of comfort and inclusiveness.
So how can you contact me if there’s a problem/concern/question about diversity and the convention?
You can email diversity@midboss.com and I’ll get it. I’ll do my best to respond within 1-2 days. If it is urgent please note that in the body of your message so I can try to get back to you on the same day if possible.
I’ll be at the convention in San Jose December 11 – 13th, 2015 roaming around, go to and doing paneling. If you need me for anything at-con, I’ll let folks know how to find me there.
Last of all, don’t forget panel and RPG event submission is open until September 1st!
Looking forward to meeting you all in December!
Cheers,
Tanya
Published by cypheroftyr
Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. I Need Diverse Games serves the community by supporting marginalized developers, attendance at the Game Developer Conference by participating in the GDC Scholarship program, helps assist attendance at other industry events, and is seeking partnership with organizations and initiatives. Tanya is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, and wants to make the industry better and more inclusive for everyone. She’s part of the Rivals of Waterdeep actual play stream on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep, a partnered Twitch variety broadcaster; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics online, at conventions and as a public speaker..
She’s also contributed to publications at Green Ronin, Paizo and Monte Cook Games and is the co-developer for the Fifth Season RPG based on N.K. Jemisin’s three time Hugo award winning Broken Earth trilogy. She’s the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a Twitch supported RPG and Actual Play stream, airing weekly on her channel, twitch.tv/cypheroftyr. Additionally, she is a Senior Annenberg labs Civic Media Fellow at USC. She’s also the creator and Creative Director of Into the Mother Lands, a new sci fi afro-futurist RPG developed with a team of all POC and Black creators; live streamed on her twitch channel, /cypheroftyr.
She’s named as one of The Game Awards Future Class 2020, a diverse group of builders, thinkers and dreamers whose voices elevate and diversify our artform. It recognizes individuals around the world who represent the bright, bold and inclusive future for video games. She was also named as one of Gamers of the Year 2020 by Kotaku along with three of her contemporaries. She was also invited to the Xbox MVP program in February 2021.
Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021.
Tanya is the programming & diversity coordinator for OrcaCon and GaymerX. She also serves on the Board of Directors for OrcaCon and was named the Chair for Take This in January 2023. She often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications. She’s the editor of Game Devs and Others: Tales from the Margins (2018, CRC Press) and contributed to The Advanced Game Narrative Toolbox. (2019, CRC Press)
Writer Bio for pubs: Tanya is the Founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a not-for-profit organization based in Chicago. She’s part of Rivals of Waterdeep, an actual play D&D show on twitch.tv/rivalsofwaterdeep; the programming coordinator for OrcaCon & GaymerX; and often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at conventions. She’s on the Board of Take This as well as a Stream Ambassador, and was part of the inaugural cohort of The Game Awards Future Class. Her work to make the industry more inclusive has been highlighted in Game Changer, Directed by Tina Charles, WNBA star & olympian as well as filmmaker. The short documentary premiered at Tribeca 2021, as part of the Queen Collective; an initiative started by Queen Latifah, supported by Proctor & Gamble in an effort to get more Black women into film making. Game Changer was also featured as part of BETHer’s 2021 Juneteenth Programming on 19 June 2021.
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