In a few hours I’ll be headed back to Cali, Cali…

I’m only on one panel, ONE! for Big Bad Con, the rest of my time will be spent rolling dice, meeting cool folks (hopefully) and seeing old friends. If you’re around the con, I’m on “You Don’t Look Like a Geek” Friday at 8pm

Description: Mainstream depictions of nerd culture like Big Bang Theory depict geeks as awkward white dudes a lot of the time, erasing the many, many Geeks of Color, female Geeks, Queer and Trans Geeks who have existed just as long as the stereotypical clueless white guys.  Kristine Hassell (M), ToraShae, Jahmal Brown, Brie Sheldon,Tanya DePass

The rest of my time will be spent gaming, wooooo! I’m getting in a little business with meetings tomorrow morning then it’s all play. 

Then next week, I’m off to Long Beach, CA for my first trip to TwitchCon! I’m on a panel, “Being Political on Twitch”  

3:30 pm October 22, GivePlz Theatre w/Adam Koebel, Citizen, Jennasaisquoi, me and Inspector Beans 

Description: This panel is concerned with addressing the importance of being political as a creator, as the representative of a business or organization, and as a streamer. The purpose of this talk is to help empower people by talking openly about the risks and gains of struggling in a landscape that demands conformity and the continued repression of identities.

We’ll talk about whether a Twitch channel constitutes a public or private space (and what that means on the Internet), why these discussions are important, what free speech is and isn’t, and how people can challenge and engage in politics.

There’s supposed to be a diversity type lounge thing going on at TwitchCon but I don’t have all the details handy, so more when I have it. As always, here’s your ever useful, 250% free guide to interacting with me at conventions and events should we meet.

 

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.