Why Inclusion is Required, and Diversity is Not Enough
Tanya DePass
Often times we talk about diversity and inclusion but we don’t grasp what it means beyond the 101 level conversation. Diversity has been reduced to a meaningless buzz word to many, and inclusion is not considered. What happens when we get past that initial recognition of others in gaming? How do we get off the hamster wheel of 101 talks, and saying yes, we need more people of color, more LGBTQIA+ folks, more non-binary, disabled, and neuro-divergent people in the space? What then? Recognition of the need to widen our view is great, but let’s get past the starting line and up our game so to speak.
Speaker Bio:Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of INeedDiverse Games, a non-profit organization based in Chicago, which is dedicated to better diversification of all aspects of gaming. She is a lifelong Chicagoan who loves everything about gaming, #INeedDiverseGames spawn point, who wants to make gaming better and more inclusive for everyone, the Diversity Liaison & Programming Director for the GaymerX Foundation, is a board member of Con-or-Bust which helps marginalized fans attend Sci-Fi and Fantasy conventions. She’s also the editor of Game Devs and Others: Tales from the Margins, an anthology featuring stories from marginalized game developers and others adjacent to the industry. The book released on June 13th, from CRC Press.
Tanya DePass is the founder and Director of I Need Diverse Games, a non-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 attend 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 it better and more inclusive for everyone. She founded and was the EIC of Fresh Out of Tokens podcast where games culture was discussed and viewed through a lense of feminism, intersectionality and diversity. Now she’s a co-host on Spawn on Me Podcast. Along with all of that, she’s the Programming Coordinator for OrcaCon, she often speaks on issues of diversity, feminism, race, intersectionality & other topics at multiple conventions throughout the year. Her writing about games and games critique appears in Uncanny Magazine, Polygon, Wiscon Chronicles, Vice Gaming, Paste Games, Mic, and other publications.
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