Pride Month Features
We are so excited to celebrate Pride Month with our community! This year, we hosted short-form interviews featuring community members who identify as LGBTQIA+ to tell their stories! By highlighting our members for Pride month, we recognize the importance in affirming them in their identities as a community, in a world that is consistently trying to do the opposite. Their responses are incredibly thoughtful, and we appreciate them willing to be vulnerable with us! Please take the take to read through each interview and learn more about their journeys as Queer creators, enjoy!
Meet Blaze!
BlazetteMidnight
(She/Her)
Gamer, Streamer, Web Developer, Content Creator, Creative, and Cosplayer!
“I am a Black Demipansexual chill Vtuber and Streamer with a dash of chaotic. My main focus is to create a safe space for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and STEM focused individuals through gaming and social networking.”
The Interview
Question: Tell us more about your Queer identity(s)! What would you like our audience to know?
Answer: For the longest I struggled with my sexual orientation as a lot of my peers would experience attraction toward others easier than I could. Only a few people have managed to make me have a slight crush on them. I couldn’t explain it until a cosplayer I followed explained the definition of Demisexuality. It was then where I found comfort in my own skin and gained confidence in owning my sexuality and making sure people understood my boundaries when it comes to romantic relationships. Later on I found out what Pansexuality meant which also explained why sometimes I would have feelings, for other genders not just men and women, but non-binary individuals as well.
Q: What is one thing you hope others gain from the observance of Pride month?
A: Understanding and acceptanace of others identities. As humans we find ourselves going throughout life attempting to figure out who we are and what we want out of life. Belittling or dismissing an individual’s individuality or outlook on life is one of the biggest ways to harm or hurt someone’s self-esteem and making them feel safe in their own skin.We grew up around so many “societal rules and regulations” about how a person should look and behave that we’re scared of change, learning, growing, and breaking through important barriers that hold people back from being who they are as a human being. I want to see more people be their authentic selves and work on not tearing others down or forcing their views on lifestyle diets, sexual orientation, gender, etc. just because “it has always been this way”.Black people wouldn’t have gained their freedom and women would have never had the opportunity to vote if both marginalized groups stayed quiet on the matter. I want queer individuals to feel safe in this world and not have to fear being judged or harmed just because of their identity or sexuality. Just love one another…
Q: What does Pride month mean to you personally?
A: Pride Month means celebrating your identity and being comfortable in your own skin. Being accepting and loving toward others. And lastly celebrating life and freedom of expression.
Q: Describe your favorite games that you grew up playing!
Super Mario games, Spyro, Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Diddy Kong Racing, Super Smash Bros., Pokemon, & Legend of Zelda
Q: Do you make content? If so, what kind?
A: Stream Content, YouTube Content, Cosplays, & Artwork!
Q: What does being a member of BGGC mean to you?
A: Being a member of BGGC is dedicating time to uplift and celebrate those who identify as Fem or nonbinary BIPOC & POC who are either in tech and gaming roles or wanting to help break through barriers into the tech and gaming industries. One thing I found while pursuing a role in software & web development is either the lack of representation or respect fems in these fields have compared to male / masc counterparts.We deserve the same rights and level of respect as anyone else in the field and I want others to explore the opportunities STEM has to offer instead of the fear of being harassed, belittled, bullied, or discriminated in any way because of our skin or gender. Again we need to learn to love and respect one another.
Q: Is there anything else you'd like our audience to know?
A: Never be afraid of showing your authentic self. Rid yourself of the mentality you have to look, eat, behave, or do things a certain way to be accepted in life. If you’re always busy pleasing everyone else around you, how will you ever accept, love, or define how unique and who you are as a person?
Meet Kieran!
Kieran aka frogprince (She/They)
Gamer, Game Developer, and Creative!
“I’m a queer Latine game and narrative designer currently collaborating on an indie game called Soledad and writing tender/terrifying interactive fiction. I have the heart of an artist and the brain of a scientist, having taught high school chemistry; I’m perpetually intrigued by the intersection of science and society!”
The Interview
Q: Tell us more about your Queer identity(s)! What would you like our audience to know?
A: For most of my life, I've considered myself a lesbian, though as my (admittedly nebulous) relationship with gender has evolved, I've wondered if "lesbian" is an accurate representation of myself. These days, I often just say I'm queer.
Q: What is one thing you hope others gain from the observance of Pride month?
A: I hope that Pride month continues to bolster the queer community and show people that they are not alone in their experiences and their struggles. I also hope that through the normalization of Pride that non-queer people become accustomed to and supportive of queer people everywhere.
Q: What does Pride month mean to you personally?
A: Growing up, I had very limited connections with other queer people; it wasn't until I attended the NYC Pride Parade after high school graduation that I realized just how abundant we are and how loving and fun the community can be!
Q: Describe your favorite games that you grew up playing!
A: I loved Super Mario 64 DS because I loved jumping into the different paintings around the castle! Also, I was obsessed with Kingdom Hearts, probably because I had a crush on Kairi, but also because of the music!
Q: Do you make content? If so, what kind?
A: I'm a game and narrative designer, and my work is underpinned by themes of home, diversity and inclusion, and self-actualization. I love writing characters with rich interior lives that are deeply influenced by their backgrounds and situations!
Q: What does being a member of BGGC mean to you?
A: Being a member of BGGC has meant being a part of a larger community wherein everybody is supportive and kind and helpful -- not to mention hilarious! I've loved the opportunity to get to know other women/femmes/folk with whom I share passions for games, movies, and art.
Meet PirateHempress!
“Hi, I'm Pirate! A Caribbean LGBTQ variety gaming streamer who loves to cosplay from Toronto! I love to play games and have been playing them since a wee bean. I have a huge obsession for anime and horror and that heavily influences my content (and every thought) and One Piece fans should feel very at home in my community. Lastly I will add I'm a mental health advocate so my community is a safe space meant for everyone to feel welcomed and catch some good vibes with the chaotic good that we are!”
The Interview
Q: Tell us more about your Queer identity(s)! What would you like our audience to know?
A: I proudly identify as Bisexual!
Q: What is one thing you hope others gain from the observance of Pride month?
A: In observance of Pride Month, Id love to see more love and support for Queer POC creators!
Q: What does Pride month mean to you personally?
A: To me, Pride month means to be unapologetically you, to accept yourself and most importantly to love yourself because you're amazing and deserve to be celebrated! It also symbolizes the unity we all share to fight against hate.
Q: Describe your favorite games that you grew up playing!
A: I love shooters, RPGs and platformers! Growing up I always played them. Some of my faves were PSO, Halo, COD, any Mario game, Smash Bros, The Sims, GTA San Andreas, and if I remember correctly, I think 007 Golden Eye was the first game I played heavily.
Q: Do you make content? If so, what kind?
A: I do gaming and just chatting streams, and I'm also a cosplayer!
Q: What does being a member of BGGC mean to you?
A: Having a community that will always support you and be kind to you and make you feel right at home even when they haven't heard from you in awhile! It's a place where everyone makes you feel safe to be yourself. A place that helps motivate me and other POC women and non-binary people to be their best self and take up as much room as possible, never shrink yourself!
Meet Mockstache!
Mockstache
(They/Them)
Gamer, Streamer, Content Creator, and Creative!
“Hi, I'm Mockstache! Mockstache is my streamer identity as a parasitic space plant with They/Them pronouns! If you ever stop by, you'll notice that my avatar is human. Her name is Cilla, and she's my current host! We also have a cute xenomorph pet named Xena! A mainstay of my channel is Deep Rock Galactic, but I also try out other games as well.IRL, I'm an accidental monolingual chicanx. That's means although I grew up with elders that spoke Spanish, I was never taught! Besides playing video games, I also enjoy hiking, gardening, and creating!”
The Interview
Q: Tell us more about your Queer identity(s)! What would you like our audience to know?
A: When I was in middle school, I found that I was what people would consider bisexual, and that was my only queer identity at the time before the explosion of others, particularly those pertaining to gender. The closest thing to a gender identity I had was being a tomboy, which now seems like could have been a precursor to some of the gender identities we have now for some of us LGBT 90's kids.As an adult, it has felt like I've gone through a second self journey when exploring these new terms to describe gender identities and experiences. Since being on that journey, I have found that I am genderfluid, non-binary, and transgender; and use They/Them pronouns; I have legally changed my given and middle names and gender to "X" to reflect the way I see myself. As far as my sexual identity, I'm still bisexual, but also found that I am also gray asexual on top of that. Currently, I am exploring xenogenders as well because I feel that I also don't merely just experience gender in relation to femininity and masculinity.
Q: What is one thing you hope others gain from the observance of Pride month?
A: I hope that others gain the excitement and acceptance of the diversity of people around us as we observe Pride Month. And I hope that kind of energy touches diversity outside of LGBTQIA2S orientations and identities as well.I have not attended a Pride Parade in a while (read: school and COVID got in the way), but the last one I went to, I cried because although there was a few people protesting and yelling over a megaphone that we were going to hell, there was a larger group of people with a banner that essentially had an apology for being hateful Christians and that they love and accept us for who we are. Now, I'm athiest, but I was shocked because there is a lot for Christians to hate about me and people like me, and for a group of them to come out and take accountability AND show love felt immense.
Q: What does Pride month mean to you personally?
A: Personally, Pride month means celebrating who you are despite people telling you otherwise. The visibility of Pride month is also a form of protest to those that push the harmful narrative of us being defective and deviant.We are constantly guilted into thinking we're lesser and undesirable as people for something that says nothing about our character. We are worthy of love and have a lot to be proud of AND I'M PROUD AND LOVE OF ALL OF US!
Q: Describe your favorite games that you grew up playing!
A: I grew up in a game-playing household! I loved playing Primal Rage, Heretic, Capcom Vs. SNK 2, Neopets, Sims 2, and was terrible at Age of Empires and Halo. Primal Rage and Heretic were our big family games!I consider myself sort of a specialist when it comes to games that give you a choice of characters (Hey, I know what I like). For instance, in Primal Rage, I would ONLY play Vertigo. Out of all the deities, she was the only female; everyone else was male. As a kid, I always gravitated towards girl power! Hahaha! In Capcom Vs. SNK 2, I always chose Morrigan Aensland! That being said, anyone who is cosplaying Morrigan Aensland near me, I need a picture with you! Or like, I will just follow you if you cosplay her. xDFun story about Neopets: it's where I learned that I like coding. Neopets had pages for your neopets where you were able to customize using HTML. I spent countless hours looking up ways to get the pages to reflect exactly who my neopets were, troubleshooting why the code wasn't working as intended, and mashing images together and changing colors pixel-by-pixel in Microsoft Paint to create the backgrounds I wanted, but didn't exist.
Q: Do you make content? If so, what kind?
A: I stream on Twitch right now, but plan to learn to edit videos for YouTube and maybe TikTok and I'd like to be more intentional in the content and community I create and grow. Also, I would like to get back into making art, but delving more into digital!
Q: What does being a member of BGGC mean to you?
A: Being a member of BGGC means so much to me. It's the only community space where I feel safe and loved. Since 2021, I have been trying to find online communities to be a part of. I had joined online esports and gaming communities, but it was only when I was accepted into BGGC when I knew I found the type of community I've been yearning for. It was then when I started silently leaving other Discord servers.It was nice to not have to settle for communities who didn't have mine or other marginalized people's interests at heart. Honestly, this place is better than any IRL community I've been a part of!! I hope to be more involved in the BGGC community and give back where I can! <3