GaymerCon achieves Kickstarter goal
GLaDOS voice-actress Ellen McLain will be there.
GaymerCon, the first videogame convention catered toward the LGBT community recently surpassed its Kickstarter goal of $25,000.
Currently the total comes to $34,509 with 24 days to go before the Kickstarter closes on 31st August.
GaymerCon won't be until August of 2013 in San Francisco, but that hasn't stopped organisers from booking Ellen McLain i.e. the voice of GLaDOS from Portal.
Event organisers include: IGN's Jack DeVries, Zach Weiner from SMBC Comics, and Matt Conn, co-founder of BandPage, among other folks.
"We believe that there are a great amount of gay, lesbian, transgendered, gender queer, and bisexual folks out there, of every color and creed, that at the end of the day, love to geek out," read the Kickstarter post. "We believe that creating a community for these folks, Gaymers as they are affectionally dubbed, is important to help shape a more tolerant and safer space in gaming. After all, everyone games."
So if everyone games, why does the LGBT community need a convention specifically for them? Because the current gaming climate isn't as tolerant as it should be.
"Unfortunately stereotypical bias among gamers does exist and it can make a hostile environment for minorities in the gaming community. Hang around an online game long enough and you'll start hearing homophobic, racial, and misogynistic slurs slung around without a second thought."
While GaymerCon is based around the LGBT crowd, it's open to everyone. "We want all genders, races, and sexual identities including our straight friends and allies to come together and have a gay, geeky good time."
GaymerCon was already in the works before Kickstarter, but the crowdsourcing model allows the organisers to book snazzier venues, book more guests, and buy more equipment and prizes.
It also functions as a way of gauging interest as those who pledge $30 or more reserve a two-day pass to event.
If the Kickstarter soars past $35,000 a concert will be hosted, and at $60,000 a "celebrity boss of honour" will be brought in, but it still hasn't been confirmed who. The Kickstarter is asking for suggestions on that. Who would you like to see?