>With over 90% of industry workers identifying as heterosexual and 89% as male, it’s no wonder the industry struggles with representation.
By most accounts, the percentage of the population that's gay is around 7%. At the time of the study you cited, it sounds like LGBT people were statistically slightly over represented.
Hey! First off, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Secondly, while you’re right that LGBTQ+ people might be proportionally represented in the gaming industry’s workforce, I’d argue that representation in leadership and creative decision-making roles is where the critical gap currently is. If we think about it, a predominantly heterosexual, male workforce usually has a pretty strong influence on which narratives and characters are prioritized in games.
To clarify, I’m not arguing for a higher percentage of LGBTQ+ people in gaming simply based on identity, but for a diverse mix in leadership positions that allows for people with different lived experiences to influence storytelling in meaningful ways. I believe this would support authenticity in game stories, which is something that resonates strongly with audiences and has the power to strengthen our industry in general.
If we look at this historically, minority voices in creative fields have often faced barriers to roles where the power to influence content and storytelling is consolidated. This is true even when proportional representation exists. Without equitable opportunities in leadership and decision-making positions, LGBTQ+ and other marginalised voices still struggle to make a meaningful impact.
I’d argue that true representation isn’t just about numbers; but about having LGBTQ+ and other minority voices in positions where they can shape content and create authentic, diverse, and inclusive games. So even with proportional LGBTQ+ representation, the need for more diversity in influential roles is really friggin important in improving queer representation!
TL;DR: Real representation is about more than just having a lot of diverse folks in your workforce. It’s about making sure those diverse faces have an equitable opportunity to shape the stories being told.
Absolutely phenomenal piece. As a queer person this was such a great read. Thank you.
Thanks Alex :)
>With over 90% of industry workers identifying as heterosexual and 89% as male, it’s no wonder the industry struggles with representation.
By most accounts, the percentage of the population that's gay is around 7%. At the time of the study you cited, it sounds like LGBT people were statistically slightly over represented.
Hey! First off, I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Secondly, while you’re right that LGBTQ+ people might be proportionally represented in the gaming industry’s workforce, I’d argue that representation in leadership and creative decision-making roles is where the critical gap currently is. If we think about it, a predominantly heterosexual, male workforce usually has a pretty strong influence on which narratives and characters are prioritized in games.
To clarify, I’m not arguing for a higher percentage of LGBTQ+ people in gaming simply based on identity, but for a diverse mix in leadership positions that allows for people with different lived experiences to influence storytelling in meaningful ways. I believe this would support authenticity in game stories, which is something that resonates strongly with audiences and has the power to strengthen our industry in general.
If we look at this historically, minority voices in creative fields have often faced barriers to roles where the power to influence content and storytelling is consolidated. This is true even when proportional representation exists. Without equitable opportunities in leadership and decision-making positions, LGBTQ+ and other marginalised voices still struggle to make a meaningful impact.
I’d argue that true representation isn’t just about numbers; but about having LGBTQ+ and other minority voices in positions where they can shape content and create authentic, diverse, and inclusive games. So even with proportional LGBTQ+ representation, the need for more diversity in influential roles is really friggin important in improving queer representation!
TL;DR: Real representation is about more than just having a lot of diverse folks in your workforce. It’s about making sure those diverse faces have an equitable opportunity to shape the stories being told.