Welcome to the LGBTQ+ Special Interest Group (LGBTQ+ SIG), a queer networking group within the International Game Developers Association (IGDA).
The IGDA LGBTQ+ SIG is focused on developing initiatives within the IGDA’s three main areas of interest:
- Advocacy: focusing on advocacy or social issues.
- Discipline: focusing on a particular element of game development.
- Affinity: helping game developers with similar backgrounds or interests connect with each other.
In the SIG, our aim is to support queer game developers and those involved in related fields, organising networking opportunities and overseeing events that provide opportunities for career development and professional support from a queer(er) perspective.
With the breadth of knowledge and experience that our members offer, our community demonstrates the strength of queer game development and the importance of queer community both nationally and internationally.
Leadership
| Name | Greg McGuinness | Name | Phoebe Current | |
| Pronouns | he/him | Pronouns | they/them | |
| Role | Chair | Role | Deputy Chair – Communications | |
| Discord | @greagoir | Discord | @catsket | |
| Bio | Greg is a videogame researcher and Maths teacher, currently finishing his PhD in queer monstrosity at UCL. Favourite games include Elden Ring, Disco Elysium and Bayonetta. | Bio | Phoebe does community support for games by day and horror game writing by night. Favourite games include Psychopomp, Castlevania: Symphony of the night, and The Cat Lady. | |
| Name | Ash Caplan | Name | Veronica Barsotti Magnani | |
| Pronouns | She/Her | Pronouns | she/her | |
| Role | Deputy Chair – Communications & CPD | Role | Deputy Chair – Visual Design | |
| Discord | @bamubi | Discord | @easrey | |
| Bio | Ash is a HR & Talent Acquisition Specialist, a mentor to gamers worldwide, and a member of the IGDA Stream Team, creating spaces where everyone feels supported and heard. Favorite games include: Hollow Knight, Okami, and Subnautica. | Bio | Veronica is a passionate 3D Character Artist with more than 5 years of experience in the field of game development.
Favorite games include: Life is Strange, Death’s Door and Final Fantasy X. |
| Name | Abby Conrad |
| Pronouns | She/her |
| Role | Deputy Chair – Visual Design |
| Discord | @kconrad8 |
| Bio | Abby is a Graphic Designer and UX/UI Designer. She is currently working on two indie games. Favorite games include Dave the Diver, Until Dawn, and Little Big Planet. |
Ambassadors
| Name | Sakura Shih | Name | Callum Owen-Vallentin | |
| Pronouns | She/Her | Pronouns | He/Him | |
| Bio | Sakura is a gameplay engineer and an advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights within the games industry. She has previously organized LGBTQIA+ game industry events in Seattle, and is also a Gay Gaming Professionals Scholar. Outside of her work in advocacy, Sakura is also invested in graphics and engine programming, and being an LGBTQIA+ representative in technical spaces. | Bio | Callum’s background is in marketing and branding in the games industry, working in a wide range of publishers and games, ranging from AAA to indie.Some of his favourite games include The Forgotten City, Mass Effect, and the Pokemon series. | |
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| Name | Alayna Almén | Name | SJ Singh | |
| Pronouns | She/Her | Pronouns | They/Them | |
| Bio | With a background in Finance but a love for live events, theatre, and games, Alayna has taken up Voice Over work and Game Writing for an Indie Studio and continues to hone her craft. Some of her favorite games include; The Bioshock Series, Phasmophobia, The Binding of Isaac, and Animal Crossing. | Bio | Some of their favorite games are: Butterfly Soup, Thirsty Suitors, Baldur’s Gate 3, Poptropica, and the Digimon series. | |
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| Name | Melissa Comeau | Name | Aymi Gislason | |
| Pronouns | she/her/any | Pronouns | She/Her | |
| Bio | Melissa is a content designer, working in storytelling and zone design. Across two decades of working in CS, QA, Community, in publishers, AA/AAA studios, and with indies, she specializes in MMOs, RPGs, and mobile/casual genres. Some of her favorite games are the Final Fantasy series, Baldur’s Gate 3, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Starbrew Cafe. | Bio | Aymi is a Game Designer and 3D + VFX Artist from Alberta, Canada. With a passion for all things related to video games and the communities around them, she is often engaged in helping people develop their talents and create amazing experiences! Her favorite games include Factorio, Sea of Thieves, Halo, and Deep Rock Galactic. | |
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| Name | Percival Kish | Name | Kaz Li | |
| Pronouns | He/they | Pronouns | they/them | |
| Bio | Percival is a UX/UI designer with a focus on accessibility in RPGs, roguelikes, and virtual TTRPGs. Some of his favorite games include Hades, Baulder’s Gate 3, and In Stars and Time. | Bio | Kaz is a writer and artist working in indie games. Some of their favorite games include the Mother series, Final Fantasy 14, and Pokemon. |
Photos
Leaders
Greg McGuinness
Phoebe Current
Ash Caplan
Veronica Barsotti Magnani
Abby Conrad
Contact
Use this form to contact the IGDA LGBTQ+ Special Interest Group.