We’re Here, We’re Queer and We Love the Legend of Zelda

In a subculture rife with misogyny and homophobia, a few enterprising players are building a movement around the intersection of gamer culture and LGBTQ pride.

Photos & GIFs by Alex Thebez

Upon my arrival at the InterContinental San Francisco, I was greeted by an enthusiastic kid no more than 20 years old, in a blue T-shirt with the word “Sprite” on the front (the fairy, not the beverage). He told me to “please feel free to put your preferred gender pronoun on your nametag.” Over the following three days of GaymerX2, the second annual convention for LGTBQ game enthusiasts, the nametags helped fellow gamers refer to my boyfriend and me by our chosen pronouns (him and him), aided us in addressing a young man dressed up as Sheik  —  an exiled princess from the video game Zelda who dresses as a man  —  (simply “Sheik”); a masculine lesbian dressed as a cyborg (she/her); an indeterminate person with eye shadow, elf-ears, white hair, facial paint, and suit of armor (unknown); and the other 2,000 genderqueer, trans, transitioning, female, male and androgynous game enthusiasts by their preferred pronouns. Of course, even if I slipped up, the attendee…