PAX East 2022: thegameHERS are Creating New Spaces, Programs, and Opportunities for Women in Gaming and Esports
I owe pretty much my entire start in this gaming thing to women. If it wasn’t for the Frag Dolls’ mentorship while I worked with them at my first ever PAX East shows (and to this day for that matter), and for Steph at Rebel Gaming for giving me my very first shot at writing about video games for her site… Who knows. Maybe WGG doesn’t even exist in the first place.
I had heard of thegameHERS prior to my arrival at PAX East this year, but I hadn’t had a chance yet to really dig into what they had going on in their community. Luckily, I had a chance to sit down with co-founder Rebecca Dixon for a few minutes at the show and change all that.
For the uninitiated, thegameHERS is an organization and mobile app that is creating a safe & supportive space for women and femme identifying gamers to meet, chat, & play. As you can see from the link below, they organize professional development events to bring together women in the gaming space, and Rebecca was kind enough to shed additional light on their mission and what sets them apart from other orgs with a similar focus.
It’s no secret that the past couple of years have been filled with sickening stories about the treatment that women in the gaming industry have endured and survived. This isn’t anything new, of course, but the past three-plus years have shown a major tectonic shift in the way these stories are amplified, and the way the gaming industry has moved to support those who’ve gone through these situations and have been brave enough to tell their stories.
thegameHERS absolutely recognizes that, and looks to continue to empower women and femme identifying gamers – whether they’re in game development, content creation, esports, or just love gaming. But their org mainly seeks focus on celebrating the successes and amplifying (and creating) positive stories and experiences for anyone in their community and beyond.
My conversation with Rebecca was nothing short of uplifting and inspiring, and if I could get that impression while we’re shouting to hear one another on a convention floor – I can only imagine the incredible experiences and relationships they’re helping to build inside their community.
To learn more about thegameHERS, check out their official website and Twitter.
