Gay Planet 4 Lyfe
When Bioware announced that they were going to make Star Wars: The Old Republic more inclusive by having one planet where same sex characters flirt with each other, reactions were split. Some on either side of the homophobia divide cried foul, with homophobic folks fearful and angry that any queerness would be permitted in their science fiction fantasy, and those looking for a more equal opportunity Star Wars world incensed at the concept of a “gay ghetto of the galaxy”.
On the other side of the spectrum were people such as myself who said “Gay planet? I want to go too!” It might sound a little self discriminatory, but there are times when I’d be happy to be the last straight person on Earth. Now I may get my chance at that, at least in game form. The QUILTBAG game jam, an event dedicated to the “gay planet” concept, is going on right now in Cambridge, MA at the MIT Game Lab. The event is co-directed by Depression Quest‘s Zoe Quinn and features guest speaker Christine Love. I’ll be heading down there myself at some point over the weekend, but if you’re too far from Cambridge to attend, you can participate over the internet. I can’t wait to see what games come from this thing. If they’re half as good as the stuff form the Adventure Time Game Jam, we’re in for a treat.
