Popular gaming convention GaymerX is heading to New York City, at least it will if its newest campaign reaches its $34,000 goal. The convention will be held November 4th and 5th. For the uninitiated, GaymerX is a gaming convention designed to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community within gaming culture. The convention is open to everyone, of course. Don’t feel like you’re missing out if you don’t identify as such.
There have been seven events since the first convention was Kickstarted in 2012, and has been hosted in several cities around the world. Some of the previous stops on this rainbow tour have been San Francisco, San Jose, Sydney, and Santa Clara. GaymerX East will mark the first time the event has been held east of the Mississippi River.
Not a Sure Thing
This new location is not without its problems, however. As stated in the Risks and Challenges section, the event this year is being held in a hotels and convention centers, and event planner Midboss was unable to secure an adjacent hotel for guests to stay. This means anyone cosplaying as Cliqist’s lovable mascot and Editor in Chief Greg Micek will have to trek across the city with their chains, axes, and white body paint.
And, according to New York law, due to the event being held on the upper floors of these hotels, a photo ID badge will need to be presented whenever you enter. This can be a problem for any trans guests, undocumented attendants, or anyone wishing for a level of privacy. Midboss says it’s a simple process of scanning your ID on a machine when you enter. They’ll do their best to provide guests with privacy, but this still could be an issue.
In this political climate, inside and outside of gaming, this event is more important than ever this year. To give people of any walk of life a safe space to talk about a shared interest is important. The world gets scarier every day, especially here in the United States. For many, even a two day event like this is the best relief they may get.
Every GamerX Kickstarter campaign has been a runaway success so far. With the event heading to a new location, New York of all places, chances are it’ll do gangbusters.
