Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is Proud of Modern Video Game Representation
Last night at the 30th annual GLAAD awards, the Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset won the organization’s first Outstanding Video Game award thanks to the “Manor of Masques” questline.
Summerset was selected as the winner on account of how the quest handled challenging circumstances people in the LGBTQ+ community faces often – coming out and acceptance – in a realistic way that many trans people experience every day. The “Manor of Masques” quest requires players to help a transgender woman reunite with an estranged twin sister.
GLAAD chief programs officer Zeke Stokes said “The video game landscape is ever-expanding, and it’s critical that all players see themselves represented fairly and accurately in the content. LGBTQ people are an important and growing part of the gaming community, and we are so proud to honor an impressive slate of nominees in this first year.”
Other nominees included Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, The Sims Mobile, Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire, and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire. GLAAD decided back in January to include the Outstanding Video Game category thanks to the rise and influence of LGBTQ representation in modern video games.
Elder Scrolls: Summerset is currently available for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. Some other recent LGBTQ+ representation wins in gaming lately include Final Fantasy joining the Mardi Gras parade in Sydney, Australia, Overwatch has a few openly gay characters, and so does the latest Battle Royale hit Apex Legends. Back in January, the Schwules Museum in Germany held an exhibit dedicated to LGBTQ+ content and developers.
SOURCE: GLAAD, GamesIndustry.Biz