The last few years have seen some big strides in the direction of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the world of video games. Triple-A games like Mass Effect 3 have included gay romance storylines, and series like Life is Strange include several gay or bisexual characters. While there is still a lot of progress to be made, this year's GLAAD Media Awards honored two video games from last year for their excellent representation.
GLAAD was founded in 1985 as the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and hosted its first award show in 1990 to celebrate different television programs for outstanding gay and lesbian representation. GLAAD has since done away with its acronym, a move designed to include transgender and bisexual people under its umbrella, and expanded its award ceremony to include nominees from film, print media, and video games. Earlier this year GLAAD announced its 2021 nominees for Outstanding Video Game, and during the ceremony on April 8, the winner was revealed to be a tie.
The trophy (trophies) for Outstanding Video Game went to DONTNOD Entertainment's Tell Me Why and Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part 2. Tell Me Why tells the story of a transgender man named Tyler reuniting with his twin sister following their mother's death, and The Last of Us Part 2 features a gay protagonist in the form of Ellie, a young woman out for revenge in a post-apocalyptic United States.
Tell Me Why's portrayal of the transgender Tyler was widely praised by fans and critics, and while the character of Ellie received similar fanfare, there were some complaints about the characterization of the trans character Lev in the Last of Us Part 2. The main complaint is that members of Lev's former cult taunt him by calling him by his birth name, an act known as deadnaming. Others have pointed out that within the plot, the characters doing this are supposed to be bigoted foes, so it makes sense for them to treat Lev in a hurtful way. Some may feel this was still a step too far, however, GLAAD felt the game was deserving of the prestigious award for representation regardless.
The GLAAD Media Awards saw some big winners in other categories too. Schitt's Creek swept the Emmys late last year and won Outstanding Comedy Series at this year's GLAAD Awards. Happiest Season won for Outstanding Film, Star Trek: Discovery won for Outstanding Drama Series, and “20 LGBTQ+ People Working to Save Lives on the Frontline” won for Outstanding Print Article.
Interestingly, as representation continues to expand in games both big and small new events are popping-up to focus solely on LGBTQ+ representation in the video game world. Gayming Magazine hosted the first Gayming Awards earlier this year and Steam has been running LGBTQ+ sales events for the last several years now. Still, it's great for the gaming industry to be recognized and included in big, mainstream events like the GLAAD Media Awards.
Source: GLAAD.org