Kacey

We sat down with Kacey, a streamer working on trans and lesbian advocacy.

QRM: Can you tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do in the games industry?

Kacey: My name is Kacey and I'm an openly transgender streamer on Twitch.tv. I'm a Twitch Affiliate! I stream a variety of games that appeal to me, and I'm building a community of love and acceptance for all, and I'm already extremely proud of where we are.

QRM: How long have you been involved in the game industry, and what projects have you worked on? What are you working on currently?

Kacey: I started streaming as a hobby back when I was around 13-14 years old, give or take, on Justin.tv. Once Twitch.tv was launched in 2011, I immediately took to it, and streamed on and off over the next few years. In 2017, I discovered I was transgender, changed my usernames just about everywhere that let me, and began taking my streams more seriously, in hopes of turning this hobby I enjoyed into a means to make a difference. Late 2017, I was approved to be a Twitch Affiliate, and am currently working on a couple of show ideas to attempt over the course of the next year.

QRM: What inspired you to get started in the games industry?

Kacey: My inspiration was sparked by a number of sources. The catalyst for everything was me realizing what I wanted in life, which let me overcome a very rough period of depression. I wanted to entertain! In middle school I ended up watching a lot of Comedy Central on TV, and getting exposed to a lot of different stand-up artists and comedy in general. This was also around the time when people playing video games on YouTube started popping up. Gaming was my only hobby at the time, and seeing people be able to combine my favorite form of entertainment with my favorite pass time was a dream come true.

Then I discovered that people were doing this with a live audience over on Justin.tv, and after watching a few streams I knew that this was a hobby I needed to dive into, never expecting it to blossom into what it is today.

QRM: Do you have a favourite queer character—in games or media more generally? If so, what is it about them that makes them your favourite?
Question asked by @kamienw.

Kacey: Flea from Chrono Trigger. I played Chrono Trigger for the first time last year, knowing just about nothing about it. This was also early on in my new life as Kacey, which started not too long earlier. The entire section of the game where Flea makes their appearance is extremely memorable to me, especially my first time reading the famous line...

"Male... Female... what does it matter? Power is beautiful, and I've got the power!"

QRM: Why do you think it is important that queer audiences are able to see themselves represented in the games they play, and in the developers who make the games they see? What can we do to improve the industry for queer audiences and devs?

Kacey: So a large majority of my life was spent not questioning myself at all. Growing up, I was straight and male and that was the vast majority I saw in the games I played, the internet content I watched, etc. I never had a chance to experience a queer character in a way that could have sparked me finding myself sooner than I did.

I was 21 when I first began questioning my identity. Maybe around 18 when I first even heard of being transgender, by a friend coming out to me as trans. It was a concept I was absolutely unfamiliar with, and couldn't even fathom initially. I think that really speaks volumes about where queer representation was in gaming and general media for a long time. That I could go 18 years of my life completely unexposed to what would become my own identity.

Ever since I've embraced my identity as a trans woman, I've been immensely happier. Being able to know who I am changed my life for the better, and this is why I think having queer representation is vital. I think it can serve a very key role in self-discovery and acceptance.

As for improving the industry for queer audiences and developers, I think the current most important step is for creators to cultivate more friendly communities and environments. Not just queer creators; I think that anybody can have a notable impact on improving the industry for queer individuals by simply making sure that they're forging a community that will welcome all walks of life. Hostility in gaming is high at the moment, and this is something that I hope we can ALL combat with love and acceptance.

QRM: In what ways can non-queer folk increase and support queer diversity present within games, as well as in the industry more broadly? How can we all work to support intersectional approaches to diversity, and why is this important?

Kacey: Like most solutions to most problems, this will likely be easier said than done, but I think a great way to increase queer diversity in the gaming industry would be to have more queer leading roles. I see queer characters get stuck as forgettable side characters far too often. Hire more queer writers in general if you're worried about not being able to get the representation right.

As of now, I can't think of a single game that I've played where a leading role was a transgender character. As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't even familiar with the concept until I was 18. Give people more chances to be exposed to these concepts. Someone being able to forge a connection and truly discover something new about their identity can be instrumental in their future happiness. This is why I think it's critically important that more opportunities to make that discovery and have a character they can relate to get put out there.

QRM: Is there a message that you would like to share with the queer game players, game studies researchers, and other interested folks who comprise the Queerly Represent Me community?

Kacey: This is coming from a very genuine, very special place in my heart. Pursue what you're passionate about. Be proud of your accomplishments. Let yourself enjoy your successes, no matter the scale. There's a lot of work to do, but I'm certain that our efforts will result in change. Stay positive, and remember to spread love.

*

You can find Kacey on Twitter.
You can catch her streams here!