About Tanya DePass

New This Year at GaymerX – Diversity Theatre

The Expo Hall at GaymerX this year features a first, The Diversity Theater. Here companies and organizations will showcase their initiatives, offerings, and recruitment opportunities. Reinforcing the truth that diversity isn’t merely accepted in today’s game and tech industry, it’s in demand.

We’re excited about this great addition to our expo hall, where attendees can meet representatives from companies like Intel, Microsoft, LinkedIn and Patreon!

Microsoft Session: ID@Xbox Program overview 4:30 – 5:20 pm

Becoming an independent developer and shipping games is easier than it ever has been, but finding success as a developer is as challenging as ever. In this talk, you’ll learn about Microsoft’s ID@Xbox program for independent developers, as well as our take on essential issues that developers need to address during development to maximize your chances for commercial success with your game.

Stop by the Intel Booth: #504

In the Diversity Theatre:

  • Friday 1:30 – 2:20 pm
  • Saturday: 1:00 – 1:50 pm
  • Sunday: 1:00 – 1:50 pm

Linked In

In the Diversity Theatre:

  • Friday: 2:30 – 3:20 pm
  • Saturday: 12:00 – 12:50 pm

Patreon

In the Diversity Theatre:

  • Friday: 2:30 – 3:20 pm
  • Saturday: 2:00 – 2:50 pm
  • Sunday: 2:00 – 2:50 pm

Returning for GaymerX 4 – Safe Spaces!

Hi friends and family!

Remember last year when we introduced a POC Safe Space at GX3? It was a hit and welcome by our POC community members. During post-convention feedback, we heard that others would like a safe space as well, and because we want GaymerX to be a safe, happy and enjoyable convention, this year we’ve expanded our Safe Space to a dedicated room for the entire convention. Unfortunately, due to space we can’t have a room per group, but there is one room for those who may need some time away, or who might want to discuss a panel they just were at, or just meet others in a quiet, less crowded space.

GaymerX 3

This year’s safe space is is Bayshore Room West aka Safe Space Lounge

 

Friday: 11am – 11pm

  • 11am – 1pm: Ace Safe Space
  • 1pm – 3pm: POC Safe Space
  • 3pm – 5pm: Trans Safe Space
  • 5pm – 7pm: Disabled Safe Space
  • 7pm – 9pm: Women’s Safe Space
  • 9pm – 11pm: Nonbinary Safe Space

 

Saturday: 10am – 10pm

  • 10am – 12pm: Nonbinary Safe Space
  • 12pm – 2pm: Women’s Safe Space
  • 2pm – 4pm: Disabled Safe Space
  • 4pm – 6pm: Trans Safe Space
  • 6pm – 8pm: POC Safe Space
  • 8pm – 10pm: Ace Safe Space

Sunday: 12pm – 6pm

  • 12pm – 1pm: Disabled Safe Space
  • 1pm – 2pm: Trans Safe Space
  • 2pm – 3pm: POC Safe Space
  • 3pm – 4pm: Ace Safe Space
  • 4pm – 5pm: Nonbinary Safe Space
  • 5pm – 6pm: Women’s Safe Space

GaymerX convention staff asks that all attendees respect and observe this decision to make a safe space available for attendees. This is the second year we will have a safe space for our attendees, and your feedback will only help us improve as we move forward in making GX an even more diverse, welcoming and safe space for everyone.

Questions, concerns or other issues can be directed to  and will be answered by our Diversity Liaison, Tanya DePass

Call for more programming submissions from our POC community members!

GaymerX_YearFour_Logo_WEB

Hi!

I’m putting on my Diversity Liaison hat before I start waving at you for a moment of your time. GaymerX 4 is coming up this fall and programming suggestions are open until July 1st. Convention content comes from the community. We want and need more POC on panels that are NOT just about diversity.

We know there’s a great community of game makers, podcasters, cosplayers, artists, musicians and more who should submit programming items for GX4! There’s more to our stories than being a marginalized identity within another marginalized identity.

We love games, all facets of making them. So bring your knowledge to GX4 and let’s make this year better for representation across all programming and events September 30 – October 2nd

 

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Hello one and all! Thank you for being as excited about GX4 as we are. We love how diverse our community is and look forward to building this year’s programming together. So without further ado please fill out the form below to submit for a Panel, Talk, Workshop, or Networking event. Programming submissions will be open until July 1, 2016.

Programming Submissions – Submit a talk, a panel, or a workshop!

If you want to request a slot for a tabletop game please fill out our Tabletop Form! Tabletop Form Submissions are open

Co-presenters must fill out an additional form and confirm attendance on sched.org or will need to confirm their information through a handler. Failure to do so can result in your program item being cancelled. Co-presenter form

Should you have any questions or problems please email:

 

If you have questions about diversity and GaymerX, you can email

Thank you,

Tanya DePass

GaymerX Diversity Liaison

 

New at GX3! Announcing POC Safe Space

Because GX3 is a physical space that extends into the virtual spaces of twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc, one of the things we should provide is space for in-person networking and socialization for our POC attendees.

The decision to have this space was made as part of our commitment to the mission statement of GX:

GaymerX seeks to make the gaming world safer and more inclusive to marginalized people, especially those in the gender and sexuality spectrum. Creating Better Practices for safety and inclusiveness in physical and online gaming spaces. This can mean rules and enforcement but more-so helpful guidelines and tools for people to interact with one another as well as exposure to rarely discussed social concepts and issues that help people relate and empathize with one another.

The POC Safe space will be in Rooms Turing A/Turing B during the following times:

Friday: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Saturday: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Sunday: 3:00 – 4:30 pm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GaymerX convention staff asks that all attendees respect and observe this decision to make a safe space available for our POC attendees. This is the first year we will have a POC safe space for our attendees, and your feedback will only help us improve as we move forward in making GX an even more diverse, welcoming and safe space for you.

Questions, concerns or other issues can be directed to  and will be answered by our Diversity Liaison, Tanya DePass.

Cheers!

Hi from your @GaymerX Diversity Liaison!

GaymerX.com

I’m really, really happy to announce that I am part of the GaymerX staff as the Diversity Liaison for GX3!

What does this mean exactly? Well, I’m helping to review programming in order to make sure that panels have a diverse range of speakers, and also that the convention’s programming meets the GaymerX Mission Statement;

GaymerX seeks to make the gaming world safer and more inclusive to marginalized people, especially those in the gender and sexuality spectrum. This is handled in three major ways.

Making Progress Fun is a big factor in the way that GaymerX does things. When people are genuinely excited and engaged by a concept or a technique they are far more likely to learn it and put it into practice. Gaming, socializing, and partying can be effective avenues to test out social conditions that favor inclusiveness and conflict resolution.

Creating Better Practices for safety and inclusiveness in physical and online gaming spaces. This can mean rules and enforcement but more-so helpful guidelines and tools for people to interact with one another as well as exposure to rarely discussed social concepts and issues that help people relate and empathize with one another.

The GX Convention is a yearly event where all of GaymerX’s work can be put into practice. It is a physical space where people can meet and interact in a different way than they would at a mainstream gaming event. When people know that the event’s audience, volunteers, staff, vendors, and guests are all supportive of their identity and open to discuss conflicts, it creates a unique positive atmosphere of comfort and inclusiveness.

So how can you contact me if there’s a problem/concern/question about diversity and the convention?

You can email and I’ll get it. I’ll do my best to respond within 1-2 days. If it is urgent please note that in the body of your message so I can try to get back to you on the same day if possible.

I’ll be at the convention in San Jose December 11 – 13th, 2015 roaming around, go to and doing paneling. If you need me for anything at-con, I’ll let folks know how to find me there.

Last of all, don’t forget panel and RPG event submission is open until September 1st!

Looking forward to meeting you all in December!

Cheers,

Tanya