Why You Should Be Even More Excited About Tracer, Fl4k, and The Elder Scrolls

The past few years have seen more LGBT+ representation in a single short year than decades previously — and 2019 is no exception. From Borderlands 3 launching with its non-binary beastmaster, Fl4k, to Elder Scrolls Online winning of a GLAAD Media Award for its quest about canonically transgender entertainer, Alchemy, this year has seen intense positivity for the LGBT+ community.

In fact, according to GLAAD's "Where We Are on TV" study, LGBT+ representation is up almost across the board. Nearly 20% of films last year featured LGBT+ characters. It goes without saying this is an incredible boon for the community. Getting positive daily representation in front of more eyeballs can have a huge impact on our lives.

Who can forget the flagship Life is Strange and Last of Us franchises that brought in waves of enthusiasm and excitement from the community? Not to mention the existence of our favorite standbys such as The Sims.

It's no secret that the average individual — let alone United States citizen — absorbs copious amounts of media each day. Whether in the form of movies, TV shows, or our beloved video games, we spend more than 11 hours per day consuming media, according to a Nielsen Audience Report from last year. That's nearly half the entire day being subjected to messages in every format available.

While some people might not want to admit it, we are almost comically susceptible to what these messages have to say. That is evident in the reflected lower self-esteem of young women — and, to a lesser extent, men — after seeing images they don't fit into. It's why people are constantly pushing for empowerment. Therefore, it makes sense that a negative image of any certain community will stick in our heads and influence our thoughts, choices, and actions.

This can lead to awful ramifications, including lower self-esteem in the marginalized demographic, social stigma, violence, and discriminatory legislation. One fifth of non-heterosexual individuals and a quarter of transgender individuals will experience a hate crime at some point in their lives, according to FBI statistics. In addition, 42 states still do not have legislation prohibiting the infamous "gay/trans panic" defense in court.

Poor representation and stigma are among the largest influences negatively affecting LGBT+ youth. According to a GLSEN study from 2015, 85% of this demographic have experienced verbal harassment, while 27% have been physically harassed. They are also five times more likely to attempt suicide and are more than twice as likely to have a mental health condition as adults when compared to their heteronormative peers.

When asked for their favorite canonically LGBT+ character, two of the most common responses from my recent informal survey were either they didn't know many or didn't know any other options aside from Overwatch's Tracer. Representation, however larger it may feel, doesn't always trickle down like we think.

This is best summed up by one response from the survey where one individual said: "I think that maybe when there's more characters like me, my family will be more accepting when I come out."

Fortunately, research has shown that the opposite can also be true. That is to say that positive representation can lead to positive messages, which in turn has the opportunity to uplift the community rather than shove it down.

Aren't we lucky that studios like Bioware and Bethesda Softworks have been and continue to be pioneers in the realm of LGBT+ inclusion and representation? These two have been championing the cause before the cause was tangible with abundant same-sex romance options and an atmosphere of complete indifference and normalcy surrounding it.

Research has shown that acceptance toward LGBT+ individuals, especially children, leads to much more positive futures.

Not only that, but the decision to include LGBT+ content has real world impact on real people. In my survey, when asked about what representation meant to them, the most common responses were feeling happy, accepted, and "normal."

One responded, "You see a character who’s going through what you did. Feeling what you felt. Being able to relate to them means the absolute world."

"I always get this strange rush of happiness whenever I see us in media. You feel accepted and included," said another.

Perhaps, in the simplest terms, "It means that I am seen, that my story, my existence is valid."

Again, we see the point of individuals feeling validated on whatever subconscious level via the images they see around them.

Of the individuals who answered the survey, about 73% said they felt excited when they saw LGBT+ characters in their games, and 66% said they wanted more or better representation and 53% want companies to produce more LGBT+ content overall.

For those executives searching for corporate incentive, it should also be noted that the majority of people surveyed put in a little extra consideration for games that feature this content—nearly 56%.

This isn't just pandering to a small section of people. There are around 211 million people (67%) who regularly play video games in the United States. If about 9 million (4%) of citizens identify as LGBT+, then there is definitely no small amount of "gaymers" in the online community. In fact, in a study conducted by Jason Rockwood of the gaming community in 2006, 23% of those surveyed identified themselves as such.

The point I'm trying to make here is that not only is more representation good and accurate, it's also important. It's impactful. It sends a message to real people that has the potential to open minds and inspire acceptance where it might not have been before.

So, next time you see someone upset about having to call Fl4k by their correct pronouns, remember what their presence means to the other 9 million US citizens you haven't met.

"It means that I'm not alone and I'm allowed to be the hero."

Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment, Miki Montlló