‘Games Done Quick’ Quits Out Over Don’t Say Gay – Above the Law

If you’ve ever wanted to feel inadequate when it comes to your Dark Souls clear time while channeling your inner Young Thug, boy, do I have the thing for you! Games Done Quick is a classic standby in the subset of the nerd community that thinks empathy is a good thing. That means that Randians looking for a fun venue to play games for a good cause aren’t missing out on much — they’re somewhere thinking that selfishness is a virtue or something — all the other gamers in Florida better look for a strong internet connection in the meantime.

“While we would love to return in-person, we’ve determined that to provide a safe and welcoming event to all, it was best that we move away from our originally planned location in Florida,” wrote GDQ on its website. “Given the state’s continued disregard for covid-19’s dangers (including anti-mandate vaccination policies) and an increased aggression toward LGBTQ+ individuals, including the law colloquially known as ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ we do not believe it is a safe place for our community at this time.”

It’s a shame, really. GDQ is one of those strange blends of entertaining and good work. This video from two years ago has over 1 million views and the collective gaming has raised over $35 million in the fight against cancer. Despite that, moving the gaming online in the interests of safety is a valid concern. Last August, three people who allegedly beat a gay man until he was left blind were charged with a hate crime. I’m all for fighting games, but if I were hosting a huge event and had worries that one of my gaymer patrons would get their ass beat outside of the convention just for showing up, I’d have some cold feet too. Once you mix in huffing and puffing over mask wearing (especially at an event that may have increased exposure risk for the immunocompromised), it really just seems like a liability.

The news isn’t all grim though. Games Done Quick will still run virtually from Jan. 8th to the 15th! By the way, check out the Dark Souls speed run if you’ve ever played it. It is so good.

Video Game Event In Florida Called Off Because Of State’s Stances [WaPo]

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.