Discreet Elite: A League Birthed from the Need for Change
The story of how one gameHER moved from being surrounded by online gaming toxicity to creating an inclusive gaming community that welcomed LGBT gamers, TGNC gamers, POC gamers, and even gamers elsewhere considered too “extra”
By Victoria Von Blaque
The very first game I fell for hard-core was the DC Universe online. It covered pretty much all of my wants and needs for a video game. This game came out in a very interesting time of my life and it was my only refuge from my fucked-up reality.
I was living in Columbus, Georgia with no friends in the area and working from home. I would spend about 18 hours a day on this game and that’s only because they had reset and the world would shut down. One of my favorite features of the game was the voice changer. Being a well-known Phone Sex operator and Internet personality, I really didn’t want people to recognize me during my self-care time.
Now this game came out in 2011, not too long ago, but at this time we had our first openly black president. Most POC, but more specifically Black people, will inevitably be called the “N” word in-game. If you’re an obvious member of the LGBT community, you would receive the same treatment. So basically if you’re marginalized IRL you had a target on your back even in video games.
After a few months of discrimination and disrespect, I was too gay for the cishet white pervert and too confusing for the self-hating queer. I got with a few of my friends and made my own league called Discreet Elite. A place where you can be your authentic self without hearing things like “What are you doing out the kitchen little black girl” or “ you don’t belong here, you’re a freak of nature who couldn’t cut it as a man”.
Webster defines community as
”a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”
Video games are self-care for a lot of us, no one needs to be stressed out trying to relieve stress! A video game should be a safe haven for people who just want to be entertained in a healthy environment.
Discreet Elite was birthed from the need for change. I wanted to create a safe place for people who were told they were too Black, too femme, too Queer and yes even too much or too extra. I wanted people who were sick and tired of being censored simply because of who they were to have community. Discreet Elite was my opportunity to have the community online that I wish I had in real life. Once we were established, many players gravitated to us. We always had a great time in the league. Not everyone who joined was LGBT or TGNC, and we accepted all respectable allies. We learn from each other, even a few cishet guys became better members of society. I was able to create a peaceful environment for a competitive gamer as well as a leisurely player.
Now in 2020, the*gameHERs has created a similar community on a bigger scale! Now there is a place where all who identify as female or non-binary can congregate and share their experiences with gaming with supportive allies joining them. With that being said, let your hair down, loosen up your girdles and let’s talk about what really matters: Do you think the new PS5 is going to have cross-platform capabilities? God I hope so! All allies are welcomed but please be aware of the space you take up. Thank you for taking the time to read about my experiences, I look forward to hearing about yours.
Victoria Von Blaque, photo courtesy of the author
About the Author:
Victoria Von Blaque has gone by many names as she navigated her discovery as a transgendered woman, especially during her sex work phases, which started after graduating from college in 2004. Born and raised in Long Beach, Long Island, the art of seduction and manipulation came very easy to her. In a time when Eurocentric standards of beauty dominated porn, she became the internet’s first BBW trans porn star! After finding her niche and refusing to sell out to a man, she started her own company, Femme Fatale, LLC. She had her hand in just about every opportunity in the trans adult entertainment field, ranging from video porn to phone sex, and everything in between. In 2014 she retired from adult entertainment but has been a continuous advocate for the industry.
In 2015, Victoria shifted her focus and started working for a nonprofit. The center’s goal is to protect LGBTQ youth from the harms of homelessness and empowering them with the tools needed to live independently.
Her life experience as a transgendered woman, cultural enterprise consultant, and someone who has experienced discrimination makes her an invaluable resource to the TGNC community.
For more work by Victoria Von Blaque, check out: Being Lara Croft, and this interview!
Like what you read? SIGN UP to join the free gameHERs community and get the latest articles, raffles, and podcast & event updates. Want to be featured on our blog? Please email us at letsplay@thegamehers.com and tell us a bit about yourself and the topic(s) you would like to write about.
Like this post? Spread the word! Click the icons below to share it on social media: