‘Girl Gamer Sydney Festival’ Is A Terrible Name For A Maybe Good Thing
Sydney will soon be getting an esports festival aimed at women, however its title is already drawing some troubled reactions.
Announced by the Australian Esports League yesterday, not much is currently known about the upcoming Girl Gamer Sydney Festival. No details have been revealed, including venue, date and exactly what the festival will entail.
Even so, it isn’t a stretch to say there will be esports matches between women in games such as Dota 2, League of Legends, CS:GO and Super Smash Bros. Previous Girl Gamer festivals included such matches, and the event’s registration of interest form lists a variety of popular competitive games.
GIRLGAMER, SYDNEY FESTIVAL IS COMING!
Stay tuned for the OFFICIAL press release to drop!Register your interest and be in the running to win a VIP ticket click on the link below!https://t.co/WNzayG0VaA#esports #esportsau #AEL #girlgamerfestival #festival pic.twitter.com/2ojfWOAhHc
— AEL (@AUesportsleague) April 29, 2019
The Girl Gamer Esports Festival‘s website describes itself as “the world’s leading event to celebrate and promote women’s competitiveness in esports”. Sydney will be its third festival, the first having been in Macau, China in 2017 and the second in Portugal last year. Both were run by Portuguese gaming association Grow uP eSports.
The Girl Gamer Sydney Festival appears to have its heart in the right place, aiming to encourage and nurture women in esports. However, some people in the local Australian games industry have raised concerns regarding the festival’s branding.
I said the same thing when I covered it last year haha
— Amy Potter (@hellomisspotter) April 29, 2019
Not alone, the term girlgamer triggers me a little haha but agreed the representation is important!
— Stacia Grooby ? (@GG_Domika) April 29, 2019
The term “girl gamer” has a long and loaded history in video games. “Girl gamer” and similar terms such as “gamer girl” or “gamer grrl” were born out of the idea that “real” gamers are inherently male, and are often used pejoratively or in an exclusionary manner to dismiss women.
The “girl gamer” label carries the condescending implication that women who play games are less than men who do, whether that be in skill, dedication or authenticity. It is also used derisively to indicate a belief that a woman is merely playing video games to garner male attention, rather than due to a genuine personal interest in games.
Many women who play games have thus shunned the term “girl gamer”, preferring instead to simply be called what they are: Gamers.
Men are more than welcome to come along
— AEL (@AUesportsleague) April 29, 2019
“Girl Gamer” is an uncomfortable name for an esports festival. It’s possible this is a cultural clash, and the term “girl gamer” doesn’t carry the same connotations in Portuguese. In Australia, however, it continues to incite a largely negative reaction.
Despite the less than ideal name, the Girl Gamer Sydney Festival could be an opportunity to bolster women in Australia’s esports community. Women in games are often seen as curiosities rather than competitors, and face barriers that men do not. An event such as this could help build a robust network of women who can support each other in the male-dominated scene.
I guess we’ll just have to pretend it’s called something else. A rose by any other name.
The Australian Esports League claims to have already received over 150 registrations of interest in the Girl Gamer Sydney Festival within 24 hours. Men are also allowed to attend.