The Rainbow Arcade Group is a community of individuals who identify as LGBTQIA+ and share a passion for creating safe, welcoming, and inclusive spaces in the online world. The group consists of streamers who use various online platforms to share their content, such as live streams, videos, and podcasts. The Rainbow Arcade Group is committed to representing and celebrating the diversity within the LGBTQIA+ community, including people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities.
Recently, several members of the group spoke to Game ZXC about the challenges and successes the group has faced over the years. Members by the usernames of Peachy Aenne, Spofie, Rookuri, and Dona Tarte discussed how the group is working toward making the online space more inclusive. During the interview, they discussed their hope to raise awareness about the challenges faced by marginalized communities and to foster a greater sense of understanding and compassion. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Q: Can you tell us about Rainbow Arcade's mission and goals as a group?
DONA: The core of Rainbow Arcade has been to make sure all corners of the LGBTQIA+ community are represented and given the opportunity to shine in the team. I feel we have so many beautiful individuals whose experience has helped a lot of us grow into better people and allies to marginalized communities.
ROOK: Rainbow Arcade’s mission is to bring together a team of LGBTQIA+ content creators that strive to put inclusive, safe, uplifting, and welcoming spaces at the forefront of the gaming community and beyond. We try to amplify and empower LGBTQIA+ voices online to show that the online space is so much more diverse than it has historically been represented as being.
Q: How did Rainbow Arcade come about, and what inspired you to be a part of this safe space on Twitch for the LGBTQIA+ community?
DONA: I had seen the team featuring quite a few prominent LGBTQ+ members on Twitch. I found being one of very few Drag artists on Twitch this side of Europe really pushed me to realize how little spotlight we had. Getting to join this vibrant and lovely team offered me the chance to find out about issues facing other members of the community and how I can grow as a person to represent all while respecting those who lay the groundwork.
SPOFIE: The Rainbow Arcade came together as the vision of Justin Moore with the goal of bringing LGBTQIA+ creators together. I was a part of the originally invited group to join the team and was so excited to take part in the dedicated space for marginalized creators.
ROOK: I was inspired to join after seeing many creators I admired become a part of the team and witnessing the good that was being done for the LGBTQIA+ community. It can seem daunting as a streamer to put forward parts of your identity that might make you a target for hate, but after living so much of my life trying to hide who I was, I knew I wanted to show others that there is a happier, more open way to live. I wanted to share that journey with others and help give them hope. Stepping into a dark tunnel on your own is terrifying, but if others go before you to light the way, what is a daunting, unknowable path becomes a journey that is far more encouraging.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about some of the personal experiences or challenges that you have faced as LGBTQIA+ streamer and content creator?
AENNE: There are constant challenges coming from people outside the queer community and from within the queer community itself, both making games and playing games come with its own different issues. A lot of it is just downright hateful comments. In making games, some people within the LGBTQIA+ community see that, because the queer characters you make don't match them or aren't their ideal queer character, that you're being hateful and not inclusive. LGBTQIA+ people are not a monolith, we are all different, and we include our own experiences of being queer in our games. It's all out of love and to bring more queer stories for people to enjoy. Sometimes the most hurtful comments are from your own communities.
SPOFIE: I’ve honestly been very lucky in the sense that the Final Fantasy 14 community, which is the main game I stream, is incredibly diverse and welcoming. There’s a huge LGBTQIA+ community in Final Fantasy 14, and I’ve always felt comfortable expressing myself. That being said, using the LGBQTIA+ tag on Twitch definitely brings in its fair share of trolls, and I often feel pressured to talk about my sexuality at random times. Folks will come in with less than respectful comments demanding I identify myself.
ROOK: Being an LGBTQIA+ streamer and content creator can bring big and small challenges. The small challenges are usually minor things like listening to the same joke a hundred times: "Oh you're pansexual? Does that mean you're attracted to cooking pans?" It doesn't actually, weirdly enough! It's a part of my identity and one that took a lot of struggle to come to terms with. Big challenges often come in the form of constantly having to fight for a place that is often freely given to others that are perceived as being 'the norm’. Time and time again, myself and other creators are passed over for opportunities, berated in YouTube comments, or harassed in chat, while oftentimes cis white men are accepted, lauded, and upheld as the standard. The key is giving it your all when you do have those chances to show companies and individuals both that every unique voice in this space has worth.
DONA: I received a lot of kickback regarding drag, being queer, and being a masc presenting person. This included people attempting to dox me and many other drag artists on the platform. As much of a blur as all of that was, I cherish that it introduced more queer and trans members to what was at the time, our very tiny community.
Q: Can you talk about some of the challenges you've faced as a team, and how you've worked to overcome them?
Dona: The team being quite diverse gave everyone an insight into a lot of the challenges the team deals with individually. Twitch eventually introduced more security measures to help protect more creators only after so many were affected negatively. The group shared a lot of advice and lists or warnings of hate raids, specific users that are dangerous, or just tech tips to ensure our safety. Amazing moderators, staff, and positive community members really make it run smoothly!
ROOK: There was a horrible outbreak of racism, discrimination, and hatred that swept across Twitch in the last few years in the form of hate raids. These targeted attacks flood a channel with bots that spew hateful messages revolving around sexuality, gender, race, or any number of other factors. When Twitch struggled to provide resources through the platform itself to support streamers targeted by these efforts, many members of RA jumped in to help create and share banned account lists and tools that could help. Team members joined in to help moderate others' channels during onslaughts, boosted social media posts, advocated, and shared opportunities behind the scenes.
Q: Can you tell us about some of the events or activities Rainbow Arcade has organized in the past, and what you have planned for the future?
SPOFIE: Rainbow Arcade has put on some incredible Pride events, talking panels, and fundraising, working with the American Heart Association on a yearly basis to raise funds as a team. We’re looking forward to bringing the team back onto the scene this Pride with fun events!
ROOK: 2020 was definitely our most ambitious and active year. In January, the team raised over $21,000 to help WWF_Australia in the wake of the bushfire that devastated the region. In that same year, we highlighted team members through video features for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Lesbian Visibility day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Disability Pride Month, and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. We collaborated with Queer Black Excellence and our group raised $10k in one stream for Trans Lifeline.
Q: How does Rainbow Arcade ensure that all members feel included and valued in the group?
SPOFIE: We have a large admin team filled with folks who have expressed their interest in putting that extra work into the team, and everyone in the team knows they can be part of the leadership if that is their goal. We try to be 100% transparent about goals and changes within the team, and events are inclusive and open to all team members.
AENNE: We listen and respect each other. Language and ideas are always changing, and we are always listening to how we can better ourselves within our community. We share what we can and tag people when they are relevant and would want to contribute.
Q: Can you speak to the importance of diversity and representation within the LGBTQIA+ community, and how Rainbow Arcade works to promote these values?
SPOFIE: I think the biggest thing as an LGBTQIA+ woman on Twitch has always been feeling different in some way. Even when I go to raid folks, I always prioritize raiding within the LGBTQIA+ community because I have more confidence that the marginalized folks in my community will feel safer in these streams. It’s so important to have representation and a role model that you can relate to, and giving more platforms to diverse folks to share their talents is incredibly important.
ROOK: Identity is incredibly complex. While members of Rainbow Arcade may share certain identities or relate to one another in experiences, there are so many factors beyond any of us just being LGBTQIA+ that shape us. It’s important to acknowledge the struggles and celebrations of the full spectrum of diversity within our team.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who is struggling to find a supportive community on Twitch or in real life?
SPOFIE: I’ve had some really bad experiences on Twitch and in gaming with unwelcoming communities, but I feel so blessed to be in a place where I am surrounded by supportive and diverse individuals now. The more you understand your own values and don’t settle for anyone who makes you feel less than others in any way, the better!
AENNE: Tags have been an amazing asset to find people like ourselves. I can search the nonbinary or ADHD tags and instantly know that the people that show up understand me. Once you find a community, follow on with the people they raid. Remember, it's okay if you don't fit in with one community. There are thousands of communities on Twitch. Sometimes it takes a little patience, but just like in real life we don't always mesh with other people, and that's okay!
DONA: My advice would be to do research, find your local drag bars and artists, LGBTQIA+ groups, stores, or bookshops, and make sure you’re comfortable to be in those situations. Ultimately you could build a beautiful relationship with local communities via online gaming or book groups to get comfortable. As long as you put your safety first. then discover your spaces!
Q: How does Rainbow Arcade work to empower and support LGBTQIA+ streamers who are just starting out on Twitch?
SPOFIE: We welcome folks of any size to apply to the team. There are some bare minimum requirements to join, but we have many amazing streamers on the team who joined after only a couple of months of streaming on Twitch.
AENNE: Just by being an LGBTQIA group, we are a resource for people to learn from or reach out to. It gives people a place they know they will be welcome and safe.
Q: Can you talk about some of the future goals or aspirations that Rainbow Arcade has for the group and its impact on the LGBTQIA+ community?
SPOFIE: We’d love to do more effective fundraising within the LGBQTIA+ community and figure out as a team how to better support the overall LGBTQIA+ team on Twitch.
AENNE: Bring in more streamers to the community, since Twitch is ever-growing. We want to have a bigger presence on Twitch and continue to make our team a safe space.
Q: Can you share a message to viewers and supporters of Rainbow Arcade about the importance of creating and maintaining safe and welcoming spaces for the LGBTQIA+ Community?
DONA:Know your importance as an LGBTQIA+ person. You could be that person that the next generation gets to understand how normal being queer and/or trans is, and that representation can be life-saving. I can only hope that our platform can do that for many more.
ROOK: Whether it’s someone that’s struggling with their mental health or someone who’s looking for acceptance in an online medium that they can’t find in real life, we all have the power to uplift, accept, welcome, embrace, empower, and educate. Whether LGBTQIA+ or not, we’ve all had those times when we believe we have no place in the world only to find there is one waiting for us. That is the very real power that curating a space where people can be themselves can have online.