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Hello to new folks who followed me for a shoutout about my reputation as a safe person in TTRPGs! I'd like to SPECIFICALLY talk about what I do to make people feel respected, heard, and comfortable whenever I run or write games to let you decide for yourself if that's earned.
I'm a Director for @Enkindle_LARP; we founded the group to combat problems we saw in many LARPs in our area. How we do it:
- Write games that highlight marginalized stories
- Push for the use of safety tools in LARPs
- Create a space where BIMPOC and queer folx feel represented
- Write games that highlight marginalized stories
- Push for the use of safety tools in LARPs
- Create a space where BIMPOC and queer folx feel represented
I refuse to play LARPs in my area that lack clear and easily-accessible anti-harassment and safety policies. To back this up, my game has championed the use of decompression after LARPing and has made our Safe Play documents free to use with attribution: https://www.attawaylarp.com/safe-play
I have a background in theater, education, and social justice. I use those skills at the game table to deescalate conflicts, create play experiences that address individuals' interests, and give other players chances to shine by building off their characters' themes and stories.
I've fought for social justice issues WRT BIMPOC and queer folx for years. I step back and reflect when people of different identities than mine tell me I've misstepped, and work to platform their voices instead of speaking FOR them. I write games that are explicitly anti-racist.
I'm most proud of my LARP company's work to change the overwhelmingly cishet white landscape of New England LARPing. AFAIK we're the only game around actively pushing the importance of decompression, upholding anti-harassment policies, and with a 40+% queer player/NPC population.
I'll be the first to admit that I always have more to learn and that I can do more to uplift other marginalized folx, as well as improve the culture of safety at my game tables. I hope this thread gives you some insight on what I'm doing to stay focused on that; it never ends.
I'm glad that current events in TTRPGs are motivating us to shoutout "safe" people but I've seen several people in those lists who I wouldn't feel comfortable playing with, either from observed behavior or direct personal experience with them. "Safe" is relative without evidence.
It's been said by others more concisely, but being labelled "safe" by others isn't a panacea. Being seen as a safe person is good but you still have to put in the work; you're not done, now or ever. In many cases, toxic people cultivate that aura of safety to manipulate others.
My goal in stating clearly what I do to improve safety in the TTRPG space is to show you both that I am trying to do the work required to make my game tables equitable and comfortable, and that I'm not content to say "I'm a good person" - trust is earned and I hope to earn yours.
