Let's talk intersectionality and stacking oppressions in design and play. It can be quite hard to see how opressions stack and intersect and how that stops people from playing. My thread here shows it, but my block list says that some of it may not be clicking. Let's help. https://twitter.com/VioletRiotGames/status/1277589343113302016

If you have multiple oppressions they stack and work together in ways that are really insidious. If you have ADHD maybe when you sit down you have a hard time focusing on the story, the dice, and the rules. Maybe you hyperfocus on the rules or maybe they are overwhelming. Layer 1

Now, let's say you are femme or identify as a woman. We know that gaming can be very hostile to those folks. We know it can be hard to find a good group that won't talk down to you. Let's say you also have ADHD. You can't focus on the massive rulebook that everyone knows. Uh oh.

So you believe you can't ask for help, because they may blame it on you being a femme or a woman. Then you start to think that you'll make everyone like you look bad. So you may stop playing cause you don't want to contribute to that image. But let's add some more to our player.

The player is a person of color. Now you have to deal with racism embedded in the game, and perhaps at the table, and the sexism, and manage your mental health AND role-play. All at once. You have to remember the rules, remember to fight sexism, remember to fight racism AND play.

Are you a marginalized religion? Can't game on Fridays? Add another ball to juggle. Can you not afford to buy all the games and miniatures? Add another ball. Are you an immigrant? Add another ball. Are you Gay? Get ready to juggle! Now you have to juggle all of this and pretend.

This is how the intersections work. They inform themselves. They pile up. People take themselves out of gaming. Or they are afraid to start. They're scared to play, but they want to. They just need respect, and care. People want to play. However our community isn't always helpful

I'll follow this up with a thread about what you can do as a Game Designer, Storyteller, and Fellow Player to welcome people in ways you may not think about. Why? Well, both my day job and my side job is making games accessible. It's kind of my thing!