OMG 2022 Strategy
The OMG Committee have been spending January strategising and planning for what looks set to be a great 2022.
Our strategy is driven by our mission - to connect and empower the LGBTQ+ community working in the games industry across the UK and remove the barriers that exist for both current and aspiring LGBTQ+ games professionals.
In 2022 we have set pillars of - Intersectionality, Community, Advocacy and Education.
Each of our initiatives this year will by driven by at least one of these pillars, and underlying all of this we reaffirm our commitment to supporting everybody in the LGBTQ+ rainbow and most especially those who find themselves most marginalised in 2022 - trans and gender diverse people.
We also affirm our commitment to intersectionality and our belief that fighting one form of oppression means fighting all forms of oppression. These affirmations, along with our pillars, underpin both our overall strategy and planning for individual initiatives.
In 2022 we aim to achieve our mission through means including -
Putting in place an updated governance structure to our committee to help keep us efficient, accountable and organised;
Continued commitment to providing mentorships to ever more underrepresented people, both within our community and across other marginalised groups, through our partnership with Limit Break;
Continued use of social media as a means of connecting the community and increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ professionals and businesses in our industry, to amplify diverse voices and share role models;
Continued use of social media for education and advocating for change, including reactive advocacy to the events life throws at us;
New community engagement initiatives to ensure voices from the entire community are heard and supported through the work of OMG and our efforts are spent in the best places;
New processes to ensure both strategy and initiatives are inclusive and targeted at providing support where it is most needed;
New partnerships and recruitment to ensure the committee are fully equipped to address the concerns of the entire LGBTQ+ rainbow, including people who are trans, non-binary, bi, ace, intersex and poly;
Better use of our website as a resource for individuals and organisations - adding resources from trusted, authoritative organisations and other useful information;
Increased visibility into OMG initiatives (more blog posts!);
A range of events through the year, with one IRL event per quarter, and several online events to build community and share resources;
Organised attendance of community-driven, intersectional pride marches.
And this is just the beginning, watch this space as our plans for 2022 evolve and unfold.
Appendix
How does the above strategy map to our most recent engagement exercise (at Spill the Tea, Develop 2021)?
What you said
Recognition and validation vs reductionism
Our strategy
Continued use of social media as a means of connecting the community and increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ professionals and businesses in our industry, to amplify diverse voices and share role models;
Organised attendence of community-driven, intersectional pride marches
Increased visibility into OMG initiatives (more blog posts!)
Better use of our website as a resource for individuals and organisations - adding resources from trusted, authoritative organisations and other useful information
What you said
Allies and corporate responsibility
Our strategy
Better use of our website as a resource for individuals and organisations - adding resources from trusted, authoritative organisations and other useful information;
Continued use of social media for education and advocating for change, including reactive advocacy to the events life throws at us
What you said
Specifically trans and non-binary concerns;
as well as bi, ace, intersex and poly
Our strategy
New processes to ensure both strategy and initiatives are inclusive and targeted at providing support where it is most needed
New partnerships and recruitment to ensure the committee are fully equipped to address the concerns of the entire LGBTQ+ rainbow, including people identifying as trans, nb, bi, ace, intersex and poly;
New community engagement initiatives to ensure voices from the entire community are heard and supported through the work of OMG and our efforts are spent in the best places
What you said
Compensation/benefits/advancement/emotional labour
Our strategy
A range of events through the year, with one IRL event per quarter, and several online events to build community and share resources;
Better use of our website as a resource for individuals and organisations - adding resources from trusted, authoritative organisations and other useful information;
Continued commitment to providing mentorships to ever more underrepresented people, both within our community and across other marginalised groups, through our partnership with Limit Break;
What you said
Authentic representation
Our strategy
Continued use of social media for education and advocating for change, including reactive advocacy to the events life throws at us;
Continued use of social media as a means of connecting the community and increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ professionals and businesses in our industry, to amplify diverse voices and share role models;
What you said
Intersectionality
Our strategy
Continued commitment to providing mentorships to ever more underrepresented people, both within our community and across other marginalised groups, through our partnership with Limit Break;
New processes to ensure both strategy and initiatives are inclusive and targeted at providing support where it is most needed;
What you said
Online toxicity, isolation, safety, fatigue
Our strategy
A range of events through the year, with one IRL event per quarter, and several online events to build community and share resources;
While online toxicity is a big issue effecting the industry and people who play games, we aren’t committing to any specific initiatives to address this at this point. This is a large and challenging area and we have had to choose how to focus our energy and resources for 2022.
