Open Letter to PGC regarding the Dubai GameExpo 2023
Dear Chris, Lisa & The PocketGamer/SteelMedia Team,
The Dubai GameExpo Summit 2023, powered by Pocket Gamer Connects, looks set to be a highly significant and relevant event this year. As such, we would like to take a moment to address our concerns over what this means for LGBTQ+ people in our industry.
We recognise and appreciate the huge influence you have over the industry and the many ways your brand and activities have supported LGBTQ+ people in the industry to date. These include inviting LGBTQ+ individuals to speak at your various conferences and numerous articles on pocketgamer.biz about queer representation in games, and LGBTQ+ issues within the industry.
With such a strong record of previous support, we were disheartened by the announcement of such a significant conference, which includes Investor Connect, Publisher Speedmatch and The Very Big Indie Pitch, to be held in the UAE - a country widely known for its poor human rights record in general, but particularly in relation to the rights of LGBTQ+ people.
These include:
Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE, prohibits same-sex sexual activity under the Criminal Code
The Federal Penal Code criminalises ‘voluntary debasement’
The Emirate of Dubai itself criminalises acts of ‘sodomy’
Prosecution for the above offences can result in a 14-year prison sentence.
Separate legislation prohibits a ‘male disguising as a female’, effectively criminalising the identities of trans women and potentially some non-binary individuals also, carrying with it a one-year prison sentence
This year’s conference follows on from the PGC Leaders Summit, which was held in Saudi Arabia, a country where being LGBTQ+ is punishable by death.
As a business, we recognise the need for Steel Media / Pocket Gamer Connects to generate investment and revenue, and that decision to host the event in Dubai was not made with active ill-intent towards our community.
Nonetheless, hosting the event in Dubai will result in tangible negative outcomes for LGBTQ+ individuals and stands in clear contradiction with your previous support of LGBTQ+ industry professionals.
We therefore call on you to consider implementing the following actions to ensure the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ participants, and to reaffirm your clear commitment to progressing LGBTQ+ rights:
Active, sincere and transparent efforts by Steel Media to receive assurances from their Dubai counterparts (including at state level) that LGBTQ+ professionals will be free to attend the conference
A tangible risk assessment/action plan for what to do in the event that LGBTQ+ people find themselves at risk (this should include evidence of formal arrangements with the UK embassy in Dubai)
Financial and/or other tangible forms of assistance for LGBTQ+ charities, both local and international, supporting LGBTQ+ refugees from the region (this should be worked through in dialogue with OMG and other relevant parties)
Clear guidelines for publishers and developers on safe LGBTQ+ representation in games at the conference
While we consider the decision to hold the conference in Dubai regrettable, we recognise the value that your organisation brings to the industry, and wish to use this moment constructively. This is an opportunity for Steel Media to reaffirm its commitment to our community and to show a genuine willingness to hold challenging conversations with partners which do not share its values.
Conversely, should Steel Media choose not to respond to these requests, this would likely send an unsettling but very clear message to the 24% of UK games industry professionals who identify as LGBTQ+, those around the world, their allies, and indeed LGBTQ+ gamers themselves, as to Steel Media’s priorities and values.
We look forward to your response.
Out Making Game
