I had an amazing experience last night. I went to my first Meetup and played D&D with 7 ladies I had never met before. We sat down, got our character sheets, and dived in. Even as the Giant Badgers devoured the sheep and our Bard took out our Cleric, there was so much laughter. On my way home I realized I had never played a game like that with only women. I have always been the only woman playing D&D in my group. Or one of two, maybe three women at a board game night. But the women were always outnumbered by men.
About these women: I probably only remember 3 or 4 of their personal names. I remember their character names. I only know what one or two of them do for their full-time job. I have a general idea of where they all came from. And I have no idea about their relationship statuses or families. On the surface we’re all pretty different. But the one thing we all had in common was our love for gaming. 8 women traveled between 10 minutes and over an hour to get to this meetup, because we wanted to play games with other women.
In a male-dominated world, gamer women can have a hard time connecting, feeling included, and just being open as women. We are a minority. There was no one questioning our ability to play, or our dedication to gaming if you’ve never played D&D before. One of them event stated, they had been wanting to learn to play D&D for years, but the people they know that play, are not very welcoming to her. So we taught her last night.
This is why organizations like ConTessa and Tabletop Gaymers are so important. Games are for everyone. That’s one of my favorite things about games. They are not for one gender, sexuality, age, race, or social class. Tabletop games can be, and should be, enjoyed by all.
So thank you to ConTessa, Tabletop Gaymers, and to the woman who organized this Meetup. It was a blast, and I can’t wait to adventure into the woods with you and find out what’s happening to all the Druids.
ConTessa is an organization that brings diverse-led events open to attendance by all to conventions both online and off.
Tabletop Gaymers is a resource for LGBTQ+ gamers ("Gaymers") and their allies to connect. We address homophobia by creating social and networking events and opportunities.
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