GLAAD GAMING UNVEILS INAUGURAL QUEER EMERGING DEVELOPERS PROGRAM

CALL FOR APPLICANTS NOW OPEN UNTIL NOVEMBER 10, 2025

New York, NY – Thursday, October 2, 2025 – GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, announced a call for applications to Queer Emerging Developers, a new program from GLAAD Gaming. The program is supported by Logitech, which designs software-enabled hardware solutions that help businesses thrive and bring people together when working, creating and gaming.

The Queer Emerging Developers program will select a small cohort of LGBTQ game developers to receive resources and mentorship to accelerate their career in the video game industry. The program will give LGBTQ developers the skills, platform, and career velocity to successfully bring high-quality LGBTQ representation to larger audiences of players.

**SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION HERE**

The initiative aims to upskill developers to more effectively create authentic LGBTQ content using established best practices, amplify their visibility in the industry, and accelerate their career velocity through attendance with GLAAD at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), a conference which is a key driver of connections, learning and work opportunities, as well as personal and professional growth.

Cohort members will receive:

• 4 months of mentorship, facilitated by the GLAAD Gaming team
• Training from GLAAD Media Institute (GMI) staff
• Discipline-specific mentorship sessions from industry experts
• A trip to GDC, including an all-access pass and limited travel stipend
• A feature on the glaad.org website

“LGBTQ people working behind-the-scenes are critical to producing authentic LGBTQ characters and stories in games.” said GLAAD Associate Director of Gaming, Blair Durkee. “Through Queer Emerging Developers, we are investing in the next generation of talent to create powerful gaming experiences that advance understanding and acceptance of the LGBTQ community.”

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About GLAAD Gaming
GLAAD Gaming is a mission-driven program focused on the goal of creating a world where LGBTQ people can participate in gaming to the fullest extent and without reservation – free from erasure, harassment, discrimination, and marginalization. To accomplish this mission, we take a holistic approach to transforming the gaming industry and community, accelerating cultural shifts toward a world of 100% lived acceptance for LGBTQ people.

In 2024, a GLAAD Gaming report found that 17% of all gamers in the US are LGBTQ, a 70% increase over a four year period. Additionally, LGBTQ people are more likely to be gamers – as the number of gamers identifying as LGBTQ is roughly double that of the general population. This growth is largely driven by younger generations and thus is accelerating over time. The GLAAD Gaming report found that 26% of teen and young adult gamers are LGBTQ, which closely tracks the 23% LGBTQ identification of Gen Z in the general population.