Electronic Arts To Host LGBT Gaming Conference

Electronic Arts will host a one-day, invite-only conference called LGBT Full Spectrum in New York City on March 7 to discuss lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues in the video game industry.

Attendees will participate in panels covering how to fight against homophobia in the workplace as well as in game design, where it is important to shape well-defined but "authentic" LGBT characters. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 treated LGBT issues respectfully with both Kanji and Naoto, while Lionhead Studios faced a gay harassment suit by an employee that felt discriminated against in the workplace. Luckily, the lawsuit was settled out of court.

Notables include members of the Human Rights Campiagn as well as Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo who will be a guest speaker for a talk on same-sex marraige and an "inclusive culture" for LGBT employees.

This year has seen great strides in the LGBT gaymer community, particularly the first gaymer convention, GaymerX, to take place in San Francisco's Japantown on August 3-4.