Introducing Gaymers iNC.

An introduction by Chris, Kristof, Roony & Yusif

This group was founded in 2015 by a group of friends who would meet at home in Clapham, London to play videos games together. We quickly realised that games were a great way to bond – and the perfect ice-breaker for newcomers to the group. LDN Gaymers was born!

The original group of LDN Gaymers

That name served us well – but we were not the only group in London reaching out to LGBT+ geeks and gamers. To Londoners, LDN and London are one and the same. Many gamers told us they found it confusing that there were two groups with essentially the same name. Gamers would post on the other group’s wall, thanking them for events we had thrown. We know the team at London Gaymers found that frustrating too.

As word spread and the group grew and grew, we knew it was time to level up.

Why Gaymers iNC.?

We recognised the importance and benefit of establishing a unique identity that would set us apart – but we agreed that it was only worth doing when we found a name that really clicked for us.

We discussed and rejected a lot of options, had some heated discussions but eventually put the idea on the back-burner so we could focus on developing our events.

Then, on a frosty winter morning in Clapham North, a flash of inspiration struck.

Gaymers iNC. We bring gaymers together and incorporate everyone. We’re inclusive. And our members are incredible. It sounded good. It felt right. It made sense. And it reminded us of Monsters, Inc – which is always a plus.

A new design

Although we approached some of our friends and professional designers to submit their logo ideas, in the end we went with a design we made ourselves.

Prototype designs

Our new logo – the Gaymers iNC. crest – is evocative of a guild or tribe. It reflects how we unite as a community, look out for one another and stand together, even when times are tough.

The game pad of course represents video games. Its shape is somewhere in between the Xbox controller and a PlayStation controller, while the colour arrangement is a nod to the SNES.

We wanted to give the logo a preppy, comic book feel that our super-heroes would be proud to march with at Pride.

Gaymers iNC. logo

Our new website is eye-catching and bright – but also more accessible. The text and background colours are designed to be high-contrast so they are more legible. We’ve added accessibility information to our event pages, and our relaunch videos are subtitled.

When we say inclusive, we mean it. And there’s more to come.

Everything else stays the same

A few months ago we made the decision to charge a small fee for our big monthly meet-up at The Old School Yard. Running big events like ours costs money – but we are still a not-for-profit community. Everything is reinvested in new kit and throwing great events.

To ensure that everybody has the same opportunity to come to our events, we also keep aside a handful of free entry tickets for gaymers who volunteer their time to help out.

The admins don’t take a penny for themselves. In fact, the whole rebrand – logo, graphics, videos and website – was done at no cost to the group. We are proud that the group has no debt and will never charge more than absolutely necessary – and that’s a promise.

It can be hard to find friends in London, and online gaming is not always the most inclusive environment for LGBT+ players. Our mission remains the same. We aim to provide a better choice, a place where people can be themselves and find like-minded people to play with. Today we stand at 2,000 members – but the quest is just beginning.