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Gearbox starts GoFundMe to aid trans rights efforts in home state of Texas

Gearbox Software has started a GoFundMe to aid trans rights in Texas and CEO Randy Pitchford will match up to $10K in donations.
TJ Denzer
TJ Denzer
2

Video games and trans rights may not be topics that immediately come to mind as hand in hand, but as global communities grow more aware of trans persons and LGBTQIA+ support groups nurture awareness and understanding, games haven’t missed out on being a place for trans creators and industry workers to express themselves and be visible. Unfortunately, various government institutions have struggled with understanding of trans people or, worse, outright tried to pass anti-trans government policies that are directly damaging to the community. Texas is one such place and as Gearbox Software’s headquarters is located there in Frisco, the developer has started a GoFundMe as its latest effort to aid in trans rights causes.

Gearbox Software actually began its Gearbox for Trans Rights GoFundMe in late April 2021, started by Sep Ebrahimi of the Spark Team at Gearbox. The campaign was started in response to recently introduced Texas anti-trans legislation (Senate Bill 29) that would not only bar trans boys and girls from competing in sports that disagree with their assigned gender identity, but also ban gender confirmation healthcare and open the way for invasive and privacy-violating examinations in relation to the bill’s purpose.

Gearbox and other game and tech companies with investment in the state of Texas have not been quiet on the matter. Following the introduction of the SB 29, Gearbox, Microsoft, Apple, and Amazon openly shared criticism and opposition of the bill. Gearbox even threatened to take its operations outside of Texas should the bill have passed. Fortunately, SB 29 has been stalled in the House committee due to a lack of support and intense criticism from various LGBTQIA+ groups and opposition to the bill’s purpose. That said, the matter has not gone away and even if SB 29 doesn’t pass, there is work to be done. The proceeds of Gearbox’s GoFundMe would go to the National Center for Trans Equality, which fights for trans support, rights, and visibility nationwide, and CEO Randy Pitchford will match up to $10,000 USD of donations to the campaign.

Donations to the Gearbox for Trans Rights GoFundMe would go past causes in Texas, but given recent events in the state, it is more than notable for Gearbox to take part in the state’s well being and a highly-targeted and marginalized community within it.

Senior News Editor
Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.

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