Proud to Gayme

Danielle Reynolds interviews Aki and Fernando Suarez-Laurinaho (both he/him), the creative duo and co-owners behind Finland-based studio Shy Finn Games. They share their individual queer journeys, including Aki’s teenage moment of clarity while watching the British TV show Queer as Folk and then coming out at the Helsinki Pride parade, and Fernando’s path to embracing his identity at age 28 while...

Danielle Reynolds interviews Chrys Sellers (she/her) of Hectic Electron Games, a trans, queer game designer and the brain behind Raccoon Sky Pirates. Chrys opens up about transitioning later in life and shares how writing her latest tabletop RPG, Defy the Gods, unexpectedly became a mirror that revealed her own identity. They discuss the process of developing Defy the Gods, a queer Bronze Age swor...

Danielle Reynolds chats with Seven Dane Asman (they/them), AKA the "Publishing Goblin," a queer author, publisher, artist, and game designer. Seven opens up about their multi-faceted queer journey and the evolution of their gender identity, as well as how they found a sense of gender-neutral anonymity within Denver’s pup and kink communities. They also chat about Seven’s professional journey, from...

Danielle Reynolds chats with Alex Condie (he/they), a fiction writer, video editor, and content creator. They discuss the “second puberty” Alex experienced in his 20s as he started to explore his queer identity, and bond over fictional crushes. Alex shares stories about the transition from writing books into writing LitRPGs and what it’s like to pitch novels to publishing houses. He also talks abo...

Danielle Reynolds chats with Marceline Leiman (she/her), a game designer, developer, and educator who received the Diana Jones Emerging Designer award in 2025. Marceline shares her queer journey from labeling herself as an ally to coming out as trans femme, and they discuss the nuance among queer identities and experiences. They also talk about Marceline’s career, including how she broke into game...

Danielle Reynolds interviews Jaysen Headley (he/him, AKA @ezeekat), a content creator who focuses mainly on books and board games. They discuss Jaysen’s queer journey from being heavily closeted as a kid to coming out as first bi and then gay, and how he got into content creation then made it his full-time career. Jaysen shares some of the challenges that come with being a queer content creator as...

Danielle Reynolds chats with Gillian Foxglove (she/they) about their origins as a professional cosplayer, streamer, and TTRPG extraordinaire. From growing up in a nerdy household to discovering her bisexuality at theater camp and eventually marrying a bisexual man, Gillian describes the importance of experimenting with self-expression and being honest about who you are. She discusses her relations...

Danielle Reynolds talks to Clara Mount (she/her), Head of Community at Goblins and host of the Re:Play podcast, about the importance of promoting queer visibility. Clara shares her story of growing up in a conservative community, joining a queer tabletop gaming group in college, and using games as a safe way to explore her sexuality. She also discusses the inspiration behind her podcast and her wo...

Danielle Reynolds chats with Jack Rosetree (they/them), a game designer and freelancer who has worked in nearly every aspect of the tabletop industry. From growing up in a conservative household to having the world’s most supportive wife, Jack opens up about their queer journey and the overlap between queer and neurodivergent identities. They also dig in on why they design games (spite is a powerf...

In this episode of Proud to Gayme, Danielle Reynolds sits down with Yass Crit, featuring Bill Skaggs, Mark Cashwell, Ilana a la Mode, and AfroDytee, to explore the fabulous collision of drag and tabletop role-playing. They reflect on early sparks of queer identity through comic book heroes and Wonder Woman spins, before diving into their Gen Con show where the cast was "Jumanjied" into worlds like...

In this episode, Danielle sits down with Ray Billings to chat about her journey through queerness, creativity, and content creation in the tabletop industry. From discovering that board games could actually be a career, to carving out space online for fans who couldn’t make it to in-person events, Ray shares how she found her footing and her voice in the gaming world. They talk about breaking into...

Danielle talks with Irene Zielinski of Steve Jackson Games about her identity and writing TTRPGs. They talk about starting queer fashion Facebook groups, learning that lesbian labels are location-dependent, and how not knowing pop culture references can hurt your chances at getting a date. Plus, they talk about indie TTRPGs, Irene being an unofficial 3rd panelist at a convention leading to a job a...

Danielle interviews 9th Level Games’ Adriel Wilson and Bug Boll about their upcoming Queer Coven TTRPG created in partnership with Tabletop Gaymers. Using the Polymorph system, they have taken the new pin collection designed by Danielle and made a thoughtful, cozy game of building community and coming into your magic with your friends to celebrate Tabletop Gaymers 10-Year Gayaversary! The parallel...

On this episode of the Proud to Gayme podcast we talk with Robert Freeman Smith & Josh Kemper of PopHaus Collective. They discuss Queer journeys and marriage traditions, as well as the journey behind PopHaus Collective. Formed in the early days of the pandemic, PopHaus Collective is the team behind the party game 'It's Kind of a Fun Story'. A party game about telling stories and getting to kno...

We kick off the second season of Proud to Gayme with Arwen Kathke, the host of the Cardboard Time, a youtube channel turned podcast. She talks about her gender transition and no longer feeling comfortable making video reviews. Months later after ending the youtube series, still seeking a creative outlet to talk about games, she released the first episode of the Cardboard Time podcast on November 3...

Rina Amaranthine, a TTRPG designer, writer, and trans rights advocate, joins us for this episode of Proud to Gayme. Rina is one of the lead organizers behind the TTRPGs for Trans Rights bundles, which have raised thousands for trans mutual aid. She talks with Danielle about the power of games to uplift marginalized voices, the challenges and joys of building a massive community bundle, and why inc...

Adrian Collier a game designer, publisher and community builder, joins us on this episode of the Proud to Gayme podcast. Originally motivated by needing playtesters and a space to play games Adrian founded Amsterdam’s biggest LGBTQIA+ Board Gayming community. This community holds 4+ events a month and has become a welcoming space to queer gaymers in the area. His love of games and wanting to explo...

Kassidy Norman a lesbian gamer and former live-play RPG cast member for Ink-U-Bus, joins us on this episode of the Proud to Gayme podcast. Kassidy discusses how the show began and being the only non-tattoo artist cast member. She and Danielle talk about tattoos, lesbian stereotypes and how Kassidy is revamping the Ink-U-Bus brand. They will become a traveling tattoo service that will go to gaming...

Amanda McKnight, a content creator, cosplayer, and all-around nerd, joins us on this episode of the Proud to Gayme podcast. We discuss her queer and nerd journeys. From making a living doing nerd content from comic book reviews to being on a weekly RPG stream she spends all her time engaging with various fandoms. On the "Lies You'll Enjoy" RPG stream the group has focused on promoting indie one-sh...

On this episode of the Proud to Gayme podcast, we talk with Grace Kendall, a board game bed-and-breakfast owner and game designer. Grace shares their journey as a creator and the unique space they have built for gamers to connect. They dives into their experiences designing games, fostering inclusive communities, and balancing their passions. This episode highlights the importance of safe spaces a...

On this episode of the Proud to Gayme podcast we talk with Maxwell Freud the podcast host of Hatched This Way, a limited queer audio series. Maxwell shares the podcast's origin story and resulting feeling of wanting to create a safe space. He talks about different interviews he's had with other queers in gaming as well as what it means to be an Ally. His goal with the audio series is to educate bo...

On this episode of the Proud to Gayme podcast we talk with Jamie Daggers, a game designer, mini painter and full-time content creator. Jamie shares her journey as a sapphic queer as well as her involvement in the gaming community. From starting as a game store owner to growing a Twitch following, she's become a master at engaging with her audience while learning/teaching how to paint minis. Outsid...

On this episode of Proud to Gayme podcast we discuss the experiences of queer gamers and the sense of community they’ve built in Syracuse, New York. This month's guests share personal stories about their journeys with identity and how gaming has played a crucial role in creating a safe and inclusive space. They also touch on their involvement in designing escape rooms and board games, emphasizing...

In this episode, Danielle talks to Kari Jo "Kage" Freudigmann, a best-selling TTRPG writer and community leader. They discuss Kage’s journey in the gaming industry, her experiences as a queer woman, and how her work with Rage Kage Games and streaming fosters inclusive spaces within the tabletop and gaming communities. Tune in to hear insightful conversations about identity, representation, and the...

In this episode, Danielle talks with Isaac Vega, one of the founders of the Rose Gauntlet Foundation. They discuss his experiences working for the Bernie Sanders campaign, the origins of Rose Gauntlet, bringing people together through gaming, and experiences being gay in 'the industry'. There are some interesting anecdotes for Gen Con fans, as they discuss the Big Gay Dinner and Rose Gauntlet's BI...