It was announced today that Season of Pride 2021, the third-annual month-long celebration of LGBTQIA+ diversity in games, set new fundraising and viewership records through Twitch streams, raising more than $29,500 for eight charities thanks in part to more than 2.2 million views combining for more than 21 years of viewership.
Season of Pride 2021, formerly known as Summer of Pride but renamed since Pride is not and should not be limited to one particular time of year, achieved more than 186,000 hours of viewership from more than 70+ LGBTQIA+ Twitch streamers around the world. Titles featured during the event included AAA releases like Dead by Daylight and The Sims 4, as well as beloved indie offerings like Sayonara Wild Hearts, Kitty Powers’ Love Life, and many more.
“Working on behalf of Behaviour with Cade and Season of Pride was a truly lovely experience,” said Mae Morrison, Influencer Manager, Behaviour Interactive, developers of Dead by Daylight. “We had a lot of laughs, raised some money for amazing causes, and it was great to partner with an organization that uplifts queer voices all year round.”
The event organized by MidBoss, creator of inclusive cyberpunk adventures 2064: Read Only Memories and upcoming Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER, generated $29,534 in donations for eight LGBTQIA+ and diversity-focused charities from direct donations and game purchases. Beneficiaries include Trans Lifeline, The Trevor Project, and GaymerX, with Mermaids, Minus18, Black Girls Code, Girls Who Code, and Women in Games International joining mid-event.
“Season of Pride bolsters everything we do at Trans Lifeline, it spreads awareness about our services, it lets trans people see that they are supported by a wonderful community of content creators, and it provides vital funding for our work,” said Bri Barnett, Director of Advancement, Trans Lifeline. “The communities on Twitch fund over 15% of our budget annually; it’s impossible to overstate the impact of these events.”
“Our 3rd annual Season of Pride event was a smash! We’re so proud of what we’ve done this year and every year,” said Cade Peterson, CEO, MidBoss. “It continues to grow and touch hearts and minds of gaymers everywhere, all while bringing together, so many amazing people to fundraise for some very deserving charities doing great work to make the world a better place for underserved minorities while promoting positive LGBTQIA+ characters and stories.”