Joystick Serves up the Shows that Gay’d Us

Hey SoCal!

Joystick is back and it’s serving up some nerdy nostalgia!

North Hollywood’s Player One adult arcade hosts a monthly gaymer themed party called Joystick. This month, Joystick hosted Queer Coded: an art show based around the programs that inspired us as queer youths. We sent Jason Kentaro to document the arcade art, so enjoy the images!

And for more SoCal Gay Geekery, here’s an excerpt from Mike Ciriaco‘s coverage of the last Queer Coded art show:

Video Games have given us a myriad of heroes over the years, from the Super Mario Brothers to the Final Fantasy XV bromos. But Queer Coded gives us some new heroes, LGBTQ artists. 

Sponsored by Joystick, the monthly LGBTQ mixer at North Hollywood’s Player One adult arcade, the Queer Coded art show explores video game culture from a queer perspective, with 15% of its sales going towards charities of each artist’s choice. Donations will benefit queer-focused organizations such as The Matthew Shepard Foundation and The Los Angeles LGBT Center, as well as general mental health non-profits like The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

The need for mental health services is especially crucial for queer youths. According to a national survey conducted by The Trevor Project in 2021, over 40% of queer LGBTQ teens have considered suicide. In this vein, Jeb Whitlock, founder of Joystick and Queer Coded, “gayming” provides a therapeutic experience for troubled queer youth.”