According to We in Games, 38% of respondents in the Finnish games industry identify as LGTBQIA+. In this blog, we speak with Metaplay team member Iida who shares their experience as a member of this community, and provides advice for others to be better allies.
Introducing Iida:
Iida Toimela is our resident office manager. Outside of work, they’re a keen gamer (naturally) who leads the Helsinki Hub of IGDA Finland and enjoys hiking. Iida is also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
They believe individuals should feel safe in being their authentic self, without feeling pressured to publicly specify or explain their identity in order to be validated. That’s not to say celebrations such as Pride should be ignored; it’s an important event for communities to come together and feel seen and supported by others. However, LGBTQIA+ individuals should feel equally comfortable being their true selves within the workplace or walking down the street.
Iida shares that one of the most significant steps towards recognition was seeing a colleague use ‘they/them’ pronouns within their email signature, “When you see “one of you” being openly and freely themselves in the work space you get hope and courage out of that; we call these examples queer elders.” Iida emphasises that elders don’t need to be old but are instead inspirational individuals that pave the way for others to be their authentic selves. Iida’s mission is “to be that for someone else in the future”.
Games Industry Experience
With 9% of Finnish game industry employees identifying as non-binary, Iida has felt welcomed within the games industry, but they recognise it’s not always been this way. As a relatively new member to the industry, an appreciation exists for the diversity that can be found within it, “I’m lucky to be in the games industry which includes a pretty diverse group of people so it makes it easier, but it doesn’t mean that we can stop the work. Like I said, easier, not fully smooth sailing”. Iida is keen to highlight two organisations in Finland that champion inclusion within the industry, ‘We In Games’ and ‘IGDA Finland’. Both of these feature gender-diverse communities that have allowed Iida to feel a sense of belonging.
Part of this lies in a continued need for diversity across the board, both at events and in leadership positions. 52% of LGBTQIA+ individuals within the Finnish games industry have felt there’s a need to stay closeted depending on the circumstance. Iida, like many others believe this is a stat that needs to change, “The games industry should be an example of a community and industry that actually lets everyone be themselves. This will be noticed from other fields when we have a huge force of people that can concentrate on their work rather than surviving the day without outing themselves”. Outing occurs when others reveal that an individual is part of the LGBTQIA+ minority without their consent.
On being a better ally…
Research from Harvard Business Review highlights three ways for individuals to be better allies to the LGBTQIA+ community. According to conversations with 109 participants belonging to the community, allies should be accepting, take action, and have humility. Iida agrees with these approaches and highlights that one of the most impactful ways to be an ally is to recognise privilege within the workplace, “It’s a privilege to stress just about the job and not about your safety (psychological nor physical)”.
Iida feels that moving into adult life can provide a feeling of stress, “you face this world where people that look or act like you are in minority and suddenly you start feeling the pressure to tone yourself down, make yourself smaller and be extra careful not to stand out. You cannot perform your best in that situation. This stress of hiding a huge part of yourself is draining.”
Inclusivity in the workplace and in games themselves benefits overall team morale too. Research from Boston Consulting Group reveals a correlation between workplace happiness and inclusiveness, ‘of employees who reported they work in an inclusive culture, 81% also said they are happy in their jobs—three times more than those who don’t feel included’.
Helpful resources and ways to be involved
As Iida has highlighted, We in Games and IGDA Finland both offer welcoming spaces in Finland’s games industry. For our international readers, Safe in Our World has created a list of LGBTQIA+ organisations, communities and charities.
On a company level, involvement in local and national events such as Pride can show support to local communities and your employees. But it’s important that providing a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ employees isn’t just something that’s paid lip service once a year. Workplace culture takes time to embed, but by working together a positive inclusive environment can be nurtured across the games industry.
