Riot Games Donates to the Trevor Project and the It Gets Better Project for IDAHOTB
In recognition and support of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia & Biphobia, Riot Games recently announced they would be splitting a $100,000 donation between the Trevor Project and It Gets Better project. Not the first year Riot Games has celebrated IDAHOTB in this fashion, the game developers behind League of Legends seem to be making it an annual tradition.
Riot Games started celebrating IDAHOTB in 2015 but as of the last couple years the game developers have taken to doing so externally. Last year, in the announcing their celebration, Riot’s website read, “Players come from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences, and as players ourselves, we share the love for games and the global community it fosters.” To celebrate the diversity that makes up their global community, Riot announced that they would be donating to two organizations that have significant headway in building a more inclusive world.
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project has been providing suicide prevention efforts among LGBTQIA+ youth since it’s founding in 1998. Originally established by the creators of the Academy Award®-winning short film TREVOR, The Trevor Project has now helped countless young adults through their toll-free telephone number, The Trevor Lifeline. The hotline is a free confidential service that offers trained counselors. Along with providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services, the Project also offers guidance and resources to parents and educators in an attempt to foster safe, accepting, and inclusive environments for all youth, at home and at school.
Riot’s Games donation did not go unnoticed. “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth are twice as likely to be electronically bullied than their peers, so we know how much of a positive impact it will have on LGBTQ+ youth nationwide to see themselves represented in a massively popular game like League of Legends,” commented Amit Paley, CEO & Executive Director of The Trevor Project. “LGBTQ+ young people deserve safe, inclusive environments no matter where they are, and we’re grateful to Riot Games for taking steps to ensure LGBTQ+ youth know they are seen, loved, and not alone.”
The Trevor Project will be putting Riots donation towards TrevorSpace, a worldwide online community for LGBTQIA+ youth. On TrevorSpace, youth can make personalized profiles, which are verified by the administrators and then given a safe space to interact with other profiles and connect with other young people around the world.
It Gets Better Project
The It Gets Better Project began in 2010 by Dan Savage and his partner, Terry Miller. The nonprofit based out of Los Angeles makes it it’s mission to uplift, empower, and connect the LGBTQIA+ youth community. Originally a hugely popular social media campaign to provide hope to people in these communities has resulted in a multi-media platform that spans throughout the world to millions of youth each year. The nonprofit point to, “inspiring media programming, a growing network of international affiliates, and access to an arsenal of community-based service providers,” as the basis of its success.
The project warmly received Riot’s Games donation and will be putting it towards their Global Summits project. While making headway in digital arenas, Global Summits facilitates face-to-face gatherings through, “annual summits, special multi-day events full of workshops, presentations, discussions, brainstorming activities, social events, and more that attract our most promising global leaders.”
“The It Gets Better Project is proud to partner with Riot Games for a second year in honor of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia. Rioters have proven themselves over and over again that their commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion is unwavering. Their efforts are essential to building a positive, supportive, and respectful gaming community for all people,” shared Brian Wenke, Executive Director of the It Gets Better Project.
Riot’s In-House IDAHOTB Celebration
In 2018, Riot Games created a Rainbow Fluft icon to celebrate IDAHOTB within their League of Legends Games. Champion’s or Summoner’s within LoL could purchase the icon and equip it to show support of IDAHOTB. When equipped, the icon set off a colorful animation for players spawning in base on Summoner’s Rift showing support to all for the challenges facing the LGBTQIA+ communities. According to data from Riot, “3.5 million players worldwide made their support of IDAHOTB known”.
To find out more about Riot’s IDAHOTB celebration visit, www.riotgames.com/en/news/celebrating-idahotb-2019
