From unexpected to empowered players: queer Indigenous resistances in videogames

Global Research in Indigenous Studies & History (GRISH) welcomes Leandro Wallace for a presentation of his completed doctoral research.

Leandro (él/he/him) has a doctorate  from the Department of Critical Indigenous Studies Macquarie University, working across Critical Indigenous Studies, Gender and Queer Studies, History and Game Studies. His thesis, "Gaining Lives: queer Indigenous resistances in videogames", works on queer Indigenous practices to counter colonial influences in and around video games and screen media more generally, through a rights-based approach. He is a member of En-Gender! as editor, conference organizer and cohost and coproducer of the “EnGender Conversations” podcast; as well as several research groups based in public universities in Argentina.

This talk will develop how queer Indigenous players as unexpected players use their world-travelling experience to make videogames their own. To achieve this, I will resort the perspectives of queer Indigenous respondents to the Gaining Lives survey. The survey was part of the ARC’s Future Fellowship project led by Wiradjuri trans non-binary Professor Sandy O’Sullivan titled Saving Lives: Mapping the influence of Indigenous LGBTIQA+ artists. Through their responses queer Indigenous players shared how they make a screen media not made for them into a space they create connections with other players, back to Community and Country. Their capabilities of making videogames their own, even when not being considered as players, can also provide pathways for developers and producers to engage in building expanding stories and characters that can create empowered players.

Date and time: Thursday, 12 November 2026, 12:00-13:00

Digital attendance: For a streaming link, please register (link on the right) or contact Jonathan Crossen