For this year Pride Month TSM and its Collegiate Program, TSMU, are launching year-round initiatives that support the LGBTQIA+ community. Both TSM and TSMU commit themselves to create a safe and inclusive space for all by also creating a safe space for upcoming tournaments and events for all communities.
The Visibility Series
TSMU launched their NEW Visibility Series in celebration of their year-round initiatives and their mission for inclusivity! The series feature panels and Q&As with LGBTQIA+ member and experts within the esports and gaming industry. The first Visibility Series panel took place on June 24th, on the TSMU Discord. Hosted by Allie Hahe, Marketing Programs Manager at TSM, who was also the first guest.
During the panel we had the chance to hear about Allie’s personal journey and how she overcome the challenges she encountered. The Visibility Series wants to be a productive and helpful way to handle these topics. It’s sharing stories and learning about some of the people who are representing the LGBTQIA+ in the Esports industry. The panels will not be recorded in order to preserve the confidentiality of the personal stories that will be shared. All the more reason to participate actively in every panel!
The New Requirement for TSMU: the AnyKey GLHF Pledge
TSM encourage also all users at TSMU to take the AnyKey GLHF pledge. AnyKey.org is a non-profit organization that fosters change and empowers the champions making a difference in esports, competitive gaming, and live streaming. In honour of Pride Month, TSM will also donate $5,000 to AnyKey. which is a non-profit organization.
In addition, to ensure that TSMU’s events represent fully their goal, the AnyKey GLHF pledge will also be a requirement to compete in any of the upcoming tournaments.
Through their programs, AnyKey works towards a more inclusive and accessible environment for all gamers. If you take the GLHF pledge and link your Twitch ID you can unlock the exclusive GLHF global chat badge on Twitch! Once connected, you also can equip the badge in your profile and show your support for inclusive gaming and positive communities in any Twitch chat.
Taking this pledge means to make your online gaming spaces more inclusive for everyone, the player who takes this pledge will play by the seven promises here listed:
- Be a good sport whether I win or lose
- Know that people online are real people and my words have real impact
- Set a positive example with my behavior
- Speak up against discrimination, hate speech, harassment, and abuse
- Show integrity by honoring the rules, my opponents, and my teammates
- Stop, listen, and reassess if I’m told that my words or actions are harmful
- Respect others, even if their sincere opinions are different from my own
What’s TSMU?
TSMU is a collegiate community program built for students passionate about esports. From the esports career aspirant to the die-hard fan, and to the future pro, TSMU has something for everyone and everyone is welcome in our community. Inclusivity is incredibly important in our program and community, which even extends to non-students. Despite this being a collegiate program, we understand that college isn’t the best path for everyone. So we welcome graduates, high schoolers, or anyone at all no matter who you are to come to be part of our community and join our events!
Allie Hahe, Marketing Programs Manager at TSM
TSMU: a bright and colorful future!
Everything outlined above is just the start! Inclusivity is important, not just once a year, but every single day. That’s why TSM is thrilled to kick off its year-round initiatives supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. If you don’t want to miss out on any of these events, make sure to follow the TSMU Twitter and join the Discord!
