The month has since become a multimedia effort paving the way for the future of the LGBTQIA+ community. To the same end, Game Rant is conducting a series of interviews with queer Twitch streamers such as Toph, a comfy-cozy streamer who recently took part in Twitch’s Pride Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. Toph is a variety Twitch streamer with a focus on Nintendo games, particularly the Animal Crossing series where he created and set his own podcast.
Last year, Game Rant started a Pride Month Streamer Spotlight, which we’re happy to continue this year with several fresh streamers.
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Toph on Positivity and Offering LGBTQIA+ Individuals a Safe Space
Toph has been on Twitch for five years, and previously was on YouTube too, with one goal being to create a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals - a place to feel welcome and accepted, no questions asked. Toph’s channel has been featured on the front page of Twitch, and a streaming career has offered him ways of creating a community of like-minded people. Positivity has been an important part of Toph’s platform over the years.
It has not always an easy task for queer streamers or content creators to keep a positive outlook when being open about one’s gender identity or sexuality also means potentially becoming a target. By being openly gay, Toph managed to get to know more people and to talk more deeply about LGBTQIA+ themes, thus discovering he’s also demisexual. However, this openness caused Toph to deal with many haters and trolls over the years, but he managed to make something good out of these negative interactions via what he calls “teaching moments.”
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Why it’s Important to Have Role Models in the LGBTQIA+ Community
People who look for LGBTQIA+ streamers and content creators online often do so because they want a safe harbor, where they won’t be attacked or harassed. Yet, those content creators often end up having to defend themselves from haters or people with queer-related phobias, which means being a role model by standing up for oneself is crucial. For Toph, it is particularly important because it means providing queer people with something he says he didn’t really have growing up: a platform that doesn’t imply people who feel different from their peers should not put up a fight.
Toph’s streams are often cozy in terms of general vibes and content, with Animal Crossing being a relaxing and warm game. Still, some viewers - often people who find the channel via Twitch’s activations - can attack one’s own right to express themselves. As such, with many young individuals following him, Toph feels like it’s his responsibility to become a role model, even though it can be draining to have to deal with the same stereotypes and conversations over and over.
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Toph’s Views on Pride Month Celebrations and LGBTQIA+ Products
The fact that many companies like Xbox use Pride Month as a way to market their products is nothing new, and Toph knows this well. Pride Month is often levied to sell specific products or rebrand something to cater toward LGBTQIA+ individuals, without always acknowledging and celebrating these people year-round. That’s what Toph wishes for himself and his own community, including allies and those who haven’t come out yet.
The Twitch streamer believes some organizations end up treating LGBTQIA+ people as a commodity without raising awareness of what they believe in; often not donating anything to charities that do meaningful work. Queer people often don’t see themselves in daily products throughout the year, and only during Pride Month do some of those brands come up with something specially crafted for them. Even then, some international brands hold off for business reasons overseas. As such, the content creator would rather see people be more cautious about what they’re buying before they give money to a company that pockets it all.
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Toph on Representation in Media and Video Games
When it comes to helping the LGBTQIA+ community, Toph’s first choice will always be representation - and not because he doesn’t care what governments can do to improve, but rather because representation is vital for queer people. Toph grew up with a passion for JRPGs, mainly because those games are often about marginalized characters with wild differences in background. While those games are not always specifically about human relations and being queer, there are common themes of racial diversity and inclusion.
One of Toph’s favorite games growing up was Tales of Symphonia, where a human and his half-elf friend often face discrimination. Another piece of media that Toph enjoys is the new Netflix show Heartstopper, which offers a great representation of men loving men in a context where bisexuality and exploring one’s sexuality is not painted in dark or painful hues.
There’s something good about this new generation of media and representation because it’s not all about the “bury your gays” trope, Toph said, and the result is that there are more positive characters to feel represented by.
Check Out More Pride Month Streamer Spotlights
2021 Pride Month Spotlight: MermaidRoyal on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Spotlight: PikaChulita on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Spotlight: JeffBrutlag on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Spotlight: LuxieGames on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Spotlight: Breadwitchery on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Spotlight: QueerlyBee on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Spotlight: AshleyRoboto on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Spotlight: TaylorRynai on Twitch 2021 Pride Month Recap 2022 Pride Month Spotlight: blizzb3ar
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