Organizers behind Florida’s largest community fighting game tournament, Community Effort Orlando (CEO), recently found out the hard way why you shouldn’t rely on the infrastructure of a increasingly fascist state to host your event, especially if you want to keep transgender attendees safe.
The Florida House of Representatives passed in May HB1521which “intentionally forbids entering the toilet[s] or changing facility[ies] designated for the opposite sex and refusing to leave when asked” within buildings owned or leased by the government. The bill goes on to define “male” and “female” according to the limited “reproductive roles” assigned at birth, making the anti-trans agenda blatantly obvious. Those who violate these restrictions could face criminal charges and fines of up to $10,000.
The far-right Republican governor of the state and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis signed HB 1521 into law on May 17.
CEO, one of the most prestigious events on the competitive circuit behind the Evolution Championship Series (or Evo). currently contracted with the Ocean Center convention center in Daytona Beach through 2024, a step that was already taken before the passing of HB 1521 criticism of the fighting game community.
Tournament attendees have come forward since Orlando’s move to Daytona Beach in 2018 violent And bigoted treatment by the local population. CEO organizer Alex Jebailey was quick to act address the city’s open aggression after its first year at the Ocean Center. Rather than see residents’ negative reaction to the diverse crowds often associated with fighting game events as a symptom of Daytona Beach’s cultural problems, Jebailey blamed largely on beggars.
And while the Daytona Beach area appears to be adequate for the tournament’s needs despite these issues, Ocean Center now has another black mark on its reputation in the fighting game community: As a property of Florida’s Volusia County, it falls within the scope of the approaching state. limits on the use of trans bathrooms.
Concerns about HB 1521 began circulating through the fighting game community shortly after its passage on May 3, with members of the community to advise alerted transgender people via social media to the potential danger of becoming CEO in 2024 (the earliest entry into force of the law is July 1, 2023, a week after this year’s tournament). Some locals begged players to stay away from the event altogether, following suit a similar warning of LGBTQ+ civil rights group Equality Florida in April warned against traveling to the state.
“I’ve always felt relatively safe at CEO events, especially in Orlando, although just being around Daytona made me feel pretty bad,” trans competitor Victoria “VickiViper” Taylor told me via e-mail. -mail. “I’ve loved going for the CEO despite Daytona being Daytona, but frankly this law makes it too easy for someone to harass me completely legally or worse so then the question becomes do I forego the event or come I’m completely down prepared to possibly have to defend myself. The fact that I even have to think about that is really crazy.”
Taylor, a talented multi-game specialist who regularly attends fighting game events across the United States, said HB 1521 leaves her unsure about future trips to Florida.
“I’m still weighing how much I feel I risk having to defend myself or worse, even as someone perceived as more ‘conventionally attractive,'” she said. “I really like these events and to see my friends there and fight everyone, so I might go against my better judgement, but I don’t blame anyone who wouldn’t.”
Alex Jebailey did not respond to multiple requests for comment on the situation, but the tournament’s official Twitter account was shared this statement on May 4:
Most Community Effort Orlando participants and staff live in Florida. We recognize that our state is problematic for our community, but it is not realistic for us to leave, and we will not give up on the community that lives here. We do our best to create the safest and most fun events we can. We will continue to communicate directly about concerns with the venues, suppliers and community members we work with to try to create enjoyable visitor experiences.
Despite its importance to fighting game players around the world, CEO has long struggled to create a welcoming environment in a part of the United States that can be anything but welcoming to many members of the community. Now, with HB 1521 on the horizon, tournament organizers face an even bigger hurdle: How do you get people to attend an event where mere existence could pose a serious threat to their safety? Establishing a large-scale fighting game league is complicated, but at some point the safety of your community has to come first. Whether that means moving back to Orlando or finding a smaller venue not within the purview of the local government is up to the organizers — or pull out of the state altogether, as others have done — but the seriousness of the Florida situation requires action. to protect the diversity of the fighting game community.