Brianna Wu

Growing up as a queer child in Mississippi, I got my Nintendo in 1985, and I've been lost in this world ever since. When I was scared because my church said people like me were going to burn in hell, 'Final Fantasy,' 'Dragon Warrior' and 'Super Mario' offered a lifeboat. ”

Most members of Gamergate, the alt-right movement best known for harassing women in the game industry, operate under a veil of anonymity. ”

Gamergate gave birth to a new kind of celebrity troll, men who made money and built their careers by destroying women's reputations. ”

Ordinarily, I develop videogames with female characters that aren't girlfriends, bimbos and sidekicks. ”

Since Gamergate, many women I know are reluctant to speak publicly on gender issues, because they fear - rightly - that they will be targeted and harassed. ”

I grew up listening to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, and it took me getting out into the real world and understanding what I faced as a woman in my career to really open up my eyes. ”

I look at my own party, and I see that we've taken this technocratic, academic, elitist liberal class philosophy as far as it can go, and we got our butts kicked - and I don't know what else to do other than get involved myself. ”

Gamergate is ostensibly about journalistic ethics. Supporters say they want to address conflicts of interest between the people that make games and the people that support them. In reality, Gamergate is a group of gamers that are willing to destroy the women who have invaded their clubhouse. ”

The first game I remember being ridiculously passionate about was Super Mario Bros. 2. It was the first game where you could play as Princess Peach. It wasn't just a game where the boys had their adventure. Peach was in the game and she was so powerful there. ”

There's a real sense - that we have to get past on the left - that every person who voted for Trump is evil. ”