‘Do I have a crush on them, or do I want to be them?’: Five LGBTQ+ gamers on the video game characters they grew up with
From mages and a twink elf to villain-slaying divas with a big bust and a flair for drama, video-game characters are more than just pixels on a screen to queer gamers
Gaming characters often become more than pixels on a screen, idolised by LGBTQ+ gamers as icons, comfort figures, and a way of expressing one’s identity. Here, Attitude asks five LGBTQ+ gamers “Which video game character did you most relate to growing up?”.
Dale Fox: Journalist (he/him)
Blaze Fielding from the Streets of Rage series. Feminine, strong and dressed in a scandalously short red mini skirt and leather jacket, she dispatched muscular thugs with precision and grace, followed by a sassy hair flick. As a kid in the 1990s, I thought she was the coolest thing ever. This was reinforced by an older girl in my neighbourhood who (I thought) looked exactly like her and whom I secretly idolised (hi, Kimberley, if you’re reading this!).
Robbie Mullett: TV personality (he/him)
My RuneScape character from 2007–9, where I’d cut magic logs with my dragon axe (while wearing a signature white beret) to sell on the grand exchange, saving up millions for my own POH (player-owned house) – a dream I’d sketched in primary school books down to the last gilded mahogany detail, throne room, trapdoor dungeon and all. My dreams still exceed what’s feasible – not much has changed.
Ashley Davey: Account manager (he/him)
Jill Valentine from Resident Evil. Until then, I’d only played as men or cartoonish characters, so she was a full-on revelation. The “master of unlocking” slaying zombies and other biohazards while serving camp B-movie one-liners (in a beret, no less) was everything. Facing off against Nemesis in the sequel sealed the deal: I was obsessed. To this day, Resident Evil is my favourite series, and I’ll forever be campaigning for Jill’s return as the ultimate badass diva.
Shura: Singer/songwriter (she/her)
Link from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A classic case of ‘Do I have a crush on them, or do I want to be them?’ The answer would become apparent many years later, but yes – I absolutely longed to be a tiny little guy in a green beanie running about breaking things with an equally tiny sword to save a princess – or maybe more accurately, to be saved by one.
Jordan Onubogu: Community manager (he/him)
Tekken cast a long shadow in gaming – some choose Nina, Anna, or Ling Xiaoyu. For me, it was Christie Monteiro. At the dawn of my queerness, I was met with this fluid, sexy and dexterous siren. Her capoeira, both powerful and graceful, mirrored the confidence I felt inside. She was my dream made manifest.
This is a feature appearing in the May/June 2026 issue of Attitude magazine. Subscribe below.