Can you tell us a bit about your Warframe clan, Spectrum Syndicate, and its focus on LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and friendliness? What drew you to Warframe as the platform for fostering an LGBTQIA+ friendly community?

Sure, my clan is Spectrum Syndicate, we’ve been around for about 3 years now. It started out as a little ghost clan and has grown into a completely full moon clan that often has a waitlist. We’re about to expand to a second clan to make sure everyone that needs it has access to a welcoming and encouraging environment. As for why Warframe, really it comes down to that it’s the game I’ve been playing and a game that I love, but it’s also a really good environment for something like my clan. 

Warframe’s devs are really supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community and the community overall is great, but there are some bad seeds out there that vulnerable folks will want to steer clear of. That combination of factors makes clans like mine necessary but also allows for the folks in my clan to thrive.

How did your Warframe clan come into existence, and what were the initial goals or aspirations behind its formation? In what ways does Warframe’s gameplay and community structure lend themselves to creating a welcoming environment for LGBTQIA+ players?

Spectrum Syndicate started out as a little clan to welcome viewers from my stream that needed a clan in and build a community up around my stream. I went on hiatus from streaming and decided it would be a shame to let the empty spots in my full research clan go to waste so started recruiting to fill the clan up. Being gay myself I wanted to make sure that the people I was inviting in would be accepting of the queer community so included that in my recruitment from the very start. 

Warframe’s community structure really lends itself to a vibrant community in a couple of ways. First it’s primarily a PvE (Player vs. Environment) game so people aren’t really competitive with each other for most of the content. Second, the game is pretty darn confusing a lot of the time so folks like to help each other though the parts that stumped them when they first when through it.

What inspired you to create or lead a LGBTQIA+ friendly clan in Warframe? How do you feel Warframe’s diverse cast of characters and expansive lore contribute to the inclusivity of your LGBTQIA+ focused clan?

Being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and an active organizer at my previous job’s LGBTQIA+ ERG (Employee Resource Group) it was a natural fit for me to create a safe space for those like me and other in the community. Warframe’s cast of characters is great and I love all of the different wild personalities that we have in game and it’s nice to see some queer representation among that cast, though I do wish we could have more.

How do you ensure that your clan remains a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ players? Have you noticed any unique aspects of Warframe that make it particularly conducive to building LGBTQIA+ inclusive clans and communities?

First thing in creating a safe space starts with recruiting cool people. I advertise as a LGBTQIA+ focused clan and so we attract people that think that sounds like a good place to be. I think the next most impactful thing we do here to maintain a safe space is trying to always be available for people in the clan and community to talk to. If something is off-putting to any member of the clan they’re free to report it to me or one of my staff and then we can determine whether there was just a misunderstanding, if someone needs to be coached, or if someone should be removed from the community. Next is my staff who keep an eye on the Discord and in game chat for potential problems and have all been selected for their ability to listen with empathy and problem solve to help navigate tough situations.

What activities or events does your clan typically engage in within the Warframe universe? How does Warframe’s cooperative gameplay and emphasis on teamwork align with the values of your LGBTQIA+ friendly community?

I think clan activities and events is one of our weak points as a clan and community. We sometimes have movie nights or scavenger hunts, we have pretty frequent giveaways. When we need resources we do a donation drive that offers fun prizes and incentives to get people motivated to contribute, but I’d love to see more to keep folks engaged with each other. That being said the community has been a great place for people to find help and form squads together and make some lasting friendships.

The cooperative nature of Warframe really helps with community building because there’s seldom an in game reason to have a problem with another player that’s trying their best. People frequently step up to help newer players figure out some of the more confusing aspects of the game or help through some of the more tedious grinds and the existence of those aspects of the game really helps to bring people together I feel.

How do you recruit new members to your clan, and what qualities or characteristics do you look for in potential recruits? Have you encountered any specific features or mechanics within Warframe that have helped facilitate connections and understanding among LGBTQIA+ players?

I try to be anywhere that a queer Tenno looking for a clan might be. I recruit in recruiting chat in game, through the official Warframe Discord and Warframe community Discord, we have a website designed to help people find us if they’re looking for a LGBT clan, trans friendly clan, or any number of similar searches. I’m also on Reddit, Twitter, Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram to help reach out to people that might be in need of a LGBTQIA+ friendly clan. 

Warframe’s recruiting chat and clan search are some of the key ways that we get folks in to the community and while I get called slurs sometimes while using recruiting chat, it has been a great asset for trying to connect with folks that need us.

Have you faced any challenges in maintaining LGBTQIA+ inclusivity within your clan? If so, how have you addressed them? How do you handle disagreements or conflicts within the clan, and what measures are in place to maintain harmony among members?

The clan usually stays pretty chill with a couple of exceptions. We’ve had a couple of people that joined thinking that we were LGB inclusive not realizing that I meant the rest of the letters I include in the initialism as well. The most recent problem we had was someone that didn’t realize that creating a safe space for all included being a furry friendly community as well. Folks like that I feel are better suited for different clans so they get removed pretty quickly and are free to find other communities that might suit them better. It’s genuinely very rare for someone that’s a bigot to join us in the in-game clan. For the Discord community that can be another matter because there is a greater sense of anonymity there, so we get trolls joining on a semi-regular basis. We have a verification interview process that’s really quick and light weight for people that want to join us but helps us filter out folks that intend to cause harm to the community. 

Disagreements can be a tricky issue because often it’s just a difference of opinion. Usually, we just encourage people to move on from the topic that’s causing the problem or a staff member can help mediate if it is something that needs discussed. Keeping an open door has helped us prevent issues from getting too out of hand. 

Can you share any memorable experiences or success stories that highlight the impact of LGBTQIA+ representation and acceptance within your clan? What opportunities do you see for Warframe and its community to further promote LGBTQIA+ inclusivity and acceptance in the future?

I think the fact that we have over 2100 members is a pretty substantial success story in and of itself. Aside from that though we have a space where people can feel free to be themselves and explore who that is and that’s pretty exciting. 

What I would like to see more of out of the Warframe community is standing up against bigotry in the in-game chats. Sometimes when I’m recruiting, you’ll have someone say a homophobic remark and people will stay silent or other times people will pile on. Sometimes though there will be people that stand up against homophobia and condemn the homophobic remarks.

From your perspective, how important is it for gaming communities like Warframe to actively promote LGBTQIA+ inclusivity? Do you have any advice or suggestions for other Warframe clan leaders looking to create a thriving and inclusive community within the game?

It’s super important in my opinion. There are a lot of folks that aren’t able to be themselves in their home lives and online communities like Warframe are the 

only times they get to express their true selves. Clan leaders that are looking to create a thriving and inclusive community within the game really need to speak up for those that aren’t in the room. Don’t allow for homophobic, transphobic, racist, sexist, or whatever remarks no matter who is present because people see what you do and don’t allow and react to that. Creating a space where transphobia can survive creates a space where trans people can’t.

How do you balance creating a LGBTQIA+ friendly space while also ensuring that the clan remains inclusive and welcoming to players of all backgrounds and identities? How does Warframe’s ongoing development and updates influence the activities and engagement levels within your LGBTQIA+ friendly clan?

It can be a challenge because a lot of members of the LGBTQIA+ community have trauma stemming from religion or cishet (cisgender heterosexual) folks and that can lead to some overly generalized statements being made but as with homophobic remarks we don’t allow for hateful remarks against any group that’s based on who they are. I’ve had to turn away someone from the clan that wasn’t comfortable around straight people the same as I’d turn away someone that wasn’t comfortable around gay people. 

Warframe’s ongoing development helps keep the game fresh and the community engaged. Things like the recent clan event Gargoyle’s Cry really helped bring people together to farm rewards from the event. I’m really looking forward to the next opportunity the devs provide us to come together as a team toward a central objective.

In what ways do you collaborate with other LGBTQIA+ friendly clans or communities within Warframe or gaming in general? Do you believe Warframe’s emphasis on player customization and expression allows for greater representation and visibility of LGBTQIA+ identities within the game?

I’m always watching recruiting chat and reach out to anyone that I see advertising for a LGBTQIA+ friendly clan just to make the connection. Recently I started

 building a section on the website warframe.gay to help match folks that are looking for a LGBTQIA+ friendly clan with a clan that fits their needs. I also just recently set up r/WarframeLGBTrecruit on reddit to create a self-serve version of the same service.

I love how fashionframe allows Tenno to express themselves in a variety of ways. I’ve seen a ton of trans pride colored Warframes or furries putting tails on their favorite Warframes. There are countless customization possibilities and the devs have put in a lot of work to make it so they almost always look good no matter what you put together.

Any final thoughts?

I’m really excited to see this community grow and become more visible. I’m excited for the direction that the game is going with the love story of Whispers in the Walls, and excited to see more of that in Warframe 1999. Looking forward to launching my 2nd clan to be able to welcome even more folks into this great community. Hoping that the new Reddit community starts to really take off and help connect folks with the community that suits them the best.