Florida’s anti-trans law could impact fighting game tournament CEO

Organizers behind the biggest fighting game community tournament in Florida, Community Effort Orlando (CEO), recently found out the hard way why you don’t rely on the infrastructure of an increasingly fascist state to host your event, especially if you care about keeping transgender attendees safe.

Florida’s House of Representatives in May passed HB 1521, which “prohibits willfully entering restroom[s]Change facilitation[ies] designated for opposite sex and refusing to depart when asked to do so” within government-owned or -leased buildings. The bill goes on to define “male” and “female” according to narrow “reproductive roles” assigned at birth, making its anti-trans agenda abundantly clear. If found to be in violation, violators could face criminal charges of trespassing and fines up to $10,000.

The state’s far-right Republican governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis signed HB 1521 into law on May 17.

The Ocean Center Convention Center in Daytona Beach is the current contract holder for CEO, the second most prestigious event on the competitive circuit, behind Evolution Championship Series. This move was criticized by the fighting games community even before HB 1521 passed.

After moving to Daytona Beach from Orlando, tournament participants have reported that they are now more comfortable. hostileYou can also find out more about the following: bigotedThe locals were treated with respect. Alex Jebailey CEO, the event organizer was swift to react. address the city’s open aggression after the first year at the Ocean Center. Instead of seeing residents’ negative reaction to the diverse crowds often associated with fighting game events as a symptom of Daytona Beach’s cultural issues, however, Jebailey laid the blame largely on panhandlers.

Concerns about HB 1521 began to circulate through the fighting game community shortly after its passage on May 3, with community members advising trans folks via social media of the potential danger of attending CEO in 2024 (the earliest the bill will go into effect is July 1, 2023, one week after this year’s tournament). Locals imploredPlayers should stay away from this event, echoing the warning issued by the LGBTQ+ civil right group Equality Florida last April.

“I’ve always felt relatively safe at CEO events, particularly in Orlando, though simply existing in the Daytona area gave me pretty bad vibes,” trans competitor Victoria “VickiViper” Taylor told me via email. “I’ve loved going to CEO in spite of Daytona being Daytona, but honestly, this law makes it too easy for someone to completely legally harass me or worse, so then the question becomes do I forgo the event or do I come down fully prepared to possibly have to defend myself. The fact that that’s even something I have to think about is really wack.”

Taylor is an accomplished multi-game specialist and attends many fighting game tournaments across the United States. However, she said that HB1521 has made her unsure if she will be returning to Florida in future.

“I’m still weighing how much I feel like risking having to defend myself or worse, even as someone who’s seen as more ‘conventionally attractive,’” she said. “I really love these events and getting to see my friends there and fighting everyone, so I’d possibly just go anyways against my better judgment, but I seriously 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 shared this statementOn May 4,

Most Community Effort Orlando participants and staff are from Florida. We recognize our state is problematic for our community, but it’s not realistic for us to leave, and we won’t give up on the community living here. We’re doing our best to create the safest and most fun events we can. In order to create an enjoyable experience for our attendees, we’ll continue to speak directly with vendors, venues and other community members.

Despite the importance of CEO to combat game players around the world, the company has struggled for years to create a welcoming atmosphere in a part of the United States where many members are not very welcoming. The upcoming HB1521 will make it even more difficult for tournament organizers to get participants to show up to a competition where their mere presence can be dangerous. It is difficult to put on a massive fighting game tournament, but safety must always be a priority. Whether that means moving back to Orlando or finding a smaller venue not under the purview of the local government is up to organizers — or pulling out of the state altogether, as others have done — but the seriousness of the situation in Florida requires action to safeguard the diversity of the fighting game community.