GDQ cancels speedrun event in Florida over state’s COVID, anti-LGBTQ policies

Games Done Quick, the organization that runs speedrunning marathons for charity, announced Wednesday that next year’s Awesome Games Done Quick will take place Jan. 8-15, 2023. But the wintertime event, previously scheduled to be held in Florida, will remain online-only, organizers say, citing that state’s approach to COVID-19 and “increased aggression” toward LGBTQ people.

“While we would love to return in-person, we’ve determined that to provide a safe and welcoming event to all it was best that we move away from our originally planned location in Florida,” Games Done Quick organizers said in a statement posted to Twitter. “Given the state’s continued disregard for COVID-19’s dangers (including anti-mandate policies) and an increased aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals, including the law colloquially known as ‘Don’t Say Gay,’ we do not believe it is a safe place for our community.”

In March, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill restricting the discussion that public school teachers can have around “sexual orientation or gender identity.” The Don’t Say Gay bill is part of a greater conservative movement against LGBTQ Americans, which includes similar bills in three other primarily Republican states. The Don’t Say Gay bill has also been challenged on a constitutional level, with critics saying the bill both demonizes LGBTQ Americans and puts an undue burden on public school teachers. Florida’s new rules prohibit state Medicaid providers from using funds that are intended for treatment. Multiple trans-speedrunners were present at GDQ events.

DeSantis has also drawn criticism for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic after he banned mask mandates and described COVID as “a very minor risk.” Florida’s masking guidance “advises against wearing facial coverings in a community setting,” saying that employees should not be forced to wear a mask while at work.

Games Done Quick organizers state that they secured a contract in Florida with an organization called Games Done Quick for 2021. GDQ originally planned to use the venue, even though the group had not been able to hold any events in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A contract cancellation fee could have resulted in the use of an alternative venue; Games Done Quick will host AGDQ 2023 online.

Games Done Quick says its organization will still have “considerable costs to recover” and will be looking to “recover it wherever possible, including community support via Twitch subs.” Game and volunteer submissions for Awesome Games Done Quick open on Sept. 11 on the organization’s official website.