Irish LGBTQ+ esports athletes to make history at European Games

LGBTQ+ athletes are preparing to go for gold at the inaugural European Games Esports Championships in Poland.

Ireland . Written by Eddie Penney.

Two queer women, Emma and Nollaig, are dressed in the green patterned team Ireland jersey as they compete as Irish esports athletes in the 2023 European Games.
Image: @Emzii192 and @IrelandEsports_ via Twitter

As professional gaming gains popularity worldwide, two Irish LGBTQ+ athletes are set to make history at the European Games’ inaugural Esports Championships. For the first time ever, esports competitors will wear their team uniforms and participate in the Games alongside their counterparts from the 29 other traditional sports. 

Emma ‘Emzi’ Rose from Northern Ireland will be representing Team Great Britain, while Nollaig ‘Glitch8d’ O’Donnell from Cork will be representing the Republic of Ireland. The pair, both competing in eFootball, are among the esports players joining the over 7,000 athletes playing throughout all disciplines in the tournament.

While rivals, the two Irish gamers share a common passion for inspiring other queer people to get involved in esports.

Both Emzii, a trans woman, and Glitch8d, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, have found a home in gaming. 

“We all just want each other to do well. There is no, ‘Oh we don’t want you to do well because you were born a male, you are not a woman’. We all support each other. We all have each other’s back,” Emzii said. 

Glitch8d, who first got into gaming at the age of four, explained how she was “incredibly honoured to have this opportunity” to compete for Ireland. 

She has also served as a role model for other queer folks, adding, “I’ve been very open about my sexuality and mental health. People need to see that, and that’s my goal when it comes to content. I think gaming is ahead of a lot of sports in this regard.”

 

However, it’s not always easy. Emzii described receiving “death threats” and “insane abuse” after posting content to her TikTok following her victory in the Open event at the first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championships last year. 

But messages like that don’t stop Emzii or Glitch8d.

Emzii said that the online attacks are “why I am still here, why I am still competing, to show more people and to show more girls and more LGBTQ communities and under-represented communities that they are welcome in gaming. Gaming is for everyone.”

 

The pair will join their teammates in Poland for the competition, which runs from June 30 to July 2 in Kraków and the Małopolska region of the country. For more information on the tournament, check out the Global Esports Federation’s website here.

 

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