The Trans Rights TTRPG Bundle is about more than just the money
An interview with Rue Dickey on the award-winning charity bundle’s fourth year of fundraising for queer-focused charities.
Every year since 2022, game designer Rue Dickey has organized TTRPGS for Trans Rights, a charity drive that supports various state organizations working to advance transgender rights and provide safe spaces for queer folks. Working with Rina Amaranthine, a cultural consultant and mentorship program chair for the Rose Gauntlet Foundation, the two organizers collect donated games from designers and publishers, bundle (most of) them on itch.io, and sell them starting at $5. All the proceeds go to charities in states that have been severely affected by transphobic legislation. This year, the bundle will support two Ohio charities– Kaleidoscope Youth Center and TransOhio.
Dickey was able to spend some time responding to our questions about the bundle, what sort of impact this has on smaller charities, why it’s always important to support trans people, and why now it’s more important than ever. Plus, they give us a couple game recommendations from the bundle, so if you get it, you’ll know where to start.
The bundle is live now on itch.io and will be available until Friday, May 2.
Lin Codega: Talk to me about the charities you’re raising money for this year.
Rue Dickey: Every year, we try to focus on a state that has been the target for a lot of anti-trans legislation or other oppressive activity and doesn’t get the same level of nationwide support as some other places, usually due to being a smaller state, more rural, or in a red area that many people “write off.” This year, Ohio is the target of eight different anti-trans bills, ranging from bathroom bans and locking sports behind sex assigned at birth, to forcing teachers and other school staff to out trans students to potentially unsafe households.
In terms of picking charities, I’m a firm believer in making sure the money we raise goes directly to helping trans people. Political groups and large, nationwide charities like Equality and the HRC are important and they do great work, but most trans folks won’t ever see personal help from organizations of that size. Every year (this year included), I’ve reached out both via the internet and to friends I have in the states we choose and asked for recommendations; [asking] trans folks, “where do you go when you need support? Where do you know you’ll always be safe?”
The two organizations we picked this year, Kaleidoscope Youth Center and TransOhio, came highly recommended by local Ohioans. Kaleidoscope Youth Center is Ohio’s first and largest queer-focused youth center, with services ranging from community activities and events to supportive housing, medical care, and mental health care for queer youth in crisis. TransOhio works to connect trans people with resources for safe, supportive health care, emergency funding, and community.
