Learning About Ourselves: Communicating, Connecting and Contemplating Trans Experience Through Play

Josephine Baird's article, published in the 2022 special issue of gamevironments on social justice in digital gaming, argues that intentionally designed non-formal and informal games, particularly educational live action role-play (edu-larp), can offer a safer space for both trans and cis players to explore trans experience. The central premise is that LGBTQIA+ history and lived experience have been largely excluded from formal education and official records, and that recent legislative and political pressures in the United Kingdom, United States, Hungary, and Russia have further restricted such learning. In this context, accessible informal sites such as games, arts, and community venues take on heightened importance as places where marginalised identities can be recognised and understood.

The argument draws on pedagogical research showing that non-formal and informal learning are especially valuable for marginalised groups because they are flexible, contextually relevant, and less exposed to exclusion. Game-based learning is positioned as offering cognitive and sociocultural benefits, including relatedness, rehearsal of challenging activities in safe settings, and reflection supported by framing. Evidence from studies with trans players suggests that games can support identity exploration, mental health, and resilience; in one cited study, half of 859 trans and gender-diverse young respondents reported positive mental health impacts. The author cautions, however, that much of the supporting evidence is theoretical or drawn from prior literature rather than new empirical data, and that simplistic "walk a mile in their shoes" empathy models should give way to more nuanced design approaches.

Edu-larp is put forward as a particularly promising form, grounded in experiential learning theory, conceptual integration, and the phenomenon of "bleed," in which in-game learning carries over into everyday life. Trans-centred larps remain rare, with Just a Little Lovin' (2011) cited as a notable exception and anecdotal reports suggesting it helped some trans players express their gender for the first time. The paper also examines trans-community art and social venues as existing sites of LGBTQIA+ heritage and informal learning, while noting that they often lack deliberate educational framing and can be less secure, for instance where alcohol is present.

The paper's principal contribution is a proposed design direction: an edu-larp simulating a nightclub or social space, supported by pre- and post-play workshops and a clear safer social contract, intended to foster gender exploration, empathy, and self-efficacy among trans and cis players alike. This remains a theoretical framework rather than