‘CEO 2023’ is FGC’s most inclusive release even as it faces looming anti-LGBTQ+ laws

On March 6, 2023, Florida government officials introduced House Bill 1521. It will strictly determine which bathrooms people can use based on the sex they were assigned at birth — a move that seeks to ban the freedoms of non-binary people in the state. The bill, part of a broader political attack on the transgender population in the United States, will go into effect today, July 1.

Just a week before that date, is CEO 2023. It’s a community-native fighting game event held in Daytona Beach that has been the largest event in the state for more than a decade. The CEO, or “Orlando Community Effort,” is a hub for not only Florida natives swinging sticks and buttoning buttons, but also national and international fighters looking to come together and share a love of the genre.

But 13 years after the dream began to come true in Florida’s scrappy FGC underbelly, the CEO of 2023 could be the community’s last hurray against the growing social and legal bias surrounding it.

But first, some background. CEO has been hailed over the years not only as one of the biggest events in American fighting games, but also one of the most community-focused. There’s a reason for that name — Alex Jebailey was named tournament organizer back in 2010 and has been playing for Florida natives and far afield ever since. Travelers bring with them a much-hyped mix of rodeos, social spaces and wrestling rings.

That’s in stark contrast to Daytona Beach, where the CEO’s relocation began in 2018. This part of Florida has always had a reputation for antisocial behavior, especially towards minorities.Therefore, experienced racism and other abhorrent behavior Sadly, this has become a common experience for attendees.

“Daytona Beach sucks. But don’t blame Jabelli. He has assured us he’ll find better places in the years to come. But Daytona Beach sucks,” Tringy wrote in a private Twitter message . She has been playing competitive fighting games since 2016, and this year she was promoted to CEO. Despite the dangers of harassment for transgender participants outside the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, she is adamant that “Jebelli can always make it happen.”

“Was the event itself a safe space? 1000%! Jebailey and his team always made sure we were safe within the event and even addressed our concerns in a very timely manner,” she explained.As an example, a 16-year-old player started raising his hand after losing the group stage at this year’s event, and Jebelly asked them to leave immediately.

Another trans participant, Kenzie, attended CEO 2023, their second major event. Although they initially asked their families to accompany them, they ended up heading to Daytona Beach alone. “It was great fun! The atmosphere felt very welcoming and nice if that makes any sense. I had no issues with anyone there and talked to a lot of people and had a great time!”

While they haven’t encountered any hostility personally off the field, Kenzie blames this on not dressing in a feminine way in public. As Louisiana residents, they say they do this out of habit to avoid hate speech. The only space they feel comfortable wearing is inside the CEO, where they play Guilty Gear’s dolphin-loving May. When not role-playing, those Kenzie talks to struggle to address them with the correct pronouns.

Since CEO 2023, Jebailey and his team have been able to host an event that is very different from the culture of the off-site world. However, with anti-trans legislation on the horizon, creating safe spaces in this way may no longer be possible. Individuals or businesses that violate the ruling could face prosecution or fines of up to $10,000 under House Bill 1521.

The upcoming legislation has resulted in many People online urge Jebel and crew to move out of state. However, the reality of this move may not be as easy as it appears on paper. Trinji said:

“It’s very unrealistic. He’s under contract right now (until 2024) and breaking that contract – or any contract – would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. As much as we would love him to go, those of us Some people know something.” Anyone who understands the financial issues within businesses, organizations, and contracts knows that if they are violated, you will have to pay a lot of money.

“It would cost a lot of money to move the CEO to a completely different state, which means registration fees, food costs, internet and streaming service costs, etc. will definitely increase. Not to mention that locals from Florida may suffer , and may suffer losses.” No. Moving to another county, like Orlando, is 100% possible. Move to another state? No. nice try. “

But while relocating the county may sidestep Daytona’s many local issues, it won’t sidestep the legal issues the CEO and other Florida operations will face. The laws themselves were enough to make many reconsider attending the event in the future, including Kenzie. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ve been thinking about it,” they said. “It ultimately depends on what happens in a few years, but if everything stays the same, I probably won’t be going at least next year.”

We reached out to Alex Jebailey ahead of CEO 2023 for his thoughts on the situation, but he did not respond.Yet his team did Publicly share tweets in response to welcome messages from all sides.

This is the future that the CEO, and many other events in the United States, must confront – a country that grows more hostile to the LGBTQ+ community every month. We saw a similar story with Games Done Quick; a tournament notoriously high in ratios of emby and transgender players.

Faced with an increasingly aggressive push from the conservative right, this month’s event is considered a safe space that welcomes all attendees. LGBT fighting gamers aren’t going anywhere, and their leadership this year as CEO makes that clear.