Have you ever imagined going to a prerelease especially dedicated to the LGBT( Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender) community? In Brazil this is possible! Epic Game is a store located in Sao Paulo that celebrates the so-called PreGayLease, since the expansion of Kaladesh.
What differentiates this event from others are the activities that are planned by the organizers of the Brazilian magic LGBT community, who like to be called “Dragon Lords”. The main reason why it is celebrated in this store is because they were the first to show interest in the project and to sponsor it. In addition to that, in the words of Felipe Bracco, they have one of the best structures.
How was the organization of the group?
The group was formed in 2015, the same day that the gay marriage was legalized in the US. This day, many companies around the world showed their support to the LGBT community and it was how Alex Spake and Felipe Bracco, from Brazil, decided to open a group on the social networks.
At the beginning it only had thirty members, but the creators worked during these years to make this inclusive group grow, which has always sought to have a great variety of people. Today it has 1,217 members.
How is a PreGayLease?
These activities have art competitions, lip sync (kind of karaoke) and even a costume parade. Although the audience for which this is planned is the gay community, the PreGayLease is open to all players, the different activities makes everyone want to attend: “lots of players love the party we made at this event”, says Eduardo Beraldo, owner of Epic Game. Their biggest event had 64 players.
We push the casual environment and the happiness of being among friends. So even people from other states sometimes show up at these events. – Felipe Bracco.
The LGBT community usually meets at Epic Game to celebrate players’ birthdays, Game Days and play commander on Tuesdays and Fridays. Today, two years after starting this, many other stores are showing support to the LGBT community, and Alex and Felipe’s events are reaching to much more people.
In addition to PraGayLease, they also coordinate other casual events such as drafts, fanart contests and other more specific events such as “LGBT Command Tower”, held on December 3 in which the main objective was to discuss about the Magic community, in fact, Wizards of the Coast sponsored them with materials.
Wizards of the Coast appreciates the work that they have doing during this time. Felipe tells us that an employee bought almost all the playmats they made in 2016, and they even came out in an article in magic.wizards! (You can read the article on this page : What the Brazilian Community Has Showed Me)
Many people think it’s useless to having a group like this. But our work and the love of many others, besides the support of WOTC their own, and many stores show us the great and amazing work we are doing. -Felipe Bracco
Would you like to win a lip sync competition while you discover a new expansion of Magic?
Mafer
She mainly makes contents on YouTube and uploads lots of combat videos and pack openings.
Not only her channel, but she appears in lots of videos contents. She was a Grand Prix reporter, and had interviews with lots of the community stores. She flies around to excite Magic in her way. Other than that, she has a Facebook, and Twitch account and shows up there often too.
