Guest Lecture: Queer Gespielt

TIME & DATE: January 27, 2026, 14:50

ROOM: W48/004

Queer characters appear more and more frequently in video games – but has this always been the case, and why does their presence matter?
This talk brings together perspectives from queer studies, media and social psychology, and media history to explore these questions. Using specific game characters as case studies, it introduces key concepts such as the construction of norms, mechanisms of discrimination, queer identity in media, and psychological models of media use. The aim is to highlight the practical significance of representation and to provide the theoretical frameworks needed to understand its cultural and psychological impact.

Sascha Heller studied Media and Communication Studies at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (B. A.) and Applied Psychology at the DIPLOMA - university of applied sciences (B. Sc.).