The untapped crossover between LGBTQIA+ and gamers in Port Kembla

Running a special event Commander for Pride, the three-hour event celebrated the LGBTQIA+ community who also play Magic: The Gathering (MTG).

Casey Evans organised the event on Sunday, June 23, after she saw the overlap between the two communities, with more than 20 people attending.

"I come here [Grimdark Gaming] on Mondays ... so I know it's a really good community," Ms Evans said.

"Being in the LGBTQIA+ community myself and having a lot of friends who play Magic with, I wanted to kind of hold a special event to connect with other people in that space."

All funds raised from the event went towards charity The Trevor Project, which focuses on suicide prevention in the LGBTQIA+ community.

Ms Evans says the MTG and LGBTQIA+ communities are very strong in the area and says both communities are more seen than ever before leading to the crossover.

"The more I've seen of the queer world here ... I think it's just there's a lot of culture and a lot of connection which is really beautiful.

"Then Magic is super strong here ... it's one of those things that people are getting more and more into as pop culture makes it more accessible."

For those unfamiliar, MTG is a card game, with the players at the event playing a variation of the rules called Commander.

"The basic concept is untap, upkeep, draw," Ms Evans explained.

"The whole idea is that you've got creatures that are fighting other creatures, there's a lot more different layers under that.

"Basically the whole idea is that you've got these cards that do all different kinds of thing and you're fighting other players with their cards that do different things."

Beginners looking to get into MTG can find a welcoming community at Grimdark Gaming on Monday nights.