Liz Achanta
Welcome to our latest #DotGayQAndA with Mattie Schraeder of AFrozenPeach.gay! When she’s not wearing her professional hat as a software developer, she’s often enjoying her passion for designing and playing board games. Mattie uses AFrozenPeach.gay as a portal for sharing her work with the world while proudly representing her identity. Check out the full #DotGayQAndA below to learn more!
Tell us about who you are and what you do!
I'm Mattie Schraeder, a transgender blogger, board game designer, and software engineer. My first board game, Heckin Hounds, is coming to Kickstarter soon. I also help run the board game convention, Geekway to the West. In my professional life I develop software in PHP, C#, and JavaScript, but dabble in any language I can find an excuse to use.
Why did you choose a .gay domain?
Representation matters, and what better way to represent my identity as a transgender lesbian than to have a .gay TLD? I love that I can have a domain that really speaks to who I am as a person, and can immediately show representation simply by using my email address and talking about my websites.
Why is it important to help create a safer internet for LGBTQIA+ people?
The internet is a laser-focused microcosm of the world, and unfortunately there is still a lot of hate, prejudice, and violence against LGBTQIA+ people in the world today. The internet's anonymous nature makes that hate so much easier to perpetuate, but it also allows for LGBTQIA+ people to be out and explore their gender and sexuality without the risks associated with coming out in real life to their friends and family.
What are your thoughts about LGBTQIA+ representation in the tech industry?
The tech industry has unfortunately become a largely cisgender, heterosexual, and masculine industry. I have been more fortunate than many in my career path in regards to being an openly transgender engineer, but I realize not everyone has the privilege to be out and open about their lives when it comes to work. Representation matters in the tech industry, because everyone should be able to work in their chosen field without feeling like they are being othered by their coworkers and employers.
It is important that LGBTQIA+ people have the ability to be themselves and discuss their lives, without fear of repercussion, especially with more and more companies attempting to ban political speech and discussion in the workplace. As unfortunate as it is, simply being LGTBQ is enough to be a political statement.
Crisis Resources: If you are in crisis, please contact the following resources:
The Trevor Project's 24/7/365 Lifeline at 866-4-U-TREVOR (866-488-7386) or TrevorChat, their online instant messaging option, or TrevorText, a text-based support option. If you are looking for peer support, you can visit TrevorSpace from anywhere in the world.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or access Free Chat Online. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to people in emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the United States. The Lifeline is comprised of a national network of over 150 local crisis centers, combining custom local care and resources with national standards and best practices.
Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860
Do you live outside the United States? If so, check out The Trevor Project's list of international resources here.
For additional resources and information, please visit GLAAD.
The views, information, or opinions expressed in this interview are solely those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily represent those of .gay, its parent company, or its employees.
Elizabeth Achanta
How CATS.gay grew from an online community into a nonprofit serving hundreds of transfeminine people across the Eastern United States.
Elizabeth Achanta
Money. Politics. Sex. The three things your mother told you never to discuss at the dinner table. One content creator has built an entire career on one of them — and he's not even a little bit sorry.
Liz Achanta
For nearly three decades, Logan Lynn has built a career rooted in radical transparency. The Portland-based musician, writer, filmmaker, and mental health advocate first emerged as a teenager, signing a record deal at just seventeen years old using songs he had written and recorded years earlier. Since then, Lynn has released a deep catalog of music spanning indie rock, synth-pop, and electronic influences while building a reputation for emotionally raw songwriting that explores identity, grief, addiction, love, recovery, and survival.
Liz Achanta
When Jesse Rudicil started RudicilAI Lab Inc in Los Angeles, he had a straightforward mission: “Be the leader in medical, legal, and cellular AI technology.” His goal is to explore how artificial intelligence could support advances in areas such as patient care, legal processes, and cellular research. It’s early-stage, ambitious work, and much of it sits at the intersection of fields that don’t always connect easily.
