CHICAGO — Wicker Park resident Clementina Salucci took up gaming as an adult, drawn to the community it offered her — but disappointed in the hobby’s lack of accessibility and diversity.

When Jonny Saldana, of Avondale, reached out to Salucci about starting an accessible gaming nonprofit in Chicago, Salucci was compelled to join.

Saldana started a similar group in North Carolina in 2020 called Charlotte Gaymers Network; when he moved to Chicago, he wanted to make a gaming community in his new home built around connection, rather than competition, he said. So, Salucci and Saldana co-founded Gotham Gaming in August.

Gotham Gaming seeks to “break down systemic barriers” for marginalized communities through gaming and advocacy efforts, according to its mission statement. Charlotte Gaymers N

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