The Rainbow Road

How does the presentation of trauma in humor alter perspectives or reveal prejudices? 

How does trauma in humor invoke different reactions and actions of humanity? 

To explore these questions,  I choose to recreate the existential queer experience, the “coming out” journey, in a game. In “Oregon-trail”-inspired fashion, players navigate the (potentially traumatic) queer experience. The game, like humor, presents queer trauma in different ways allowing the user to develop their own playthrough and opinion. 

By drawing on classic “Oregon Trail” symbolism, such as resilience in the face of hardship, constant risk, and the promise of reward, this comparison reframes the queer experience as a similarly difficult journey. The “rocky” (rainbow) road becomes a metaphor for navigating social discourse on queer communities using humor and trauma.