Lesbian Simulator

Inspired by the personal experiences of Iris van der Meule and those close to her, ‘Lesbian Simulator’ aims to create awareness in a playful manner. Users experience some of the key aspects in the existence of a queer girl such as: coming-out to various people, making new friends, going on a date but also the first time feeling discriminated or even verbally abused.  ’Lesbian Simulator’ mirrors the blind spots within our society in relation to the acceptance of lesbians (and indirectly, of queer people in general). It is an ode to love and sexuality, about the exploration of your sexual orientation and about being embraced by the lesbian and queer community. It is a celebration of diversity and inclusivity. 

The experience is set-up as a game. Users build their own lesbian persona and navigate her through various challenging moments. The simulator sometimes requires participants to discover and interact with other characters. Other times they are given the space to reflect upon and analyze reactions of other protagonists, mirroring prejudices and misconceptions lesbian can also experience in the real world. The player gets to experience the way in which they are treated differently as a lesbian in terms of inequality, discrimination and sexual harassment. But fear not, it’s not all dark and gloomy. Next to these difficult situations, the users will also experience the positive side of life as a lesbian, such as the warm embrace of the queer community and celebratory moments like the annual Pride.