In the interview, she discussed her role as president of the society and what that entails, as well as some of the achievements of various Esports teams that are under the umbrella of the society.
Angela encountered pushback when she was elected to the role in her first term.
The interview was focused on women and non-binary people in Esports, which the society has a good track record for including. In the interview, Angela recalled being told by a National Student Esports (NSE) admin that the “society has the highest number of female players registered and actively playing on teams” out of all university Esports teams, which is an amazing achievement, and a win for inclusivity within the university system.
Sadly, Angela encountered pushback against the idea of a woman, and the only woman at that, being in the driver’s seat when she was elected to the role in her first term. This initially made it very difficult for Angela - “I didn’t like it, so I put a lot of effort into changing it when I became an executive”. On the other hand, though, it makes her run as president all the more important due to the improvements and progress that’s been made regarding the inclusion of women within the society.
Related: British Esports Association launches new Women in Esports campaign
It is still clear that despite this achievement, it’s not as easy for women, both cis and trans, to enter the Esports or gaming space. Comments are thrown about both in-game and in real life, and while neither are okay, Angela notes that people are afraid to call those comments and jokes out for what they are – (usually) sexist: "I can only hope that those who do give us a look can quickly see what our values are and what we stand for and know that we will actively protect women within our spaces".
The interview provides an in-depth look at how the society works, how grassroots Esports is the way to go and how a thick skin can prove to be beneficial in the gaming community.
The interview is available to read in full on the British Esports Association’s website
