Streamer Spotlight: SKuNKW0RXx

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing a Twitch Affiliate who goes by SKuNKW0RXx (She/Her). You can find her channel here. We met by way of a mutual group we’re in on Facebook and hit it off from there. I found her perspective and insight valuable in regards to streaming while trans and couldn’t wait to share it with all of you.

Me: How long have you been playing games in general?
S: Since Commodore 64. I use to sit with my dad while he programmed games from the back of a magazine then play them.
Me: Oh wow, that’s awesome! What was your gaming journey like from that point? What was your first console that was yours?
S: My parents were not rich, so having a gaming system wasn’t really a thing. But one Christmas, they bought us a NES with Excitebike, Mario Bros., and Duck Hunt.
Me: So you did a lot of family gaming growing up rather than having a console of your own. What about later on? Through high school and college and onward what has that path looked like?
S: It was shared with my brother and I. We took turns or played together. SNES was our second console. It was also about the time I had my first job. We rented games and some consoles (turbo graphix 16) from the local shop. I didn’t really have a console of my own until PSONE.I did a lot of PC gaming too between the SNES and leaving home. My dad bought a 386 PC in the 90s. I ended up breaking it one day by static discharge and bought my dad a 486 to replace it.
Me: Oof, that’s rough. What were some of your favorite games back then for PC?
S: I use to play a lot of Kings Quest adventures (old point and click). I also had Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father. Those games were my go to back then. I also loved the Mechwarrior games. There was a simulation one, where you would pilot the mech, and a second, turn based one. The turn based one was Battletech: The Crescent Hawks Inception/Revenge.
Me: Oh nice I’m familiar with those. Being raised on those types of games, how has it been for you seeing all the advancements, for better or worse, in gaming these days?
S: Games have made leaps and bounds from those old pixelated days. I love the new story telling games like Detroit: Become Human and The Outer Worlds. I do still enjoy a good point and click adventure and games like Disco Elysium are fun.
Me: Ah yea same. I started on Genesis myself and since then it’s been a wild ride, to say the least.
Onto streaming, how’d you get started on twitch? What made you want to get into it?
S: Five years ago I made my account and used my console to stream. I gave it up quickly because I didn’t like it. I picked it up again with Mixer, until I heard it was going away. So before it faded away, I switch to Twitch. I got into using OBS and streaming Animal Crossing and ESO on Xbox. I later turned to more PC games.I made affiliate in about six weeks after starting again. I’ve also met a lot of likeminded people in a new community.
Me: Oh wow that’s pretty good to make affiliate that fast!
S: Yeah, I was kinda surprised. I don’t do it for the money. I stream for fun and interaction.
Me: That’s something I hear a lot and especially from people who are doing well on Twitch. What are your least favorite interactions and how do you handle them?
S: I’d have to say, so far, it’s been either transphobic or people against LGBT in my stream. Bots come in a close second. I had two come in and start in on me and “Do you still have a P**?” and “Oh, I like safe spaces.” I deal with it by simply deleting the messages and blocking the individuals. I don’t spend time interacting with people like that.
Me: Wise, the less of a platform they have the better in my opinion. On the other side, what have your favorite interactions been like?
S: I love it when people carry on conversations. I have a lot of fun with raids too. I have no issues talking about being trans on stream. Or even how it affects me being trans in South Korea.
Me: I love hearing that people freely share their experiences. Who’s your favorite trans streamer if you had to recommend just one?
S: Oh, that’s tough. There are a few I follow. Do you consider NB people trans? I enjoy SoundsNotStr8 a lot. They do art on Mondays and play a lot of ESO too. Dreamsleever is also good to watch, they play Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Me: Yea, I would definitely include them myself. It’s always good to get more names out there.
If someone was asking you about getting started as a trans person, what would your one most crucial piece of advice to them be?
S: Research, find support, and be ready for the fallout. I don’t want to sugar coat it, but at the same time, I don’t want to make it sound like it’s all bad
Me: I understand, it’s tough out there for trans folks, especially on the internet.
S: I lost friends. I was scared to start HRT. I was anxious about presenting at work. But in the end, I’ve never been happier. I lived 40 years of my life denying myself and “fitting in”. I’m 41 now and so happy I’ve made this transition.
Me: Yea. What about getting started with streaming as a trans person?
S: It was difficult. “Why do you look like a girl but sound like a boy?” I’ve gotten that a few times. You need to be ready to react to those statements. I usually just say “I was born with a low voice.”, and that’s worked a few times.
Me: Yea, voice training is a hard thing to tackle.
S: I’ve also had some voice dysphoria and tried a few voice mods. In the end, I chose to just be me. You either enjoy my content or you don’t.
Me: Exactly, a hard lesson to learn, to be honest.
S: No one can be more offensive to me than that bomb in Iraq that tried to take my life. I don’t need to spend spoons on people who refuse to respect me. I’ve learned walking away is the best thing to do sometimes.
Me: Definitely.
S: My channel is supposed to be a safe space for all who watch. No one should be afraid to be watching and worried what others might say. So I take that responsibility personally and ensure toxic people are not in my chat.
Me: That’s a great example of being the owner of your channel and taking control of it. Is there anything you’d like to include before we finish up? Fun facts about yourself, shout outs, etc.?
S: I’m mostly an open book and not afraid to talk about much.
Me: So you’re always open to answer questions anyone wants to ask on your channel? When can they catch you in Eastern standard time?
S: I suppose I would love to leave a shout out to my two amazing girlfriends, Zoe and Katie. I love them both dearly and they have given me so much strength throughout my journey in being myself (I am poly).
I’m online at 4PM my time, Monday through Friday. That’s 3AM EST. I am open to all respectable questions. My weekends are a bit busy with Roller Derby practice on Saturdays and DnD on Sundays.
Me: Awesome! Well, this has been great, thank you so much for taking the time to interview with me!
And that wraps it up, remember to support your LGBTQ+ streamers and artists and game developers as much as possible and I’ll see you next time!

About BaileyQG

Bailey (She/Her) started gaming under the wing of her grandmother who played RPG games on the Sega Genesis, which is still her favorite console. Her first console of her own was the N64, where she played games like Smash and Donkey Kong, but she really got into gaming with the rise of the PS1 and Dreamcast consoles alongside her trusty GameGirl that was always running Pokemon Blue - the first game she ever beat. Since then, she's played through 3 Xbox 360s thanks to playtime-induced red rings, several Gameboys of different gens, a PS2, and a few PCs! Now, mostly on PC and Switch, she spends her time at home when not at work, taking care of her disabled wife and their precious cat-baby, Tart.

Leave a Reply