I Chose They/Them and Everything Changed

by Jervon Perkins | Jul 6, 2026 | Essays, Video Games

I’ve known Josh since the Xbox 360 days, back when voice chat was all static and our friendship was built across pixels and time zones. We met around 2006, and over the years we’ve made dozens of characters together. Phantasy Star Universe, Final Fantasy XIV, and too many other games to name. Our avatars have changed, but the rhythm stayed the same: create someone new, dive into a world, lose hours laughing and exploring together. And for me, every character creation screen came with its own quiet split.

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Jervon Perkins

Jervon Perkins (he/they) is a writer and educator based in Santa Fe. He covers RPGs and JRPGs with a focus on character development, narrative design, and the intersection of gaming and identity. Their work has appeared in various sites including GameRant, RPGamer, Into the Spine, DualShockers, and more.