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June is Pride Month. Dedicated to celebrating and commemorating LGBTQ+ pride, Pride Month is over 50 years old and originated after the Stonewall riots, a series of gay liberation protests that took place in 1969.

PokerNews is again publishing a series of articles to mark Pride Month, showcasing the role LGBTQ+ individuals play in our industry and the discrimination they have faced. They will also highlight what they feel can be done to foster greater inclusivity for the LGBTQ+ community in poker.

Poker is a game for everyone, and everyone should feel safe, welcomed, and included, no matter how they identify.

As Pride Month shines a light on stories of visibility and progress, a powerful new initiative is emerging within the poker world. RAISE LGBTQ+ is a community founded to support LGBTQ+ poker players and allies, and although it’s still in its infancy, its purpose is bold, global, and long overdue.

“The community is in its infancy,” says founder Janna Leach, “But I hope it will slowly increase involvement and visibility for the LGBTQ+ community within the industry. I know how intimidating poker environments can be for women — and it’s even worse for some LGBTQ+ people. That’s why this is needed.”

Janna is a moderately successful recreational player who’s been playing since 2007. Having been staked online previously, she’s got a SCOOP runner-up to her name as well as making the final table of the PokerStars Winter Series Women’s Event at the Hippodrome earlier this year. As a single mother and full-time professional, she launched RAISE LGBTQ+ not just as a group, but as a movement. A space for LGBTQ+ people and their allies across all levels of poker to feel seen, heard, and supported.

“We are a community for LGBTQ+ people in poker and allies,” she says. “We welcome players and industry professionals of all levels and experience. Our aim is to create a collective that will raise the profile of the LGBTQ+ community in poker globally.”

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Building Belonging in a Game of Margins

The poker table can be thrilling, intense, and full of opportunity, but as Janna notes, it’s not always welcoming to everyone.

“I’ve already spoken to a trans woman who’s nervous about being accepted into a women’s event, let alone the rest of the poker world,” she shares. “There’s a massive underrepresentation in the game. We have a lot of work to do.”

RAISE is about more than just community-building; it’s about fostering confidence, camaraderie, and visibility. The group plans to share events, discuss hands and strategy, celebrate achievements, create support networks, and even host giveaways and action sales. But most importantly, it’s about providing a safe and empowering entry point into poker for those who have previously felt excluded.

“Together, we can create a global community where members of the LGBTQ+ community who may not have felt comfortable or confident enough to get involved in poker in the past now feel encouraged to do so.”

Early Support and Grassroots Grit

Despite limited resources, Janna is already making waves. She’s producing fabric stickers with the RAISE LGBTQ+ logo (patches are planned once funds allow), which she’ll be distributing at events like this summer’s Goliath and the PokerStars Women’s Summer Festival. Well-known pros Dara O’Kearney and Niclas Thumm (pictured) are among those pledging to wear the logo in solidarity.

And the future? It’s ambitious. Janna dreams of hosting exclusive RAISE live events where players can meet, play, and grow the community in person. It’s about more than poker — it’s about presence.

“I think it will build great bonds and camaraderie. Then you’ll see more RAISE members out in the field — LGBTQ +players and allies alike. No more hiding.”

With time, she hopes a major poker brand will come on board to help host these landmark events and further legitimize the movement.

“I’m ambitious, but I know it will take time. I’m bursting at the seams of my capacity, but I’m driven all the same”

Whether you’re a poker pro, a casual grinder, or someone still watching from the rail, RAISE LGBTQ+ invites you to join the table and help create the kind of poker world where everyone belongs.

Interested in joining or showing your support?

Head to the RAISE LGBTQ+ Raising the Profile & Visibility of LGBTQ+ in Poker Facebook group to connect with the community, share your story, and help make poker a more inclusive space for all. You can also follow them on Instagram at @raiselgbtqpoker and X at @raiselgbtqpoker

Based in the United Kingdom, Will started working for PokerNews as a freelance live reporter in 2015 and joined the full-time staff in 2019. He now works as Managing Editor. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German. He also holds an NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism.

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