Between a cacophony of expletives and exclamations is a person who believes in the radical power of authenticity. The audience of over 60,000 adoring fans across Twitch and Tiktok model themselves after their dear leader, who leads them on crusades through popular role-playing titles, most notably their branded Bad Girls Club-themed Grand Theft Auto adventures. “This has been my dream for years. I can only see myself doing this,” Porter said in an interview with Lifewire. “Getting this success just felt correct; it felt like everything I wanted to happen was starting to finally arrive.”
The Life in Rose
Porter was a child of the 2000s, a digital native who, throughout their formative years, had complete access to the internet. It became a place of great comfort. As is often the case, the virtual worlds of fiction are the only reprieve for many young LGBTQ+ children like Porter who find themselves at the mercy of an unaccepting parent. In this case, it was their father. Further isolated from the community, video games were the only place where Porter could live out their fantasy. “I had an OK childhood… In school, I got into fights because I was comfortable with myself. It’s very new wave now with gays being accepted. I went through what I went through due to acceptance issues,” Porter said. “My mother always accepted me, but the stuff with my dad was a lot. I did what I could with what I was dealt.” Fictional worlds with a feminine bent were the young Porter’s favorite places to virtually visit. Embracing their inherent femininity in a space without judgment was crucial to birthing the EuphoricRose0X persona so many have fallen in love with. Discovering these games and what they could do with them was a turning point. “When I realized I couldn’t change myself anymore, something clicked. I knew I was doing everything like sports for everyone else, and I wasn’t happy,” said Porter. “People were either going to accept me, or I was going to leave, and I was just going to be who I was.” Then they discovered streaming. They were already a fan of the medium, citing popular content creators like YouTuber CoryxKenshin and Twitch streamer xo_SweetPea_ox as inspirations. Watching them embrace who they are and build a community around their personalities inspired the would-be streamer.
Branding Authenticity
Porter had already decided to hit the LIVE button and start streaming by age 15. Slowly, they would cultivate a community that mirrors their very own thrilling personality. It took five years for their streaming career to take off. By 2021, Porter had only about 500 followers. TikTok was the secret ingredient they were missing. The chance at virality on TikTok has been a saving grace for many streamers due to its algorithm’s ability to capture discoverability. From one video, Porter said, they had garnered over 3000 new Twitch followers. Then, with a slew of semi-viral TikTok videos, some garnering up to nearly 2 million views, the streamer gained over 13,000 new Twitch followers and achieved the coveted Twitch Partner status to start the new year. TikTok remains the streamer’s largest platform, with over 50,000 followers. “I’m still figuring out what my journey is, and I’m just figuring out who I am. I want my story to be an inspiration to others, no matter how hard it was. I want to remind people that they can do it and to keep pushing for their dreams.” The exponential growth has been surreal yet fitting, the streamer mused. Reaching this level of success through five years of hard work suggests their hard work on the platform has finally paid off, complete with this tight-knit community of fellow gamers incredibly dedicated to the EuphoricRoseOX brand. Porter’s unfiltered authenticity and edginess with a penchant for stan culture (die-hard fans) and the iconic aesthetics of Black queer ballroom and house culture will surely enrapture audiences. “If you want to show up, then expect a hot mess. If we’re not doing a GTA roleplay, then we’re probably playing Overwatch or watching a Bad Boys episode,” they laughed. “Just know that we’re going to be cracking up laughing and talking [trash] to each other the entire time.”
