Twitter, a place where people say dumb things to strangers, is constantly ablaze with tired arguments critiquing women’s places in comics, games, and what-have-you. If you take a look, you’ll see all the usual suspects: checking geek credentials, gatekeeping, accusations of ruining a medium, and, of course, the assertion that women who like nerd things are often “fake geek girls” or “doing it for attention.”

I don’t know why the idea that a woman can enjoy nerdy things for honest reasons is hard to grasp. I don’t know where the paranoia, distrust, or suspicion comes from. Passionate women have been helping to shape the modern landscape of geeky things for decades. Here are some of many important women who make gaming and nerd culture great.