Lesbian Gamers Weigh In On Gaywood-Gate
Our fellow gay gamers at LesbianGamers had some thoughts about the XBox Live drama from the last few weeks, and the post is definitely worth a read.
When TheGayerGamer got a ban it was fair according to MS spokesman Stephen Toulouse because "Gamertags are visible to everyone and it would be hard for me to defend to a parent of a young child who saw it that the name did not contain content of a sexual nature."
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I can understand Microsoft are trying to protect users, but perhaps there needs to be some tabled debate as to what they're protecting whom from and what they're perpetuating in the process. Linking 'gay' to some negative or sexually explicit content merely fans the fires of homophobia.
I had a similar reaction when I read the quote on Kotaku. I respect Microsoft's right to run their service as they see fit, but by couching the GamerTag bans as "Won't someone please think of the children?!," they're really opening up a huge can of worms. Their argument is that there is something sexually offensive about the word "gay," something that parents have to keep hidden from their children. By taking that tack, Microsoft seems complicit in the same kind of bigotry that wants to keep gays invisible.
More of my opinion after the break...
Parents have to explain difficult concepts to their children all the time - that sort of comes with the job. If a child sees the word gay, there is no reason a parent has to explain the act of gay sex any more than he or she would describe how daddy poked mommy with his babystick to a kid asking, "Where did I come from?" If parents are unable (or unwilling) to do it tactfully, I'd hate to think how they would explain GamerTags like "Nuke'emAll," or "ThirstyForBlood." There is no magical age when gays suddenly exist - we're the parents of kids in grade school, we're the couples moving in next door - and if parents want to bury their heads in the sand that's their prerogative, but through these bans, Microsoft shows that they implicitly support these unfounded fears.
The most common question you might see when it comes to GayGamer.net is "Why do we need a 'gay' gaming site anyway?" The word gay is about more than boykissing and buttsex (or girlkissing and rumble packs); it's about community, support, and a welcoming environment. Hopefully in the future, Microsoft will be more willing to provide those things for everyone, not just fear-mongers.
MS XBL Gay equals sex? [Lesbian Gamers]
Dawdle
Posted to Miscellany on 25 May 2008
· Comments (16)
Other stuff like this: banned, gaywood, lesbian gamers, microsoft, xbox live
The thing that really bugs me here is the inconsistency. Sure, parents might be irritated by this (as I'm sure they would be if their kid was playing with "HeteroChuck" as well) but that argument falls apart when you fail to ban the username "StripClubDJ." They don't have a leg to stand on.
The thing that really bugs me here is that gay men won't just let it go and focus on the real issues in the real world. We as Gay men have real issues that we're facing...these little issues are out there to distract us...focus guys...join together and make sure we don't lose the rights in the real world that our brothers and sisters have worked so hard for....now let this stuff go and grow up.
I agree with Dawdle. A simple declaration of sexual orientation is not sexually inappropriate any more than Valentine's Day. Some people still immediately start picturing buttsecks as soon as they see two men holding hands, and this seems to be an example of that type of homophobia.
@John: In theory I agree with you, but this is a gaming blog.
It's so easy to start gay bashing though >
Ever notice how their are barely ANY if ANY positive gay role models on TV, now I don't want to take this to level of black people on TV, but I really wouldn't mind I dunno one good gay role model on TV, someone that isn't a walking stereotype or a flaming idiot (I only say that because people need to stop associating gay with flaming, whenever people hear gay they think of a flaming flaming person or some one who is really butch.)
Being gay has to be very nice, I agree. Shame most kids don't get to live it out and it's stuff like this that is to blame.
If I ever got the time to go gold, I was gonna change my Tag to Silversong. Now, it will be VaginalExplorer. Thx, mcrsft...
Dawdle is right, for the most part "gay" is becoming a more negative word and this proves that it's starting to go down the spiral of complete negative meaning. Let us keep the Gay in our tags, worry about the violent ones instead.
The thing that really bugs me here is that gay men won't just let it go and focus on the real issues in the real world.
That's because unlike you, we can multitask.
I got admit, Dawdle is pretty right.
Why do people think of sex when they hear "gay"? What ticking inside their mind? Is it what homophobes think of us, a bunch of rabid sex addicts rabbits? That's not us! No! We're people like them! We have our own culture, We have our own lifestyle, we have our own history and that's how we'll always be!
I just really hope that one day, all these people who thought so bad of us will start to forgive us and start building a multi-cultured community with us but if events like these keep on happening, that may not happen in our lifetime. Let's pray not
Well... meanwhile, let's go online gaming with a... straight name... sigh
The thing that really bugs me here is that gay men won't just let it go and focus on the real issues in the real world. We as Gay men have real issues that we're facing...these little issues are out there to distract us...focus guys...join together and make sure we don't lose the rights in the real world that our brothers and sisters have worked so hard for....now let this stuff go and grow up.
I completely disagree. The whole issue is about institutionalized homophobia. If we fight small battles such as this and make people realize that gay people are simply people too, it will be much easier to actually keep/gain those civil rights that have been so hard fought for. The fact that large companies are still banning people from mentioning the word gay is reactionary and blatant discrimination. What's the use of having non discrimination laws if they're never enforced.
Eh, I just see gaygamer as another gaming site, I find often you guys post faster than on some other sites. I'm straight and I come here. *shrugs* makes no difference to me if it's gay, straight or whatever.
I honestly think it's childish that Microsoft thinks that this is such a delicate issue, but then I remember that this is the USA that we're talking about... tch, such a pity.
Would they ban HotDyke? Or is it just men-on-men sex that their 13-year-old-boy-defenders are kicking in on?
Microsoft sucks end of.
dont really like GTA but well done for the gay content same with bully.
so John are you saying we should ignore micro's offensive behavior. if you ignore small problems now what do you think is gonna happen in future?
What's funny is that screenshot you provided of that xbox tag is probably that person's last name (which obviously has no connotation behind it). The word 'gay' seriously needs to take a step forward and leave behind all the 'buttseks' or the drug inducing, sleeping around with multiple people stereotype. Were regular people to you know. No really, we are.
If it were Apple or Sony that said these things, there would've been a BOYCOTT by now.
But 'round here XBox can do little wrong. Even this repeated institutionalised homophobia is accepted, otherwise there'd have to be an admission we made a HUGE error in backing M$ (and those snaps of Larry Hyrb hugging GayGamers mean precisely zilch.. he might've mentioned the upcoming Gay Lockdown back then instead of vacantly smiling and nodding)
Principles and Self-Respect are great... but you wouldn't want them getting in your way, eh? Not when there's macho GeOW2 by Xmas, eh? No gays in there, to be sure.
Some boycotted M$ years ago. Some started today. Some will take the half-arsed crap they dish out and beg for more. Why complain about it but still give 'em your cash? Boycott.
"won't just let it go and focus on the real issues in the real world."
The above article is between a real organisation and real people, via real technology and the interactions between them have material effects on the society in which they exist.
Wars are fought on many fronts, every battle has knock-on effects on other fights. Each victory however small lends momentum to greater struggles.
@MuneTeika:
Indeed! I find this site to be the best " pure news" gaming blog around. I've never seen a press release, and the reviews are fairly informative.
As for the issue at hand, I think MS is hearing the word "gay" being used pejoratively, and decided to be proactive. So they ran a *gay* search on their Database and started bannin'. There is, I think, room to work with MS on this issue...