Home 1.0 - No 'Gay' Allowed
As California, and the remainder of the United States, finds itself embroiled in a divisive discovery of gay marriage rights, it's a shame to see similar things perpetuated into developing online worlds. As you may, or may not know, Home has finally entered into it's 1.0 stage, and prior to it's launch into open beta status, new entitlements have been advanced.
Most notably, users are now able to create private, "Clubs," for up to 32 members. But unfortunately, Sony shares the unnecessary protection cycle with the word "gay" that Blizzard also initially rationalized with World of Warcraft. Microsoft has also been guilty of this time and again with Xbox Gamertags and taglines.
Upon downloading and firing up Home 1.0, I immediately set forth to develop the groundwork for a GayGamer.net club, and I was subsequently denied. The direct message I received through the system was,
"Message contains disallowed words."
Perhaps this is fortunate, considering that Home is still in a closed beta status. Perhaps Sony will quickly remedy this situation. But, there are other questions that arise. Why would they do such a thing? Had their staff not observed the similar arguments within World of Warcraft? Isn't Home developed by SCEE? Did they really think that blacklisting a word from a group that directly identifies with the word would disallow an antagonistic group from focusing on anti-gay rhetoric?
I can easily create a Focus on the Family club. This takes a matter of seconds. I can also readily create an Equality California club.
The basal argument that I've seen within the Home forums is that any and all usage of the word, "Gay," is readily equivalent to the, "N-word."
I don't see this as such.
There is no middle ground between the negative, "Gay," and the positive, "Gay." If there were, then I should expect a plethora of comedians to bandy it about in a positive, colorful manner. I have yet to see a pasty, white kid with fashionable clothing identifying as, "Gay-light."
This is just another moment in my life where I can only hope for a comedian of Richard Pryor's stature to revoke a word once used only in obvious hate as a word used toward group identity.
Let us protect ourselves, Sony--Much as we've done for the past century. Your word filter does little other than to deny us the ability to unite together against the daily struggles that we already, understandably live with.
There's still time before Home launches into an open beta state. Sure, it may be within the next month, but I can only hope that Sony figures out that their investment in Life With PlayStation as an eventual obliteration to cancer can be equated to observing homosexuality as something other than permissibly negative. It takes a lifetime to become fully functional with our identities in real life, so why would you so readily deny us the ability to live freely in our virtual ones?
In the meantime, Home remains awash in pseudo-transsexuals and hyper-masculine teens. I hope you're ready.
Noun
Posted to Video Games on 21 November 2008
· Comments (12)
Other stuff like this: beta, home, playStation 3, sad, sony
I think you're going a little bit too far. But indeed, it's an issue.
The problem may be at different levels. First, and unfortunately, as you said, the word gay may also be an insult. Then, when you type Gay on the internet, what do you find the most? porno.or sex related contents. It doesn't happen with the word "straight". And then, thousands of jerks immediately attack everything where the word Gay appears (you were the victims once). So I guess big companies based on a very large audience might be worried.
So for a compagny like sony, or microsoft or else, it's indeed a problem. And I don't think it has anything to do about a homophobic move. Well, I guess there are gays working in HOME or SONY offices, there has to be.
So unless they make a case by case authorization in the future (Like your site club, or people who have their family name like "Gay"), we'll have to find ways to sneak behind the protection. Like "G.Gamers"? G-A-Y Gamers? I dunno.
Sure it has to be discussed in HOME forums.
I wonder what would happen if there were a relegious clubs in HOME, would it be banned if it was called "Islamic gamers club"?. Intereting
I think we have an idea of just HOW nervous Sony is with anything on the PS3 when you look at their rapid response to the music controversy in Little Big Planet. I consider that decision to be ridiculously short-sighted, just like this one.
It appears that Sony will be taking an extremely cautious approach to the rollout of new products. Hopefully they will relax their overly-tight restrictions once the product has been on the market for a while.
my personal take on this is that there shouldn't be an issue with "gay." sure, there are negative connotations depending on how one personally perceives the word... but "gay" equaling the n-word? hardly.
if we as a "minority" have an equivalent to the n-word, i'd have to say that f*g**t would be that hot-button term.
i think as a society we're in a transition period where the term "gay" has too many positive, negative, and neutral connotations to be considered truly offensive.
I could see "gay" being equivillent to "negro" or "negroid", in that they are legitimate classifications, but not the real n-word. The n-word is equivalent to other heinous words with no possible good associated, such as "fag".
Gay has legitimate uses, and trying to hide it is just like all the conservatives before that have tried to keep Gays out of mainstream life.
The GLBT community has been playing very nicely with modern society; limiting our outrageous activities to annualized Pride rallies. In America we have come a long way from the militancy of the "We're here! We're Queer!" 70s & 80s. My husband and I are prime examples, neither of us are the least bit flamboyant, we live openly and integrated completely with all of our straight neighbors and friends instead of self-segregating in the Gay Ghettos.
This was supposed to be how we achieved equality, through calmly and gently showing the straights that we're just like them.
Fuck that! After Prop 8 and the rest I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. It is time for us to start standing up again and raising hell. Any form of discrimination, such as Sony's here, needs to be met with our outrage for a society that continues to damn us even when we are their friends. They aren't our friends, they've just been "Tolerating" us like Sarah Palin.
Fuck the 70% of Blacks who voted for Prop 8. While on one ballot box you think you're changing history by voting for a Black President, while in a different box you check to repeat it.
Fuck the Christians who continue this nonsense of "separate but tolerant". Your god has forsaken you and progress will win out. I don't want your piety and feigned friendship while you think I am damned to hell. "Hate the sin, love the sinner" is just another typical hypocritical creed.
Get angry Gay America, because the majority of Americans still hate you.
have you tried naming it "homosexual gamer.net" would that be more... "tasteful" ugh humans suck.
I think a more accurate name is "Non-Straight Acceptance Club". Aren't you supposed to be inclusive to bi and trans people anyway (why are they so often ignored?)? even though that name isn't great either, straights must be included too!
oh, we'll never figure it out.
IT'S OKAY TO BE GAY DAMMIT!
Gay also has the other meaning of happy. You know, that song with being pretty witty and GAY.
Sorry irrelevant rant. If someone uses the the word gay in a negative connotation for a group, then all people should have to do is report it. Simple.
So... HappyGamer.net?
It is okay to be heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, polysexual, asexual, transgendered, transsexual, or any other sexual orientation.
It is also okay NOT to suck up to Mormons or any other religious group. Does anyone remember freedom of religion?
I am Unitarian Universalist and they say sexual orientations of any kind is MORAL and okay.
Morality is not universal.
As Green Day said:
"Down with the moral majority"
That's okay...today we created a G@Ygamer club on home....come and join
I've just tried to do the same thing in Home open beta, and got the same response. I agree that as long as the word gay is put on a list of swear words it will still be seen by imature teenagers and adults as a ligitimate derogatory comment. Shame on you Sony for falling into the same knee jerk, blinkered response as other large companies.
For anyone interested I managed to create my own club, called "out guys" on home, so overcoming the problem. Feel free to join if you like!