Designer Accuses Microsoft Of Homophobia

[Lord_Ascendant]

when will people learn to stop hating each other???

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

i see the point there, but there is no doubt that it is being abused everywhere now, and suing is happening left and right for no reason, and for imaginary amounts of money.

2nd degree burns > hurt feelings

Yeah but this isn't the first time gay employees have been harassed in a Microsoft Office. At what point is their HR grow a pair and start dealing with the complaints?

 

[SharPhoe]

Microsoft rep: "Would you like to sign this agreement saying that you're happy with being ridiculed constantly, relieving Microsoft of any fault for your co-workers' gay bashing and our subsequent refusal to solve the problem?"

Durrant: "Uh....no thank you?"

Microsoft rep: "Well, uh...shit."

I mean, what did they really think would happen?

I was just gonna say that same thing. This is incredibly unprofessional of a corporation as huge as Microsoft.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I don't really like Lionhead, their Dev videos show quite a few monkey-like programmer people who look they've only just crawled out of the primordial soup being twats, not good first impressions. Plus, Fable 2 sucked.

Perhaps the two have a correlation?

Homophobia and idiots in the same company? Naaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

 

[Yog Sothoth]

God Microsoft hates fags. We all know it's true....

And we should all support them even more for it. I might go buy another 360, just my way of saying "Keep up the good work, and thanks for all you do!!!"

I hope that you're being sarcastic......

 

[Booze Zombie]

God Microsoft hates fags. We all know it's true....

And we should all support them even more for it. I might go buy another 360, just my way of saying "Keep up the good work, and thanks for all you do!!!"

Oh, that new humourless humor. Doesn't not-make me not laugh.

 

[bad rider]

Microsoft rep: "Would you like to sign this agreement saying that you're happy with being ridiculed constantly, relieving Microsoft of any fault for your co-workers' gay bashing and our subsequent refusal to solve the problem?"

Durrant: "Uh....no thank you?"

Microsoft rep: "Well, uh...shit."

I mean, what did they really think would happen?

Wouldn't you try it? Also I might have a lawyer say very quietly and quickly "guy who's dropping all legal charges says what"

 

[dochmbi]

I was a bit surprised that he's not trying for more. MS has some of the world's deepest pockets but he's suing for what translates to about 70k in US dollars. Usually these cases that involve punitive or pain and suffering penalties are trying for seven figure settlements.

I wouldn't mind being in terrible pain if it payed that well.

 

[Doug]

Durrant has been working as a graphic designer at Lionhead for 11 years now, during which time he claims he's been the subject of a large amount of ridicule and harassment because of his open homosexuality. Emails were circulated around the office with titles like "I'm Jim and I'm Gay," "Me and My Favourite Men" and a note was put up in the office kitchen that said "Fag Boy Jim," according to Durrant.

The way I read it, both on the source you gave and GamePolitics, was that "Everything was fine until Lionhead was bought out by Microsoft"....? If not, apologies for raising the point.

 

[Doug]

Microsoft rep: "Would you like to sign this agreement saying that you're happy with being ridiculed constantly, relieving Microsoft of any fault for your co-workers' gay bashing and our subsequent refusal to solve the problem?"

Durrant: "Uh....no thank you?"

Microsoft rep: "Well, uh...shit."

I mean, what did they really think would happen?

Wouldn't you try it? Also I might have a lawyer say very quietly and quickly "guy who's dropping all legal charges says what"

"Wha-... DAMN! You and your lawyer mind games!"

when will people learn to stop hating each other???

3 minutes before the end of the Universe.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Oh yeah, because money solves everything.

This is garbage. If that guy was seriously hurt by these comments he would not be demanding money as getting money would not help him. He's just trying to exploit these events for a quick buck.

 

[Doug]

Oh yeah, because money solves everything.

This is garbage. If that guy was seriously hurt by these comments he would not be demanding money as getting money would not help him. He's just trying to exploit these events for a quick buck.

Er, yeah, yeah he would. For starters, he'll probably have to leave his job for complaining.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Hell, one of their executives is transsexual [http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4394493]. Huh, I guess that was a source =P.

I can't help but wonder if that was one of the "politically correct" hires. You know... companies expanding racial and special-needs profiles to get breaks on taxes and the such.

Seems to be overlapping of subjects recently between the employees and Live members. Maybe it's the MS employees that scan Live and flag homosexuals? Oh, ungrounded speculation.

 

[grinklehi]

Wait a minute. He was having problems with employees in Lionhead and he sues MICROSOFT? What he was going through must have been harsh, but isn't this an example of choosing to sue whoever is richest regardless of how tenuous the connection? Sort of like sueing a State government because somebody's child was bullied in a state-run public school?

They got fully taken over last year or so and the big crossover was the reason they cancelled my work experience application (I was gonna playtest Fable 2).

i cant believe a company that big wouldnt deal with it
also, the fact that the workplace didnt stop even after he told them to, hmmm

very unprofessional

Very unprofessional indeed. And it seems like he's put up with it for 11 years. 3 Weeks and I'd start getting mighty pissed off.

Ah, I see my mistake. I wasn't completely sure if Microsoft had bought out Lionhead or not, so I went and made the dumb assumption that they hadn't.

 

[SmugFrog]

Why is everyone so damn sensitive? I mean, I don't condone harassing, but eventually it's going to be illegal even to look at someone and laugh.

 

[T'Generalissimo]

Homophobia at Lionhead? Really? Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that the company that produced Fable 2, a game in which it is openly stated that characters are gay, you can form homosexual relationships and there's a quest in which you go and find a gay partner for someone, also has people leaving notes around saying "Fag Boy Jim"?