EA Hosting Panel on Homophobia in Gaming

[j0z]

-snip-

Wow, "So what if some gamers make fun of gays?" How can you not see how incredibly ignorant and homophobic that is in and of itself? Would you say the same thing if they were making fun of a fellow gamer they suspected of being black? Are you one of those people who says "LOL GIRLS CAN'T PLAY HALO LOL" as well?

Let's look at this another way, people. You all seem to assume that people are going onto COD 4 and saying "Planting a claymore...BTW I'm gay". Considering the vast amount of stereotypes, if someone thought that the person's voice sounded "feminine" or, for lack of a better term, "gay", then they don't need to announce it. They're going to get crap for it either way. What are you going to say to that? That they can't use the headset that was rightfully given to them? REALLY
What is this I don't even...

I don't care who the idiots make fun of. If they want to make fun of straight people, fine, do it. I don't care if they are black, white, bi, gay, lesbian, jew, christian, muslim, or buddhist.
#1 I don't play Halo, but I wouldn't say that even if I did. Because I have had my butt kicked by girls in some online games I have played. Nor am I saying that I make fun of gays (I don't). All I'm saying is that a small minority of people should not be able to force their will on the majority because they think they are being made fun of/discriminated against.
Well, obviously we are pretty good at picking out who is gay on these games because they are up in arms because of it. Yes, they will get crap for it if they have a "feminine" voice, but if we are so bad at telling gay voices from straight voices, then why are the gays mad and the falsely accused straight people not mad?
I don't care who uses a headset, as long as they are not a mic whore, then I am cool with however wants to talk.
I am all for "don't ask, don't tell." just keep your sexual orientation to yourself.

 

[Baby Tea]

Wait wait. 'Our' beliefs tell us to not just 'not hate' homosexuals, but love them.
If you are truly a Christian, you're talking and acting in direct conflict with the beliefs you claim to hold.

I never said that I was a "die-hard" radical Christian, who follows every single word of the bible. However, God did destroy entire cities (Sodom and Gomorrah) for homosexuality among other things.

So you have to be a "die-hard radical Christian" to believe what Christianity teaches?
You know what you call a Christian who doesn't really believe in the Bible, doesn't really goto church, and doesn't really follow the 'rules' of the faith? Not a Christian.

And God did destroy cities. Because of sin, not homosexuality specifically.
And besides that, you aren't God. Christ (You know, the focus of the faith?) said that the second greatest commandment was to love your neighbor. And, for clarification, everyone besides you is your neighbor. That includes homosexuals. He also said something about loving your enemies, and praying for them. That includes homosexuals.

But I guess you just don't believe those parts, right?
I got another one: What do you call a Christian who picks and chooses what parts of the Bible they want to follow? Not a Christian.

 

[Iron Mal]

Here's the thing, in my opinion we should all be entitled to our opinion and be able to express it as we see fit (regardless of what that may be), you can hate or defend someone until you're blue in the face (provided that it doesn't result in any harm of a physical nature, mental harm is harder to determine and should be under greater observation) and everyone has to respect your opinion (even if they don't agree with it or like it).

My opinion is that, as I've said before, if you don't like the idea of potentially recieving abuse in an online game, then don't talk about whatever it is you are afriad of recieving stigma from (better yet, just don't put a headset on, that way you don't have to recieve abuse from anyone period). In an ideal world the rules and regulations surrounding the way people treat each other should all be followed strictly to the letter, however, this is not an ideal world (far from it) so a certain level of inititive and common sense is required from those affected if they wish to not have hassle from anyone (the best way to avoid a conflict is simply don't put yourself in that position to begin with).

We can try our best to stem the flow of homophobia/racism/sexism and all the rest of it in the world (and I support efforts made by others to do this, it is a noble cause) but ultimately we do have to admit that it is an endless, thankless and pointless task overall, the best we can do to help those in need is to come up with coping stratagies (rather than initiating flimsy moral guidelines that will more than likely be ignored by the people it's aimed at anyway).

 

[Baby Tea]

1)Homeosexuality was specifically mentioned in the reasons those cities were destroyed.

But not the focus. Hermeneutics points out that you've simply missed the point of the passage.

2) How in the fuck do you dare to insult my faith? "He who is without sin, cast the first stone". You just cast the first stone. Telling me that I am not a Christian, when I am willing to bet everything I have that you are not the saint that you make yourself out to be.

YOU are why people frown upon Christianity. Your holier-than-thou attitude, and using the bible as grounds for condemning me. I am very familiar with the bible, I do go to church regularly (which, btw, isn't required in the bible), and I pray on a regular basis.

You want to throw around verses?
"Judge not, lest ye be judged. For in the same way you judge others, so shall you be judged."

And here you are condemning homosexuals, when you (And I) are just as sinful.
And you are using the Bible to condemn them! Don't try to pull that hypocrisy with me/.

And no, people who misunderstand Christ's message of 'love' and turn it around with a message of 'I'll love you if you're like me' are why people frown upon Christianity. I've talked with people who have hated Christians, and they walked away feeling very different, because I had to explain how those they hated (People like you) aren't what Christianity is.

And you goto church regularly? And pray regularly? That is honestly very good.
Now read the book of James for me. 'Faith without deeds is dead'. You say you're a Christian? Then don't say it, live it. And start by not being hateful to homosexuals, since you're called to love them.

3) I never claimed to be God. And, to talk about a person who picks and chooses what to believe, nice job turning the other cheek. You obviously have a strong dislike for me, so nice job taking the high road. Congratulations on using your faith as a weapon to try to win an argument on a video-game forum. Thanks, I really like what you did there dumbass.

I don't have a strong dislike for you.
I have a strong dislike for any misrepresentation of my faith, which is what you're doing.

 

[bug_chaser]

Spoken like a bunch of teenage, mostly-suburban heterosexual white males.

Fixed that for ya.

wait, suburban? what does that have to do with it?

EDIT: also, as an ex-teenage, suburban, heterosexual white male, i can't help but feel slightly offended.

Being a hetrosexual white male means you aren't allowed to get offended when someone generalizes us like that. Sorry mate. Dem are da rules.

Maybe the fact that you are allowed to walk down the street holding hands with a white woman without fear of being attacked will compensate for the overwhelming bigotry you apparently face.

 

[bug_chaser]

[

3)Why would I want to go be gay for a week...or even a milisecond. I'm straight. And I am an antihomosexualist. Why would I want to go be gay?

I'm think it is awesome that you "chose" to be straight.

I <3 you.

 

[Nerf Ninja]

I'd just like to point out that I found this to be incredibly personally offensive:

Spoken like a bunch of heterosexual white males.

I think any kind of defamation of ANYONE. Regardless of colour, gender or sexuality should be treated with extreme injunction and with at least a permanent IP banning on Xbox live for example.

Personally I think the LGBT community should be welcomed with open arms into the Gamer community, since when did having a joypad in your hand have anything to do with who is in your bed?

We need more games/stories where the protagonist sexuality is down to players choice, such as in the Bioware Star Wars KotOR games. I must admit to being disappointed that Mass Effect didn't go that route (It kind of felt like they were going to then changed their minds) But even in that they were still vilified in the media for having a five second shot of a mono gendered alien/Commander Shepard sex scene. Just because the alien looked female and you could if you wished have a female Shepard.

In my opinion the focus should be not so much on forcing the homophobic gamers to change their ways as showing the fact that peoples sexuality is about as important as what they had for breakfast that day.

I believe this view should be shared by ALL sides as from personal experience I can tell you that not caring about someones sexuality does not equate to homophobia.

Sorry If this became a little rambling I was typing as I was thinking.

 

[Jimmyjames]

Trolling by using slurs is still trolling. Using hurtful slurs.

It doesn't mean it should be illegal, but people should be aware and sypathetic to the fact that they are hurting others.

But the average individual won't, though some may change and become nicer people, you have to expect a good number of them will maintain their hateful stance until they pass on. Bottom line, people are scum.

Unfortunately you're right. There are too many people that choose to use the internet to insult, belittle, and vent their frustrations. I suppose that's not going to change any time soon.

 

[thenwhatisavailable]

I'm bi and I don't want random men over the internet telling me they want to fuck women or men telling me they want to fuck men even though im happy to do both. Why the fuck do you think its acceptable to talk to strangers about your sexual preferences? I'm sure straight men want to here about people bumming even less as well. If you're going to be a dick enough to make people uncomfortable telling them stuff like that then you deserve to be insulted.

 

[vamp rocks]

a lot of people on this have been saying... "well just don't say you're gay"...

it's not that easy...

first off, both homosexuals and heterosexuals may sometimes have an effeminate voice.. for example by judging from my voice nobody would guess i'm gay where as i know some STRAIGHT people have voices that would instantly be deemed "gay"

and its automatically assumed over the internet you are straight until said otherwise... people talk about sex over the internet all the time and if people ask me if i'm in a relationship ill tell them i have a boyfriend..

all im saying is its not like people jump into a game and say.. "hey guys... who's winning??? im gay by the way..."

 

[vamp rocks]

It's a choice, because you don't HAVE to be openly gay.

so what you're saying is... you would rather that a big chunk of the population goes around living their life as a lie... just so you are not disgusted by them being there??

right... cus thats fair??

If you don't announce that you are gay...nothing happens!!! No death, no harmful side effects, nothing except that people still respect you.

nothing except people respect you???

hah, im sure people would respect someone who came out more....

because they are admitting who they are like a real man and not cowering inside the fucking closet

 

[Spektre41]

surburban heterosexual teenage white male here.

I've never really understood why gay people feel they're being oppressed in this day and age. True, there are people who will do unjust things simply because who you are, but on the whole, speaking out against homosexuality gets a lot more backlash in this day and age than speaking for it.

Unless you're Perez Hilton.

 

[Orange Monkey]

Unbelievable. This makes me sick! Why are we catering to certain groups of people? Just because they complain, then we have to make "special" rules for them? I'm not just talking about queers, I'm talking about anyone: Religions, nationalities, races, etc. No special treatment, and no conferences to discuss how we should cater to the needs of these groups who think that they are some-how more special than the rest of us.

I better end this rant before i get the moderators called on me, but it really pisses me off when ignorant stuff like this happens.

I think your missing the point. This panel is do disencourage a pointless hatred and to educate everyone on the importance of equality. I mean how would you feel if someone began irrationally hating you because, say, you had blue eyes or brown hair? It is something about yourself that is impossible to change, so you would want the hate to stop wouldnt you? It has nothing at all to do with groups of people believing they are ''more special'' but it is a way to help brings different groups of people together as equals.

Teh difference is that race and the color of my eyes/hair is not a choice. It is their chloice to be openly gay, and put that into their profiles. If you put it in your profile, then you need to deal with the consequences.

For example: Lets say that I have a 1/2 inch penis. I do not of course, but for the sake of this arguement, I'm going to use this as an example. If I put that into my profile, and then I get made fun of, then it is my fault. I put it in my profile, I deal with the consequences.

But being gay is not something that you should be made fun of! People should not have to deal with consequences of being honest about themselves!

 

[hagaya]

I will find my salvation, but we'll see who is burning in Hell at the end of it all.

All right, you hooked me.
That better not be a religious remark about the reasoning behind your hateful attitude for homosexuals. As a Christian, and layman theologian, I'll totally throw hands as to how you're way off.

Unless you aren't Christian, in which case you just like to write terrible cliche lines of imagery at the end of ignorant posts.
Kinda emo.

No, that isn't why I hate gays. While I am Christian, our beliefs do not tell us to hate the gays.

Yeah, they do. There are multiple Bible verses.
Leviticus 18:22 explains my point perfectly. I'm Catholic and I don't think there's a problem with homosexuality. To completely destroy your other theories: Homosexuality is not a mental disorder. Interests, sexual or not, are not disorders. That's like saying preferring Daikatana to Call of Duty is a mental disorder. It's not (although I can't explain how), but it's popular belief that people should like CoD over Daikatana. I really don't think you're looking at this rationally.

/rant

EA is definitely doing this for publicity, as if they didn't have enough. Although, despite my opinions on EA, doing something good is doing something good. It's not a problem with homosexuals, but rather the foul-mouthed 6-10 year-olds that plague Xbox LIVE. EA is just trying to give a much-hated group (as I've noticed) a little more confidence. I've seen homophobia raging throughout LIVE and I've been called gay on numerous occasions even though I'm not and I did nothing to hint that I might be. It all seems a bit unusual that people would act that way, but I guess this sums it up:

 

[MasterSqueak]

Ugh, when someone gets abused, they milk it for all it's worth.

 

[BoogieManFL]

I want them to host some big discussion to stop people from calling me a noob. Or to stop people from being internet tough guys and being all around jerks.

But then again I'm not part of some group with a spiffy acronym so I don't matter.

 

[Alex_P]

Unbelievable. This makes me sick! Why are we catering to certain groups of people? Just because they complain, then we have to make "special" rules for them?

There's one rule for everybody: Don't be such a goddamn jerk. When you look around and notice that lots and lots of people are being goddamn jerks to the same specific group of people in the same very specific ways, it's time to address why that's happening instead of closing your eyes and acting like it's not. That's what "community management" is all about.

-- Alex

 

[phatty500]

people always go on about how bad xbox live and such are filled with sexists,racists and homophobes but if they are i never seem to meet them.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Honestly if there's one thing I've learned through being online it's to not let anything get to you. Remember on xbox live nobody knows you and therefore can't say anything at all about you. Just relax and let the insults just blow over.