EA Signs On to GaymerCon

[Vrach]

"EA believes that to be truly innovative, you must be inclusive,"

I'm having some trouble hearing that message over the missing LGBT relationships in SWTOR.

 

[nodlimax]

Good on EA. I'm really excited about Gaymercon, and I'm glad it's getting some real support from both the industry and from the gaming public. If only I could go

While most cons are accepting of gay people this is the first convention where it is the focus. That means they can discuss geek LGBT issues more so than if they "just had a booth", as another commenter said.

I don't know about everyone else, this may just be me, but when out in a public space surrounded by strangers I don't usually feel comfortable in my sexuality, and probably more so if I lived in certain parts of the USA. I'm afraid not to be "normal". The difference between a gaming con, and a Gayming con is sort of like the difference between a bar and a gay bar. There's a tacit understanding that most, but not necessarily all, people here will be gay which can make a big difference. Then again that might just be me, but that's the reason I like this con.

Honestly I don't get it.

Why do you need to bring up you sexuality at gaming convention? The last time I was on a gaming related convention there wasn't anything that I would've described as "not for gay people". In addition the stuff that is related to sex usually is presented on other conventions....

And also i don't get why you need to talk to people about beeing gay. It's a gaming convention. Go and talk about games for crying out loud!

Oh and about the beeing "normal" thing. Beeing normal is so overrated. "Normal" people behave like sheep without personality. They don't want to stick out of the croud. They're boring. Accept and embrace that you're not normal.....

Since when is gaming considered to be normal? The media and politicians target gamers all the time (violence, hygene, social stuff and so on). If you want to be normal, stop playing games.

 

[itsthesheppy]

I hate this kind of stuff.

What kind of sexual preference people have doesn't really concern me. But why oh why do they always have to drag this kind of stuff into all kinds of areas? Gaming is for everyone. We've seen gay game characters already and they "appeared" on normal game conventions as well. So why is a gay game convention necessary? I don't get it.

It's like "Hey I'm gay and I go to the gaymer convention! Here I'll rub it in you face that I'm gay!".

And if you say something against it there are always morons claiming you're "gayphobic". No I'm not. I just don't want everything to be about sexual orientation....

There is more in live than sex (yeah yeah yeah - not much more )

Nobody's asking you to go. In fact, given your little rant there, I imagine they'd prefer you didn't. Even more to the point, you illustrate perfectly why its important that they do have safe places where they can go and be themselves and not have people freaking out over it.

EA is a shit company that makes shit games, but in at least this one instance, their heart's in the right place. Good on them.

 

[VanQ]

Well I think the gaymers know the perfect place EA can shuv their transparent PR stunt.

I don't understand. Are you implying that "gaymers" in particular know where the "perfect" place EA can "shuv" their transparent PR stunt? As if we're particularly qualified for that? If you are, then I'm pretty sure you're being hateful of not just EA.

On topic: Good on EA. And yes, there's nothing wrong with another gaming convention with an LGBT-focus. It's a good thing.

Please, please tell me you are joking.

Exactly. My first thought when reading this newspiece was "screw EA, but there will be homosexual gamer convention? why?"
Like you said it would more efficient way to have a LGBT booth in geek conventions, or have a a geek part in LGBT events, or both.
But separate convention? Really? Seems just plain stupid.

P.S. What next? Convention for lactointoleran bisexual exhebrew muslim gamers who drink only mint-green tea? This sounds as good as GaymerCon.
P.P.S. Regarding hate towards homosexuals in multiplayer- multiplayer is hateful towards EVERYONE. So don't cry about Xbox360 players being hateful to women/homosexuals/negroids/mongoloids/semites/obese/christians/muslims/scientologists/your mamma. But you can cry about them being rude, impolite and full of hate.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this way. If I could put it as simply as possible, it would be something along the lines of this.
There is a fine line between saying "I'm gay and I play video games." and "Look at me! I'm gay and I play video games!"
Feel free to replace the word gay with lesbian/bi/transexual/a girl/a 14 year old spouting memes and the word fag/or whatever really.

 

[darthzew]

Why can't we just have a regular gaming convention where everyone is accepted, and there's no sexual assault, booth babes, homophobia, or racism?

Supporting LGBT is all well and good, but I can't help but feel like this just making things worse by separation.

But anyway, on to EA. Let them support whatever the hell they want. I really don't care what they do anymore.

 

[CardinalPiggles]

As a bisexual, I only have one problem with gaymercon, as it basically is saying that homosexual and bisexual people, or gamers to be specific, are different from regular ones. There's nothing wrong with pride in who you are, and there is a time for that, but right now is not it. There is still prejudice with it, so to get the equal treatment aspect down, first we need to prove that we are normal, regular people. Gaymercon does not help with this.

Ranting aside, good on EA, for once. While it is the thought that counts most of the time, no one should deny a good act simply because the intentions weren't wholely great. So even if it is a PR stunt, it's at least a good one.

I whole heartedly agree with you here. If gay folk want to be treated normal why are they segregating themselves? It doesn't make sense.

There is a time and a place to show your magnificent rainbow colours, but I don't think a gaming convention just for gays is the right way to go about it. Since when do gays get unwillingly segregated when at a regular gaming convention? Are there rainbow coloured chairs just for gays to sit on? TV's just for gays to watch? Controllers just for gays to handle? No.

 

[nodlimax]

Nobody's asking you to go. In fact, given your little rant there, I imagine they'd prefer you didn't. Even more to the point, you illustrate perfectly why its important that they do have safe places where they can go and be themselves and not have people freaking out over it.

Oh don't worry, I won't go but not because I have something against gay people, nonono. I won't go because I think this whole convention is a stupid idea and I wont travel several thousand miles just to attend something of which I think it's stupid.

To be honest - to claim that a gaymer convention is a safe place for gay people and the non gay conventions aren't is pretty naive. You can meet idiots everywhere.

 

[Syzygy23]

Good on EA. I'm really excited about Gaymercon, and I'm glad it's getting some real support from both the industry and from the gaming public. If only I could go

While most cons are accepting of gay people this is the first convention where it is the focus. That means they can discuss geek LGBT issues more so than if they "just had a booth", as another commenter said.

I don't know about everyone else, this may just be me, but when out in a public space surrounded by strangers I don't usually feel comfortable in my sexuality, and probably more so if I lived in certain parts of the USA. I'm afraid not to be "normal". The difference between a gaming con, and a Gayming con is sort of like the difference between a bar and a gay bar. There's a tacit understanding that most, but not necessarily all, people here will be gay which can make a big difference. Then again that might just be me, but that's the reason I like this con.

Honestly I don't get it.

Why do you need to bring up you sexuality at gaming convention? The last time I was on a gaming related convention there wasn't anything that I would've described as "not for gay people". In addition the stuff that is related to sex usually is presented on other conventions....

And also i don't get why you need to talk to people about beeing gay. It's a gaming convention. Go and talk about games for crying out loud!

Oh and about the beeing "normal" thing. Beeing normal is so overrated. "Normal" people behave like sheep without personality. They don't want to stick out of the croud. They're boring. Accept and embrace that you're not normal.....

Since when is gaming considered to be normal? The media and politicians target gamers all the time (violence, hygene, social stuff and so on). If you want to be normal, stop playing games.

You fell apart at the "normal" part. Only a few can be Exceptional, which means the rest must be normal or sub-average objectively. You need a worst to compare to a Best, and normal is teh average between the two extremes.

Nobody's asking you to go. In fact, given your little rant there, I imagine they'd prefer you didn't. Even more to the point, you illustrate perfectly why its important that they do have safe places where they can go and be themselves and not have people freaking out over it.

Oh don't worry, I won't go but not because I have something against gay people, nonono. I won't go because I think this whole convention is a stupid idea and I wont travel several thousand miles just to attend something of which I think it's stupid.

To be honest - to claim that a gaymer convention is a safe place for gay people and the non gay conventions aren't is pretty naive. You can meet idiots everywhere.

That's actually kind of a scary thought. With such a high concentration of homosexuals and homosexual supporters, that would make the con a prime target for any extremist groups out there.

 

[Fortunefaded]

I'm surprised this is an issue in gaming. I can't say I've ever noticed any form of discrimination or lack of representation in gaming (or cared) to warrant a gaming convention aimed at gay people.

 

[itsthesheppy]

I'm surprised this is an issue in gaming. I can't say I've ever noticed any form of discrimination or lack of representation in gaming (or cared) to warrant a gaming convention aimed at gay people.

You must not spend much time on Xbox live. Or reading the chat window of a call of duty, battlefield, halo, or CS pug.

 

[Klaflefalumpf]

If the rampant homophobia (Or at least excessive use of the word '******) online is anything to go by, this announcement just killed the Battlefield franchise.

 

[latenightapplepie]

Well I think the gaymers know the perfect place EA can shuv their transparent PR stunt.

I don't understand. Are you implying that "gaymers" in particular know where the "perfect" place EA can "shuv" their transparent PR stunt? As if we're particularly qualified for that? If you are, then I'm pretty sure you're being hateful of not just EA.

On topic: Good on EA. And yes, there's nothing wrong with another gaming convention with an LGBT-focus. It's a good thing.

Please, please tell me you are joking.

I'm not sure which of my two points you're taking umbrage with, but I wasn't joking about either of them.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks this way. If I could put it as simply as possible, it would be something along the lines of this.
There is a fine line between saying "I'm gay and I play video games." and "Look at me! I'm gay and I play video games!"

Yawn. Straight privilege defined. Enjoy not being fired for your sexual orientation, and being able to get married, not having to come out to every new person you meet and worrying about how they might react and a host of other things you take completely for granted.
So yeah, we get our LGBT gaming con. And a Pride Parade for an afternoon once every year. But hey, you're still invited. By all means, you're allowed to join in on the fun. Everybody's welcome.

Not everybody's welcome to all those heterosexual privileges though, huh?

Feel free to replace the word gay with lesbian/bi/transexual/a girl/a 14 year old spouting memes and the word fag/or whatever really.

Wut.

 

[Kaossdemon]

If the rampant homophobia (Or at least excessive use of the word '******) online is anything to go by, this announcement just killed the Battlefield franchise.

It will be dearly missed

 

[Zing]

Wait, why do we even need a whole convention JUST for "a focus on LGBT geek culture". Why can't that stuff just be at E3, PAX etc?

Really though, EA's PR department could not be anymore obvious...

 

[Kaossdemon]

Wait, why do we even need a whole convention JUST for "a focus on LGBT geek culture". Why can't that stuff just be at E3, PAX etc?

Really though, EA's PR department could not be anymore obvious...

I asked myself the same question. Since we're still far away from the world where no one cares what one's sexual preference is it's basically just a way of raising awareness of the fact that people belonging to the LGBT community are frequently discriminated against.
Oh, and it's a nifty pun ^^

 

[disgruntledgamer]

GaymerCon Industry is next on EAs hit list it seems, just one more way to add names to the graveyard of developers / publishers EA is going to devour. I wonder if GaymerCon Industry's convention was paid or linked with EA to say such things or have they actually been fooled?

 

[Kaossdemon]

GaymerCon Industry is next on EAs hit list it seems, just one more name added to the graveyard of developers / publishers EA is going to devour.

They didn't acquire Gaymercon and all it's developers, they just publicly proclaimed support for it and it's community.

 

[Taunta]

Those of you asking "Why Gaymercon?" should consider that if you are a heterosexual white male, or any combination of the above, the vast majority of the media is already tailored for your pleasure.

When you live in a world where all the toys painted your color, sometimes people want their own toys to play with without being ostracized for doing so. Yes, in an ideal world everyone should be able to play with the same toys, but that's not the case this second.

"Why don't they set up a booth?"

Except you forget that the escapist community is the exception to the rule. I bet you they would not really receive a pleasant reception from others at any number of larger gaming cons, except if it was a yaoi/yuri con.

This is all secondary to my real point: If they want to have a convention, let them have a damn convention. They're not taking your time or money by doing it unless you bought a ticket, and if you don't like it then you can just ignore it. They're not hurting anyone, why can't anyone just let them have a convention without questioning it?