On Gaymers and Cons

[Andy Shandy]

Ok this thread got out of hand fast, it is getting challenging to keep up.

That must be the understatement of, admittedly, this very early year. XD

 

[stonemaskstoryteller]

It's the same as making a COMIC con or an ANIME con or a VIDEO GAME con. You're just gearing most of the features and/or the community attending to be focused on noticing or accepting a specific facet of gamer culture.

Thanks, I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Darken12]

Actually, it is, at least a little bit. Maybe not now with the con, but in the end, in a global scale. Altough I doubt Ill live to see that.

I meant the con specifically. There is no argument a straight person can give me that can reasonably justify giving their opinions any degree of weight.

As for the 'global scale', see the rest of my paragraph. If equality is an important matter to you, listen to the people who suffer from inequality. That's far more constructive and important than knee-jerk reactions to things you might not even understand.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

Here's what I think is a perfect parallel to the "why do gay gamers want their own conventions" question/argument:

[HEADING=2]Why do bronies need their own conventions? Why can't they just go to the normal My Little Pony ones?[/HEADING]

If your answer isn't essentially the same for both questions, you're probably a bigot.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

I wonder why they would segregate themselves from others and if being gay is normal why they have to make such an issue of it. It just seems that, for instance, black or gay or whatever can have there own clubs but god forbid there is a white only or straight men only event. Gaming bonds all people regardless, doesnt matter what your background is.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Here's what I think is a perfect parallel to the "why do gay gamers want their own conventions" question/argument:

[HEADING=2]Why do bronies need their own conventions? Why can't they just go to the normal My Little Pony ones?[/HEADING]

If your answer isn't essentially the same for both questions, you're probably a bigot.

...Wait.

They seriously have Normie-MLP cons?

Really?

 

[Ickorus]

Speaking without rancor, I don't think it's a particularly great idea you can insist all you like that the convention is open to everyone but it's still not going to change the fact that most straight people attending would feel just a little bit uncomfortable as the very name implies it's not intended for us. (Maybe that's the point, who knows?)

I think it would have been much more constructive if instead they didn't give it a specific focus on gay culture in gaming and instead simply made it part of their mission brief to be inclusive to all gamers with the promise of removing anyone who showed intolerance towards another part of our culture.

Maybe I've just lucked out here and I just happen to frequent some of the most down-to-earth and unprejudiced gaming hangouts about but I really do think our culture is one of the most inclusive and forward thinking ones around.

My captcha was a picture of a puppy, this pleases me.

 

[James Joseph Emerald]

...Wait.

They seriously have Normie-MLP cons?

Really?

Well, I believe so. They've been over-shadowed by the whole brony thing, but MLP collectors have been around for a long time. Similar to Beanie Babies.

Plus, y'know, MLP probably had a large presence at toy conventions even before the brony thing.

 

[Darken12]

Speaking without rancor, I don't think it's a particularly great idea you can insist all you like that the convention is open to everyone but it's still not going to change the fact that most straight people attending would feel just a little bit uncomfortable as the very name implies it's not intended for us. (Maybe that's the point, who knows?)

You have perfectly encapsulated the feeling most LGBT people feel when they go to regular cons, for the exact same reasons.

Maybe I've just lucked out here and I just happen to frequent some of the most down-to-earth and unprejudiced gaming hangouts about but I really do think our culture is one of the most inclusive and forward thinking ones around.

Occam's Razor states you're probably just unaware. It's okay, it happens.

 

[Xanex]

I am curious about something. Do the creators of this con believe that whatever they are trying to get away from in regular cons will not follow them there? That the very small number of intolerant knuckle draggers they are trying to get away from will not follow them?

The knuckle draggers are a persistent lot, vindictive and petty. Making a con like this is very much like waving a red flag at a bull.

 

[Ickorus]

Speaking without rancor, I don't think it's a particularly great idea you can insist all you like that the convention is open to everyone but it's still not going to change the fact that most straight people attending would feel just a little bit uncomfortable as the very name implies it's not intended for us. (Maybe that's the point, who knows?)

You have perfectly encapsulated the feeling most LGBT people feel when they go to regular cons, for the exact same reasons.

Maybe I've just lucked out here and I just happen to frequent some of the most down-to-earth and unprejudiced gaming hangouts about but I really do think our culture is one of the most inclusive and forward thinking ones around.

Occam's Razor states you're probably just unaware. It's okay, it happens.

I think for me it's that I've never seen the walls that apparently exist that cause people to treat others differently based on silly things like sexual preference, race, gender or whatever else you care to think of.

People treat it negatively* but this lack of understanding is what everyone should wish for, if nobody saw the walls they wouldn't exist and the world would be a far better place.

[small]* Just look at some of the posts in this thread to see what I mean.[/small]

 

[Nieroshai]

So conversely, you are saying regular game cons are exclusively for straights? Now if we did THAT we would get sued... double standards gall me. If you're a gamer, be a gamer. There shouldn't be "gaymers" because that creates "straightmers." Lobbying for anything other than equality and unity is divisive. That is why while racism is bad, the Black Panthers and the Rainbow Coalition are also bad. This is why while sexism is bad, N.O.W. is also bad. Men's lobbies, white lobbies, and straight lobbies aren't okay because they're prejudiced. So why is the other way around okay? Be gamers, not "look-at-me-because-I'm-different"mers.

 

[Nieroshai]

Why would gaymers want their own cons? Well, why would lolis want their own con?

(HINT: The subject matter covered is inherently disgusting to CISGENDERED HETERONORMATIVE BIGOTS normals no matter how many episodes of Glee you watch.)

I fully support gaymer-cons and in fact would encourage all gay gamers to stick with those. As many as possible.

Out of curiosity, would a "straightmercon" (nevermind how retarded that reads) be intolerant? A con specifically for straight gamers, gays need not apply?

 

[Darken12]

I am curious about something. Do the creators of this con believe that whatever they are trying to get away from in regular cons will not follow them there? That the very small number of intolerant knuckle draggers they are trying to get away from will not follow them?

The knuckle draggers are a persistent lot, vindictive and petty. Making a con like this is very much like waving a red flag at a bull.

In a regular con, only 20% will genuinely care, at most. Everyone else will either actively not care or just pretend to care because it's the socially acceptable thing to do. The knuckle draggers will not meet that much opposition.

At a gaymer con, it's likely the percentages will be reversed.

I think for me it's that I've never seen the walls that apparently exist that cause people to treat others differently based on silly things like sexual preference, race, gender or whatever else you care to think of.

People treat it negatively but this lack of understanding is what everyone should wish for, if nobody saw the walls they wouldn't exist and the world would be a far better place.

When you're a member of the privileged majority, it's very tempting to close your eyes and pretend everything's fine and go "it's okay guys, you can stop complaining, we reached equality" and treat wilful blindness and ignorance as a way to keep on pretending everything's fine. It's not a malicious thing, but it happens, and it happens alarmingly often. You know who truly knows if we've reached equality or not? The minorities and the oppressed (which are not the same). Ask them if we've reached equality yet or not.

So conversely, you are saying regular game cons are exclusively for straights? Now if we did THAT we would get sued... double standards gall me. If you're a gamer, be a gamer. There shouldn't be "gaymers" because that creates "straightmers." Lobbying for anything other than equality and unity is divisive. That is why while racism is bad, the Black Panthers and the Rainbow Coalition are also bad. This is why while sexism is bad, N.O.W. is also bad. Men's lobbies, white lobbies, and straight lobbies aren't okay because they're prejudiced. So why is the other way around okay? Be gamers, not "look-at-me-because-I'm-different"mers.

No.

I'm just gonna say it: you're flat out wrong.

It's not that "if you did that you would get sued". You already do that. See my examples in a previous post, the entertainment culture (of which games are a part) already caters almost exclusively to straight white males. Every other demographic has to fight tooth and nail to get recognised. "Straightmers" already exist. They're called gamers. That's why we have "girl gamers" too, because the default is the straight white male.

The reason straight white males have a problem with minorities and the underprivileged fighting for rights and inclusion is because "privileging the straight white male" is seen as normal and the status quo. By trying to change that, straight white males feel threatened because they're no longer being catered to.

 

[littlewisp]

My least favorite way for people to start sentences:

I'm not homophobic/racist/an intolerable bigot, but ___

:| Yeah, okay, use the disclaimer if it makes you feel better but we both know what the truth is and I loathe you for it.

 

[Verkula]

Here's what I think is a perfect parallel to the "why do gay gamers want their own conventions" question/argument:

[HEADING=2]Why do bronies need their own conventions? Why can't they just go to the normal My Little Pony ones?[/HEADING]

If your answer isn't essentially the same for both questions, you're probably a bigot.

You know what else? They have gay celebrities.

 

[Eri]

I've had this saved from somewhere but I forgot where, now is the time to post it. Here we go.

"I want to belong... by being sorted out !!!"

Yup, that's a common wish, not only shared by the LGBT community, but by pretty much everyone.
You can't approach the question of the "Why this convention ? What's the point ?" objectively, because there's no tangible objective argument justifying it, no matter how much some feisty people on this thread will try to convince otherwise.

It's all "justified" by subjectivity, a big mix of frustration of being insulted on online games for a sexual orientation (I'm guessing, based on some arguments I'm reading; and there's probably some other stuff I'd never understand personally, which is fine).
It's not a logical move, so trying to understand it like that will hurt your brain.

But it being illogical doesn't make it nonsense : Of course there's an issue, (just look a at multiplayer Call of duty game on Youtube and you'll get the picture). Is this the best way to deal with the problem though ?

As for my own opinion on the conference, I think it's dumb, because it could be integrated as a panel in already existing well-known conventions, thus informing and sensitising more people (and probably the CONCERNED people) to the issue (as it is, it's preaching to the choir).

The "fear of bigots crashing your presentation" argument is just an excuse, I'm sure the Comic con (for example) security is qualified to deal with those idiots.
And don't quote me on that, but I'm also inclined to think those panels wouldn't be rejected by conference administrative staff: rejecting a panel of this nature is bad publicity, green lighting it make them look progressive.

"Yes, but it is a tight-knit community with individual that would enjoy meeting people going through the same troubles and sharing the same passion simultaneously."

Well, yeah, that's exactly my point : The main motivation, is to provide a shiny, "my very own thing" kinda feeling, to that community. If you wanna feel like you belong and have fun, that's a good place for you (gaming cons in general are, too), but don't tell me you're trying to tackle the issue with this.

As I said, I think it's dumb, but, if I turn my brain off for a second, I also think it's okay too. Because even though it's not serving the "cause" as well as it could be, according to me, it provides a feeling of satisfaction and belonging to a community that may be craving for it.