UPDATE: Microsoft Disallows Public Lesbians on Xbox Live

[Not Good]

Lol. No warm welcome to the Dykes.

/sarcasm

 

[Yog Sothoth]

If those people would stop doing that and taking offense to people being gay, Microsoft wouldn't have to enforce a rule like that in the first place.

I find myself in the odd position of agreeing with both you and the girl who put lesbian in her profile. Oh well. If you're not a sock puppet (and I seriously doubt that you are) you win just for showing up here and posting.

There are no puppets in here, I promise....

I think that I need to see exactly what this girl wrote in her profile before I draw any more conclusions....

 

[Acid Armageddon]

hmmm so now mr bill gates is homophobic.... this is going on my list

You can't be serious?

 

[NewGeekPhilosopher]

This isn't just about whether Microsoft is an evil corporation, but about the denial of a woman's identity. How do you think I feel when people tell me I have a condition that does not exist, or that I'm exploiting it to get sympathy? It pisses me off, that's what, and it doesn't stop at my personal rage about identity, I have two lesbian friends with different girlfriends and they play games sometimes, I'd hate to think they'd suffer from this kind of crap from the online public and the moderators. I may disagree with them rejecting me romantically for the love of another woman, but dammit, I want to see them have justice in this crazy old world, you know why, because people have DIFFERENCES which EXIST, to deny elements of identity you're uncomfortable with is a fascist regime, a hegemony enforced to ensure the majority believe that everybody's the same consumerist eejits (that's a freaking Irish expression by the way, not a typo, it's just DIFFERENT) who will buy their products without considering the morality of the shareholders and CEOs...

 

[mrfredy5]

One thing is, the term "gay" is probably blocked for being an inappropriate slur against anyone, not necessarily just gay people. That's one of the main problems with society today. If we keep using those words as insults to other people, it's going to be hard to make progress.

But then what about homosexuals who call themselves gay and are part of gay rights groups surely it isn't an insult if the people who it is dirrected call themselves gay themself.

Ok I wont say it is as insulting as the N word but I will agree with you on people using the word gay to describe something bad is a problem.

That's not what I mean. I mean you listen to teenagers (and even some kids) and they use the word "gay" to denote something bad. That's the real problem. Using the word itself is not the problem, it's what you mean by it. It's like the N-word which I choose not to use (you know the one). Rappers use it one way, but some people use it as a racial slur. It's all about how you use the word.

 

[quiet empire]

I don't remember a part where it said she was looking for someone on LIVE, she simply casually mentioned it. I don't know about you, but that doesn't strike me as 'SO DESPERATE TO TELL THE WORD YOU'RE GAY'. I don't know why you're making a fuss about her mentioning it when it has nothing to do with gaming, but it was in the 'About Me' part of her profile. That doesn't seem to me to be the place to say that you've beaten Halo 2 on Hard, it sounds like a place where people can state stuff ABOUT THEMSELVES. Also, well done in trying to earn some credit by quoting your freind as a 'Bisexual Gamer' when my point is it doesn't matter if she said she was gay or not.

My my, a little presumptuous are we? While in general putting something in your profile about your sexual orientation isn't a bad thing, when it's unrelated to the context the profile is to be seen in it gets a whole different meaning.

Now I'd like to elaborate a point that people seem to be missing; the world isn't such an accepting place as you'd like it to be! I know, shocker, right? Putting "I'm heterosexual" in your profile won't do anything. Putting "I'm gay/lesbian" will get you a whole flood of harassment (read first post please for a quote on how this girl was subjected to that type of behavior). Would it really be so wrong to believe that Microsoft could possibly be doing this to keep the drama llama away from its users, its gaming system?

And as my lovely friend Tycho already mentioned, I quoted myself as a bisexual woman to make a point; as someone who is proud of her sexuality, I don't feel the slightest need to express my orientation on my gaming profile. My journal? Sure. In private chats with my friends? Why not?

I don't go on Steam to play CS and announce to the world I'm a bisexual girl however! What's the point? It doesn't change my gameplay. It doesn't change how good or bad I am at the game. All it does is tempt people to stop playing the game and start paying attention to me, either in a positive or negative manner.

You can call it racist of Microsoft to not let people express themselves for what they are. But then take a look at how people treat each other; take a look at how people are harassed for being what they are. Doesn't it make much more sense to avoid this by not allowing unrelated information that may offend people into attacking individuals?

The point remains that it has nothing to do with gaming in general. Like I said before, if you're so set on announcing to the world how proud you are of being gay, then do it on Myspace. I'm just amazed to see so many people throwing a fit at Microsoft for essentially trying to protect its users when you should be throwing a fit at the people who insult, harass and stalk users for something as simple as being gay.

If those people would stop doing that and taking offense to people being gay, Microsoft wouldn't have to enforce a rule like that in the first place.

No, the world is not as accepting a place as many people would like it to be, i'm glad we can both agree on that. But yet again the argument of 'It's not really errelevant to gameplay' comes up, which I think is a flaw on your part. Your NAME is not really errelevant to gameplay, but some people might mention it in their profile. Yes, it's terrible this poor girl being discriminated is appaling, but in this 'world [that] isn't such an accepting place as you'd like it to be', I recon this girl should be corremerated for being brave enought to simply mention it, especially on LIVE, of all places.

 

[thegrandtaco]

i dont understand why if your gay you have to let everyone know about it.
im straight and i dont hold up signs, and take over parades saying so. I get there are gays out there but seriously who cares about your personal lives, keep it to yourselves and you wont have a problem.

Listen to this it is so true
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoS39F9r0ZE&feature=related

 

[Infiniteloop]

I want to institute Caucasian (read: white) Awareness Month and have Straight parades biweekly (pun intended).

 

[thegrandtaco]

I want to institute Caucasian (read: white) Awareness Month and have Straight parades biweekly (pun intended).

you sir are genius

 

[Sundavar]

Hey here's a tip.
If you don't want to be insulted for being a fag, don't say that you're a fag in your freakin profile.
And i don't blame those people. Granted, they should have been nicer, but that lady brought it upon herself when she identified herself as part of a group that (imo, deservedly) receives quite a bit of prejudice.
But of course we know people don't use common sense because well, thinking ahead, that's for losers, eh?

thegrandtaco said:
i dont understand why if your gay you have to let everyone know about it.
im straight and i dont hold up signs, and take over parades saying so. I get there are gays out there but seriously who cares about your personal lives, keep it to yourselves and you wont have a problem. (end quote)
Man you are SO RIGHT you deserve a high five or a gift certificate lol
(While editing my original post it wouldn't let me quote)

There is no single blame here, because everyone is at fault.
The fag should have been smarter, the people should have been nicer, and microsoft shouldn't have waved their big corporate dick in her face.

 

[Captain Blackout]

I want to institute Caucasian (read: white) Awareness Month and have Straight parades biweekly (pun intended).

Do what you want with straight parades.

White Awareness Month? Are you fucking kidding me?? I know, sarcasm so of course you are... Seriously though: Almost EVERY history class, philosophy class, psychology class etc. etc. etc. was about the lives, ideas and accomplishments of CRUSTY OLD WHITE PEOPLE! Philosophy is the worst in this country. Everything stems from the Greeks and it's completely focused on classical western philosophy. Never mind that there's an entire world out there that I had to go learn about on my own (after paying for said classes and feeling ripped off.) No one needs white awareness month because EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM IS AWARE ENOUGH ALREADY!

 

[Jumplion]

I want to institute Caucasian (read: white) Awareness Month and have Straight parades biweekly (pun intended).

I know you're being sarcastic and all, but I for one am getting sick of this excuse that pops up with this kind of debate.

As Captain Blackout said, nearly the entire history of the world is made by crusty old white guys. We know enough about white people, they're corrupt, they're war heroes, they're peacemakers, they do everything!

Have they dealt with oppression? Maybe, but if that's the case then it's probably for who they were (IE Jews, Christians, Gays, basically lifestyles). How many black people have made history? I'm sure a lot of them, but for the life of me I can only name one; Martin Luther King Jr (that depresses me...)

We don't need a "White guys!" parade because everyone is already educated enough about them. Not many, or at least not enough, people are educated with what Blacks, Jews, Gays, etc... had to or still have to deal with.

 

[Infiniteloop]

LOL @ the victim mindset.

 

[keptsimple]

i dont understand why if your gay you have to let everyone know about it.
im straight and i dont hold up signs, and take over parades saying so. I get there are gays out there but seriously who cares about your personal lives, keep it to yourselves and you wont have a problem.

Listen to this it is so true
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoS39F9r0ZE&feature=related

Um, she listed herself as a lesbian in the portion of her XBL profile that invites users to write about their background. It's not like she turned on her mic and shouted "I'm a lesbian!" every 2 seconds during a COD4 match.

It sounds like you're saying that you're okay with gay people being gay, as long as they remain closeted and don't demand any rights.

Also, if someone told you, as a straight person, that you aren't allowed to marry a person of the opposite sex, or that you can't openly serve in the military, or that your very way of live is immoral, my guess is that you'd be holding plenty of signs and marching in plenty of parades.

 

[Ghost]

why bring it up in the first place? i do not feel the need to say that i am straight in my gamertag

 

[Huey1000]

I want to institute Caucasian (read: white) Awareness Month and have Straight parades biweekly (pun intended).

Do what you want with straight parades.

White Awareness Month? Are you fucking kidding me?? I know, sarcasm so of course you are... Seriously though: Almost EVERY history class, philosophy class, psychology class etc. etc. etc. was about the lives, ideas and accomplishments of CRUSTY OLD WHITE PEOPLE! Philosophy is the worst in this country. Everything stems from the Greeks and it's completely focused on classical western philosophy. Never mind that there's an entire world out there that I had to go learn about on my own (after paying for said classes and feeling ripped off.) No one needs white awareness month because EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM IS AWARE ENOUGH ALREADY!

What country do you live in buddy? Pragmatism is an American creation my child! If it weren't for it, this country would have never been anything great. Anyway, I'm bi but I don't advertise that (except in this 'informative' case) as if it were my name. If someone asks me, I say yes 'cause I don't give fuck. I'm proud of being Jewish too, but I don't celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the streets of LA or New York.

 

[Captain Blackout]

Almost EVERY history class, philosophy class, psychology class etc. etc. etc. was about the lives, ideas and accomplishments of CRUSTY OLD WHITE PEOPLE! Philosophy is the worst in this country. Everything stems from the Greeks and it's completely focused on classical western philosophy. Never mind that there's an entire world out there that I had to go learn about on my own (after paying for said classes and feeling ripped off.) No one needs white awareness month because EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM IS AWARE ENOUGH ALREADY!

What country do you live in buddy? Pragmatism is an American creation my child! If it weren't for it, this country would have never been anything great. Anyway, I'm bi but I don't advertise that (except in this 'informative' case) as if it were my name. If someone asks me, I say yes 'cause I don't give fuck. I'm proud of being Jewish too, but I don't celebrate Rosh Hashanah in the streets of LA or New York.

EDIT: I had a much longer post but I've more than already made my point and nothing anyone says will change the fact that tactically speaking, I'm right. I will admit one misstatement. Philosophy CLASSES are the worst in this country because of their rather narrow perspective.

 

[Ginja Ninja]

violently anti-homosexual

Just quoting this bit for this

lololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol

You can be labeled as "violently anti-homosexual" by reporting someone who states there sexual preferance... JUST BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO BE GAY??? You are a biggot, like a person who assumes a man who is gay must love all men, you assume all who feel it was inaproprate to state that must be homophobic.

I'm talking about the people that threaten to kill me when I'm playing games online because I happen to mention that I'm gay offhand. I mean start describing how they plan to slaughter me and laugh as I die because I'm a freak and a sick ******. I don't have a problem with people that say that it's offensive to put that information in her profile, since I know there are people who are offended by it. I'm talking about the people I have reported for threatening my life for being gay, and forwarding messages from them that said that, and being told "While we regret this kind of action, the users in questions have not violated the terms of use of our servers, and as such will not be banned".

Yes that makes more sense. Then that should have been dealt with... but why mention at all? If some people might take it wrong why say it?

Yeah, let's hide who we are inside because some people might not like it. That won't cause any sort of depression, or long term mental instabilities

I hope you like sarcasm, because there's a lot in there

Makes sense to me, I don't talk to others on XBL apart from to tell them to stop being a retard if they are... simple... why should I state who I am to some strangers, who may not like it, when I don't give a shit about their opinion anyway?

 

[sanzo]

violently anti-homosexual

Just quoting this bit for this

lololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololololol

You can be labeled as "violently anti-homosexual" by reporting someone who states there sexual preferance... JUST BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO BE GAY??? You are a biggot, like a person who assumes a man who is gay must love all men, you assume all who feel it was inaproprate to state that must be homophobic.

I'm talking about the people that threaten to kill me when I'm playing games online because I happen to mention that I'm gay offhand. I mean start describing how they plan to slaughter me and laugh as I die because I'm a freak and a sick ******. I don't have a problem with people that say that it's offensive to put that information in her profile, since I know there are people who are offended by it. I'm talking about the people I have reported for threatening my life for being gay, and forwarding messages from them that said that, and being told "While we regret this kind of action, the users in questions have not violated the terms of use of our servers, and as such will not be banned".

Yes that makes more sense. Then that should have been dealt with... but why mention at all? If some people might take it wrong why say it?

Yeah, let's hide who we are inside because some people might not like it. That won't cause any sort of depression, or long term mental instabilities

I hope you like sarcasm, because there's a lot in there

Makes sense to me, I don't talk to others on XBL apart from to tell them to stop being a retard if they are... simple... why should I state who I am to some strangers, who may not like it, when I don't give a shit about their opinion anyway?

I wasn't aware everyone on x-box live was you, and therefore must think exactly like you