GLAAD fights homophobia in online communities like WoW
by Mike Schramm 
Jul 21st 2009 at 11:00AM
We've talked here on the site before about this issue -- the anonymity in online communities like World of Warcraft often leads to people throwing out offensive statements that they usually wouldn't in normal company. Most people shrug these off as just what happens in online games ("kids will be kids, and idiots will be idiots"), but this type of undercurrent behavior still signifies and perpetuates prejudices and hatreds that affect society at large. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has recently started up a campaign to try and stamp out hatred and homophobia in communities like World of Warcraft, and they've published an op-ed on exactly why this is such a problem and what we can do to stop it. They don't mention WoW specifically, but we're one of the biggest online communities out there, and if nothing else, here's a chance to show just how tolerant we as a community can be.
The good news is that as the practice of online gaming grows, both players and policymakers are becoming more and more aware of the problem -- Microsoft met earlier this year with representatives from GLAAD to determine how better to combat offensive statements on Xbox Live, and the organization held a panel recently to discuss exactly this issue.
Thanks, Joshua!
Even Blizzard has gotten better at navigating the issues: three years ago, they threatened to ban a gay guild from the game, and nowadays, players of all creeds and backgrounds are able to enjoy the game.
As the op-ed says, it's going to be a long road. And it's more than just about homophobia, as there are also certainly lots of racist and sexist messages thrown around online communities, many times by people who should know better. But helping to fight one issue should help us fight them all. And fighting the undercurrent of these offensive messages in online communities like Azeroth should go a long way to raising awareness in the real world as well.
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Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 22)
Downhere Jul 21st 2009 11:57AM
Talonal:
Spoken like a true liberal.
You're regurgitating information you get from the liberal media, which is biased and leaves out many important facts. None of us consider Rush to be the leader of the republican party, many of us conservatives tolerate him at best, but consider him to be as bad as the extreme leftists. You don't see us polling because most polls are organized by the democratic party, which pick and choose what they want to display. Yes, some extreme conservatives just as bad as extreme liberals, but don't lump us all into the same category.
I am a conservative Christian who believes in "love thy neighbor". I don't care if they're gay, straight, or wanna shack up with a goat. I may not agree with what they do, but I'm not going to hate or persecute them for their decision.
Mep Jul 21st 2009 12:50PM
You are correct, children will do the opposite of what their parents tell them... however this is in defiance of their parents alpha status. The child needs to be convinced that their parent is, in fact, in charge of them, and thus "tests the waters" per se. Once the parent has shown their dominance over a child it does get easier... which is why I'm also a fan of corporal punishment...
Without it you end up with our current younger generation... that should be enough proof that it shouldn't be frowned upon, but I digress.
This entire article and argument simply comes down to some people telling other people how to live their life and/or what they can and cannot say so that another group of people can feel better about themselves.
That's where the asininity of the argument comes in. Who are they to tell anyone how to speak? If a person chooses to not use derogatory words because it offends someone else, that's their choice... great! I commend them for being a shining example of a humanitarian who will change their own way of life to suit others... how weak of them.
golffuul Jul 21st 2009 1:09PM
Uhh...special interest groups = politics
Or have you been locked away for the last 50 years or more
Knob Jul 21st 2009 11:05AM
Am I the only one that cannot stand these self-righteous groups who think they speak for everyone? And it's not just this one, it's every other group that apparently speaks for the "equal treatment" of their .
Most of the time they aren't looking for equal treatment, they're looking for special treatment.
Knob Jul 21st 2009 11:06AM
The last part of the first paragraph in the above post should read:
"equal treatment" of their [insert cause here].
It got cut-off since I used the < symbol instead of [.
azathrai Jul 21st 2009 1:44PM
They sound self righteous because they have to be...there are still more places than not you can live in the US and be fired for being gay...no other reason needed. No to mention denied the ability to adopt, find housing, or just live a regular life. So there's still a lot of work to be done and groups like GLAAD are fighting a righteous cause. Its not special treatment.
Kyir Jul 21st 2009 11:09AM
It's like PETA all over again.
Kittiann Jul 21st 2009 11:10AM
I don't think it's really asking for special treatment if they're just trying to cut down on homophobic remarks. "lol, your so gay" may not be offensive to you or to everyone in the LGBT community, but it is to some. And whether or not it's offensive, it's certainly inappropriate.
I understand that games are a place for people to unwind and let go of the stresses and political correctness of the day. But that's no excuse for letting hate speech run rampant in /2.
Invierna Jul 21st 2009 11:12AM
Are you serious? Define for me how a gay organization is seeking "special" treatment.
They want to be able to get married, to share in the rights that straight people have. They want it to be a hate crime to have done to them what was done to Matthew Shepard.
Tell me what "special" treatment they're seeking. I'm all ears. Because I see a group that just wants to reduce LGBT issues into a collective "so what if they're gay?" from the community at-large.
Arkensis Jul 21st 2009 11:13AM
Honestly, I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to get rid of offensive statements in online gaming, and really, that's about all this group seems to want to do in WoW. I don't see how GLAAD wants special treatment - it's about respect, which everyone deserves, regardless of their race, gender, or sexual orientation.
I think the person who's looking for special treatment is you Knob - the special treatment of the right to treat people improperly just because you can hide behind an anonymous character.
Aykwa Jul 21st 2009 11:15AM
Yeah, I've found that to be the case too, Knob. Those who claim for various causes that they want "equality" usually (but not always) want something special.
My question is why is someone's decision not to like someone else, for what ever reason, now treated as a fear, a phobia? If someone does't like gays, are they actually homophobes? Or do they just not like them? Should we apply the same to those who don't like idiots? Should we just say they are afraid of idiots and call them idiophobes or something like that? I know there are homophobes out there, but not everybody who doesn't like gay people is scared of them, just like everyone who doesn't like idiots is an idiophobe, so homophobe is a misnomer for many. Just a way to attack those who don't like you, which turns away people like me who want to support you until you start attacking others too.
Knob Jul 21st 2009 11:16AM
I never said this particular group is seeking special treatment. I said that most of the time, groups like this create a big hoopla because they seek special treatment.
And as Randy commented a few posts down, I play this game to enjoy the Warcraft universe and to play my character, not to deal with others' real-life issues. If someone has a problem separating their real-life and an in-game universe, contact the administrators of the in-game universe and inform them of the bigotry that's going on. Do not drag the rest of us who are attempting to enjoy the game into it, especially into flammable topics such as this one or politics or war.
Invierna Jul 21st 2009 11:21AM
To Aykwa:
If you don't like a gay person because they're gay, you're a homophobe. If you don't like a gay person because they're a jerk, you're not a homophobe.
Simple. And this is why people teach "tolerance" and not "acceptance", it's the difference between dealing with the fact that everyone deserves equal rights rather than agreeing with it due to religious dogma, etc.
Cthulu Jul 21st 2009 11:20AM
And this matters why?
Aykwa Jul 21st 2009 11:23AM
Special treatment takes many forms. Hate crimes are special treatment. Seems like a person who is brutalized or traumatized is just as much a victim no matter his/her preferences or the reasons behind the crime. Beating a person is just as bad if you do it because of their sexual orientation, the amount of money they have, the way they looked at you, or the color shirt they are wearing. Having a crime be "extra" bad because the reason behind it may fall into a list of certain "special" things (orientation, race, religion, etc) is exactly that, special treatment for those things. If equality is demanded, then the crime itself is just as bad regardless of the reason. And I know what hate is, I'm half immigrant and English is my second language.
Treason Jul 21st 2009 11:37AM
>Unless it's an actual attack on a specific person I don't see the problem in using gay as a way to say something's bad
Do women joking about how men are so stupid and dirty all the time bother you? Do you get routinely forbidden from doing things because you're a man? Do you get legally prohibited from seeing your spouse of 20 years because she's dying from a car accident in a state you were stupid enough to go on a vacation to?
Honestly, if you think refering to some group as a synonym for bad, instead of saying "that's so gay" say "that's so like a black man". See how fast your behind get's banished forever from wow and the rest of your life.
Neither statement is okay. Don't use either when speaking.
Jeff Jul 21st 2009 11:36AM
This thread of comments proves why something like this is necessary.
"Just because someone hates all gay people doesn't mean they're homophobic; it means they just hate them. Not my fault I hate gays, but I sure as hell aint scared of em!"
The online gaming community, made up, not mostly, but largely of teenage, stupid males is racist, sexist, homophobic, and generally the worst group of human beings imaginable. Any group attempting to correct this issue is a good group in my eyes.
talonal Jul 21st 2009 11:45AM
@Mep
First Amendment doesn't apply except in public places. Blizzard's servers are private. Their servers, their rules.
yunkndatwunk Jul 21st 2009 11:55AM
Yeah the self righteous religious groups that think they speak for us straight people! Always trying to impose their morality on others. Whether it's regarding gay people, or drinking, or straight sex. They should keep their opinions to themselves!
That's what you meant, right?
Docp Jul 21st 2009 11:58AM
@Treason
"Do women joking about how men are so stupid and dirty all the time bother you? Do you get routinely forbidden from doing things because you're a man? Do you get legally prohibited from seeing your spouse of 20 years because she's dying from a car accident in a state you were stupid enough to go on a vacation to?"
All the jokes about men being stupid don't bother me, it's just something people do and doesn't really effect me. The parts that are actual discrimination, that's wrong. Saying "oh that movie was gay" doesn't mean anything, saying "You shouldn't be able to play this game because you're gay" is wrong.
"Honestly, if you think refering to some group as a synonym for bad, instead of saying "that's so gay" say "that's so like a black man". See how fast your behind get's banished forever from wow and the rest of your life."
If the majority of the people online said it, the majority of people I meet, most of the Black people I talk to as well and only a small section of people actually took offense I would gladly say that. It's just words! Actually discriminating people is wrong, using a word that has gained multiple meanings isn't.