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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsGLAAD 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.
Editor's Note: Please keep your comments civil and on-topic. You can disagree, but do so without attacks or trolling. Comments are being actively moderated and anything out of line will be removed and the user will be banned.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, News items
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 22)
Pexxle -=Silver Hand (RP)=- Jul 21st 2009 11:05AM
Any type of hatred, racism etc. in an MMO "fantasy" RPG is Supermassive-extraordinaryfail!
epicboyz Jul 21st 2009 11:08AM
What ever happened to "Free Speech"?
Knob Jul 21st 2009 11:10AM
Free speech doesn't apply to inciting hatred. Try doing that in public and claim the free speech right and see how the police/courts react.
Corday Jul 21st 2009 11:14AM
The first amendment doesn't apply to private establishments. If the owner of an establishment (in this case a game server) doesn't like what you're saying, they have every right to tell you to GTFO.
souvlaki Jul 21st 2009 11:14AM
Defamation and attacks to honorability do not count as "free speach".
epicboyz Jul 21st 2009 11:35AM
The United States federal government and state governments are broadly forbidden by the First Amendment of the Constitution from restricting speech. See, e.g., Gitlow v. New York (1925), incorporating the free speech clause. Generally speaking, the First Amendment prohibits governments from regulating the content of speech, subject to a few recognized exceptions such as defamation and incitement to riot. Even in cases where speech encourages illegal violence, instances of incitement qualify as criminal only if the threat of violence is imminent. This strict standard prevents prosecution of many cases of incitement, including prosecution of those advocating violent opposition to the government, and those exhorting violence against racial, ethnic, or gender minorities.
Averna Jul 21st 2009 11:37AM
/facepalm
Why does every idiot come back with "i has free speech"
Learn the amendment before you try to hide behind it
Sevin7x70 Jul 21st 2009 1:06PM
You can say you hate anyone you want, you SHOULD be able to say you hate anyone you want. With out fear of discrimination. Don't yell at them, stalk them or hit them but your words are just words adn you have the right to use them as long as you do the person no phyicial or monitary harm. Same gose for any use of words other then hate.
s256 Jul 21st 2009 4:13PM
"Your right to swing your fist through the air ends at the tip of my nose."
You can "hate" what you want for whatever dysfunctional reasons you may have, but you should keep it to yourself. Why does this so-called "hate" even exist? Nobody has any good reasons.
Putting any energy (putting thought toward) into "hate" is useless, pointless and foolish.
Zhiva Jul 21st 2009 11:19PM
Your right to swing your arms ends where other person's nose begins. Also, you are confusing "free speech" with something completely different.
Randy Jul 21st 2009 11:10AM
What I don't get is why people (anyone) has to go into an MMORPG and bringing their RL identity front and center. I mean why go into a game like WoW and project that you are gay, or transgender or whatever. My first question is, who cares? And 2nd, why must you tell me about it, I just wanna loot leet epics, not get into a discussion about GLBT issues. I mean its not like I get on trade trying to convert people to the LDS Church, I leave that stuff at the login screen, and I think everyone should do the same.
Andesha2 Jul 21st 2009 11:17AM
Some of us develop close friendships with our guildmates, and also, genuinely get to know the people we play with since there is a social aspect to the game. Part of the fun is getting to know the people behind the computers that are playing the game imo. My guildmates know I'm gay...that doesn't mean we discuss gay issues, but it is who I am and they are respectful of that.
Dan Jul 21st 2009 11:18AM
The game has flower bouquets, wedding dresses, and even a St. Valentines Day holiday. Same-sex attraction is deserving of equality and similar acceptance. It's not unreasonable to have it in a game that has opposite-sex stuff.
Oh and FYI to all the people telling gays to lay off and keep their opinions to themselves, it ain't gonna happen. Discrimination and hatred will be fought wherever they exist. No more closets.
Randy Jul 21st 2009 11:20AM
@Andesha2
There's a difference between the topic coming up between friends or through a private discussion as opposed to what I find on my server, a group of people that are spouting it through the public channels (trade, world defense) on a common basis. This is why I used trade as an example.
Like Las Vegas, what happens in /g, stays in /g.
Randy Jul 21st 2009 11:23AM
@Dan,
Its not discrimination or hatred to wanna keep RL stuff out of my gaming experience, if I want RL stuff, I'll log out and go play in RL.
Hatred and discrimination would be firebombing the Perenolde server, and I'm certainly not advocating that.
Cyrus Jul 21st 2009 11:23AM
Two longtime guildmates of mine just got married IRL. They met through WoW, and that's how another half a dozen people at the wedding knew either of them, including myself. They haven't been getting all raunchy in guild chat or anything, not at all, but sex and love are parts of life, so stuff just develops sometimes.
Irem Jul 21st 2009 11:26AM
This is not about people being up front with their sexual identity, but about attempting to raise consciousness so that (hopefully) fewer people will think that making homophobic remarks is just part of the culture of the game.
Making gay jokes about blood elf males, calling people you don't like "homos" or stuff you don't like "gay" doesn't offend every gay person out there, but it does have the social effect of making gay gamers feel as though they're not part of the social group or welcomed. That's hurtful.
You can look at this as trying to make being a gay gamer less of a big deal. I'm a lesbian, almost no one in the guild I run knows that, and I would prefer to keep it that way because it has nothing to do with my gaming. It's the people slinging around homophobic speech that are bringing up the subject, in a negative context. It is not shoving anything in anyone's face (to reference a post further down) to say that if they could find some non-hurtful terms to use, there wouldn't be an issue.
Hurgan Jul 21st 2009 11:40AM
Sure, I'll agree with that. If we can agree that people should stop running their mouth about how everything they dislike in the game is "gay."
Treason Jul 21st 2009 11:46AM
They don't bring it to convert people. Most of the time this stuff starts because someone who doesn't know better says something like "That sword is so gay". Now I don't know your race, sex, or sexual orientation, but if you were a member of a group who people were routinely using the group identity as a synonym for bad, that would chafe you too.
Half the time when you then speak out about it, people start calling you a f***** (I'm actually straight, and have had this happen to me).
I mean, do you think its improper to call people out for using terms like "n***** rig" or "mexican shower" or saying stuff like "That sword is so black man"? I mean where I'm from even (Atlanta), that sort of statement could get you tossed even from a restaurant.
Rhobeta Jul 21st 2009 1:44PM
I do not understand, either, why people would mention this. We are playing a game, why is anyone's sexuality mentioned, other than in personal conversation. I do not sign into the game saying I am a heterosexual. Why would I?