Halo 3: Homophobia Evolved

Sierra · Halo 3: Homophobia Evolved

This is not at all surprising, yet astonishing. Some person decided to clearly out himself over XBox Live and see what happened. The video he took is a compilation of the abuse he received, not including the betrayals, which were not shown.

I know that the homophobic behavior this guy faced isn't really relevant to lesbian gamers, but I just wanted to post it because it only underscores the need to have queer safe-spaces within the gaming community. I have provided the link below.

http://gaygamer.net/2007/11/disturbing_video_shows_player.html

Thanks again for this space, some gamers really could use it.

Colvin

There's a bit of a furore atm regarding this with a lot of people saying he brought it on himself to some degree by the gamertag he chose. Some people are suggesting this was a stunt by gaygamer to get hits to their site. I'm not saying I agree with either of those points, but having the tag xxgayboyxx (which is what I believe it was) isn't going to bring you peace. I had a gamertag a couple of years ago on XBL that stated I was a female player and I got grief for it in most open rooms. I no longer bother with live because of the purile behaviours I was subjected to. My point is, had I not had the tag, I wouldn't have gained the abuse, but then I should have been able to have the tag and not expect the abuse.

I hope you take my meaning. It's a double edged sword, but this guy must have realized what he was doing, didn't he make this tag specifically to go on live and record? So why doesn't he usually use this tag if he believes in the overall argument.

xKiDDOx

Yeah, I have to agree with Colvin about that he had to know that he had to know people would make fun of him and such. Not that it should happen, but with the way people are on xbl...well...yeah.

Last night I kept getting called a faggot and being made fun of, and they didn't even know I was gay. But they were making fun of my friends equally (who are straight, btw), and it was just horrible. Oh, and they were on our team.

Although all of xbl isn't bad. I met three friends on there while playing Halo, and they're really nice, and totally accepting of me.

Katin

i usually spend my time on xbox live playing with the other 'mo's so it always catches me off guard when i go play a game by myself and guys are calling each other fags and what not. the first time i was so shocked it happened i didn't even know what to say.

yeah, the guy should have expected it, however, it still effin sucks.

i don't usually get grief about being a girl though...in fact...the guys seem to welcome it.

but yeah, i find it's always awesome to play with the gays and even better when you do team games and end up with gays vs. frat boys. the trash talking is fantastic. Very Happy

Jude

This is why I don't play online. I'd end up hating everyone and being miserable rather than enjoying the game. The only times I play computer games other than solo is when I hook my Macs together and play with my partner or a friend.

Even on forums, it's difficult to find a place without this type of disgusting behavior. I've left two gaming forums (one for Escape Velocity, and the other for Diablo II) over the past years that were fine at first, and then the homophobic/sexist abusive behavior started and then escalated quickly.

This place is a nice change. Very Happy

Jude

GirlyG

lol the trash talking is fantastic Laughing

I can't be bothered with all that, I go on Xbox Live for fun, not to listen to people be nasty. I think anyone that speaks that way on Live needs a headcheck, they probably wouldn't do it on the street, but the anonymity of Live gives them the balls to do so, essentially it's cowardice of the worst kind.

I'll stick to playing with friends, with the odd game of open Uno, since that game strangely doesn't really feature any trash talk, that I've heard anyway.

Oh and yeah, I've had my fair share of the sort of gamertag speak Col mentioned, I sometimes wish I had a different tag, but I don't see why I should change it since I've had it since Beta.

Jude

The problem is that when this behavior is accepted in one place, it usually becomes accepted elsewhere after a while. I often hear it on the street: whore, faggot, dyke, bitch... It's obviously considered acceptable to abuse people with language, and the next step is physical abuse...

Most people are rotten.

Jude

minit

Have any of you seen this article by Geekwoman at womengamers.com?

Vocal Harassment of Women and Children in Xbox Live
http://www.womengamers.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=16761

It was a long and difficult discussion in the comments. These are related issues.

Even though he named himself xxx GayBoy xxx he is the victim here. Obviously if you really want to play then you can't name yourself xxx GayBoy xxx. So I think he is simply trying to show the reality, though I have not spoken to him.

tomboy.for.equality

I haven't ever been on XBL but I have played FPS online on PSN. My gamer tag on PSN is Rnbwgrl. I came out to the gaming clan I belong to and have openly confronted them on some of their homophobic behavior...they are mostly men in their mid 30's who were looking for mature gamers to game with because they were tired of all the swearing and immaturity in public rooms...I think they are making strides since I have joined...as for being a woman in public rooms, I have mostly been received well...never had dyke thrown at me... most of the guys are pretty receptive because I think they wish their girlfriends played FPS with them...and when I hear men in public rooms throwing around the word fag...my response is usually "yeah, well that fag just owned your a**" they don't usually say much after that...

Sierra

Do you mean to say that you confronted them on their homophobic behaviour and they actually improved? Crazy. What about their sexist behaviour?

Jude

That is incredible. The usual reaction is that they attack, saying you are the troublemaker and are over-reacting, and then everyone else joins in...

Jude

Sierra

masteroftheclaw

Bahhhh I wanted to write an article about this event. Well it's stupid how people make fun of others but it's not just a Halo thing. This is how young guys (girls too) interact with each other. Hell no is it right but nobody really seems to care. Kids these days say "that's so gay!" and who raises a voice? It's accepted as much as it shouldn't be. People like to make fun of things that are different.... It's a really shitty part of human-ness.

minit

Adults look the other way.

"Boys will be boys" they say and whatever girls do to each other today. I have seen it in my own family where there is mixed awareness of these issues. Sadly.

GirlyG

minit

Thanks! I will check that out.

Smile

vou

That's just messed up. Yes his name was provocative but that doesn't make what happened right! Alot of times people use names that reflect a part of their identity and that should not give the right to anyone to insult it. How would it be if, someone picked blackgirl or blackboy? does that give them the right to use racial slurs? It's a damn shame!!

Sierra

marcipants

See, this is why I remove my headset while playing with randoms. I much, much prefer stickin' to playing with friends only. Razz

Darkfaerie129

I would have to agree with Colvin on this one... i mean I get grief just because i am a girl and then when they ask where my man is and i say i dont have a man, i have a woman, more grief ensues... so i get it because i am a girl, and i am a lesbian.

I agree, its not right and we shouldnt be treated like that. It is wrong. But what can we do about it? Nothing really, other then pwn them in the game!!

Actions speak louder then words!

sasune

I had a gamer tag once called Sapphic Empress...most of the little idiots were clueless as to what that implied and still kept hitting on me for cyber. *rolls eyes*

As for communities, there are some online games that are more gay friendly than others. The games that are more focused towards adults seem to be more gay friendly than the ones with a younger player base. At least that is what I have found in my gaming experience.

FyreHawk711

i hope i don't come off sounding like a jerk... but, we need to stop running away from the bad behavior and report it to XBL. i don't mind a little trash talk, but when someone joins a game i've hosted... i don't tolerate it and i report them to XBL, and use the 'avoid this player' setting for their gamertag.

yeah, so you feel somewhat adolescent 'telling on them'. well, if we want a tolerant gaming environment, we need to take a stand even if it seems like tattling to our XBL 'parents'. there are quite a few morons in the gaming arenas. i don't let them get away with it... and i don't encourage it either. that's why sites like this one and ThumbBandits are so necessary for us. we can band together and fight this abusive behavior.

knowledge is indeed empowering.

cheers

hanna

i get harrassed in xbl all the time

i try to kick their ass on the game

then i report them

..i honestly think that it doesnt matter if you report them though Sad

if they get too irritating, i just mute them all and turn my mic off Cool

C4bl3Fl4m3 · My 2 cents on homophobia in FPSes

(Note: I don't do online FPSes via console, only via computer. YMMV.)

I must be the only person who really doesn't get harassed that much about being queer in game. Maybe because I bring it up before they do and I'm so blatantly out and proud about it they know that harassing me just wouldn't work. I play Team Fortress Classic and I have a couple big rainbow colored sprays that have my nick with my Fraggot clan tag, and they say stuff like "You just got pwned by a FRAGGOT!" It certainly makes people stop and read it (I've seen it happen. It's awesome.)

Actually, when I thought I was just straight, before I figured out I was bi, I got harassed more for being a female who played FPSes. They automatically thought I was a lesbian if I was a girl who was playing an FPS.

If there was a queer safe space to game, personally, I wouldn't game there. We're never going to change society by sticking to our safe spaces. I'd rather be out and proud, have others do the same, and make ALL of society a "safe space". If people are harassing you, call them out on it and if they keep doing it, report them. If that doesn't work, go game on some other server where they know that what matters is having a good time, not the sexual orientation or gender identity of the person behind the controller/keyboard.

TLC DEMON

the other day i was in a party and my gamer tag is tlc demon like it is on here tlc stands for the lesbian clan, and some one asked me what it ment (and before this they were being immature about my voice and kept saying that i sound like a guy and a girl and im used to it so i ignored it.) but when i told them what tlc stands for they laughed and started calling me a carpet licker and many other things that i dont think is very relavant but the thing is if you want a gamertag that states you are gay, just be able to take shit from ppl. i do i really dont mind i mean its human nature to outcast anything that people dont understand because it is difrent from there lifestyle, in the end i laughed about what those kids said and muted them just dont let it get to you, but if someone is insulting my friends or anything like that i dont ignore it, i dont like disrespect but i handle it. i dont let it take away my fun.

FyreHawk711

C4bl3Fl4m3: i totally agree. we need to stand up, be proud, and stop being victims. report bad behavior on XBL, mute them and give them a bad review so that you never have to put up with them again. also, remember to protect your accounts against pre-texting. google it to find out about it.

minit

FyreHawk711

please just Google 'pretexting' to find out. i don't want to get into a discussion about it. just look it up.

minit

minit

Ok I see. I tell ya as soon as I find a new job I must consider getting into teh console gaming somehow. There are games I would like to play!

I have my pc gaming rig. I build all my computers! Wink

gamergirllovesu

ive been on live since 2005 my original tag was wwfgirl316 and its always been "hey r you really a girl" which is usually followed by either "cool" or "your prolly some fat chick" or something along the lines of more derogatory. I also pc game and i run into the anti female abuse there also one day i was playing with one of my guy friends and this guy was saying stuff and he defended me and he started getting called gay and other terms and he asks me how do i deal with this. I replied if i didnt feel like dealing with it i wouldnt have girl in my name but its all worth it when that guy or that team who is trash talking and saying all this stuff gets completely destroyed by me and they shut up or they just look really stupid. I guess in a way i wanted to prove that girls can game too by destroying one ignorant loser at a time. but for those who just like playing and rnt as competitive it really isnt fair but thats what mute and rep is for its usually fairly useless but im sure if everyone who doesnt appreciate the abuse would do it it would eventually mean something.

Nietha

I've had "grrl" in my name before and I'd get verbal abuse in the game setup, including from people on my team... if it wasn't outright attacks it was "I don't want to play with a girl" or "we're going to lose cause we have a girl!"... every so often once the game started, they would quit before even playing at all, leaving my team shorthanded and I don't want to quit and get an experience penalty so it's really annoying.

Without my gamertag indicating I'm female, I'm less inclined to be vocal because as soon as I start speaking they either think I'm a prepubescent boy or a girl and it all begins... I only speak when I'm with friends or once I game with the same person for awhile cause then they'll know I can hold my own. I've never had negativity once I've established that I'm a decent player - then it sometimes turns to hitting on me crap. So it's like, either way, they're a loser.

So yeah I spend a lot of time muting and giving feedback on players... regardless of whether its homophobic comments or not. Anything that will improve my odds of never having to play with the same jackass again is worth the few seconds to me.

Internet anonymity will always encourage harassment... the competitive factor of anonymous online gaming just increases your chances of interacting with a complete asshole. With that said, I don't think it matters how one deals with it because you're not going to change how they think or act, and even if enough people complained about them to get them banned they'd just create another account.

The offending person has a default starting point of asshat so you can even take homosexuality out of the equation. I seriously doubt there are many people out there that will trash talk only when coming across a gay person or a female gamer... you either trash talk or you don't, and being an obvious minority just gives them something to focus on.

Sometimes I (or my friends) would react and get into it with them, but that's exactly what they want -- a reaction. It just gets my blood pressure up, affects my gaming and, most importantly, lowers my fun factor. Actively dealing with bigots is just going to detract from your experience and they're so common it's impossible to deal with them all. So mute, leave feedback and forget them because anything beyond that is pointless and wasted energy.

FyreHawk711

damn those boys! remember, they have the mutated Y chromosome.

I RedMage I

to be honest most of the name calling was them saying back his OWN name.
people get stick for their GT's

i think he was asking for it.

TLC DEMON

well the other day some guy told me to suck his dick. and i said no eww. and then he was all well you have too one day. and i told him to suck his own dick. and then he called me a dyke and it maid me laugh. and i kicked his ass.

Joan

Re Nietha: "I've never had negativity once I've established that I'm a decent player"

It's interesting that you say that. I've noticed that we often defend our taking part in something usually considerd for-boys-only, by pointing out that we're good at it. But this can quickly turn against us, if we like something that we are not good at.
I've seen so often that if girls want to enter a boys-domain, they feel they need to be "at least" outstanding at what they're doing. I do feel the same way about a lot of things.
But boys get to be bad at stuff and nobody will say anything. But if you are a girl, it's "Girls just can't do this, girls are not good at that" and you're put in the position of having to save the honour of your whole gender!
I think it's important to remember that we do have the right to be crappy at stuff that we like! Everybody needs time to learn and practice, and some will never be as good as others. And that is ok.

Halo 3: Homophobia Evolved

My 2 cents on homophobia in FPSes