There's recently been much controversy involving homosexuals expressing their sexual orientation on the internet gaming network, Xbox LIVE. One gamer, aptly named "theGAYERGamer," tried to log on one night, only to learn his gamertag was banned(1) for upsetting other Xbox LIVE users. The Microsoft worker Stephen Toulouse's website(2) states that "We recieved a complaint on the Gamertag and determined that it did indeed contain sexual innuendo. Now granted, there could be an argument that the text is not pejorative to homosexuality and should therefore be allowed." Another user on Xbox LIVE tried an experiment to see how homosexuals were treated on Xbox LIVE, and posted the results on Youtube(3). To top it all off, Microsoft, while claiming a name containing the word gay is an infraction on their Terms of Service, will do nothing to accounts such as "Straight r8pe(Straight rape)," "Straighter," "BaLL JuiCE33," and "Tea Baggah(A sexual act)". As of this writing, all GamerTags are still active. This poll is to see how many people believe that the gaming community is unfairly, and unjustly, biased towards homosexual gamers.

(1) http://kotaku.com/390593/thegayergamer-gets-xbox-live-ban-microsoft-explains
(2) http://www.stepto.com/default.aspx
(3) http://youtube.com/watch?v=6alOnuN-wCY

If this poll gets a fairly large number of people, with the majority voting yes, I'm sending the information to Microsoft in hopes to get their policy changed. Thanks in advance for any help!

No offense, but boo-fuckin-hoo.

The tag was in clear violation of LIVE TOA and they had every right to ask him to change his name. Microsoft had no way of knowing if that account was a negative or positive expression of homosexuality.

Well, we all know that Xbox Live is filled with homophobic and racist 12-year-olds, and the occasional well-mannered person. So, why fight the majority? Just let them rot...

I like ice cream.

It is yummy.

HalfShadow:
I like ice cream.

It is yummy.

the fuck?

smallharmlesskitten:

HalfShadow:
I like ice cream.

It is yummy.

the fuck?

Seconded... and before Joe sees this, any last words?

You know, I play the guitar and keyboard. I'd like to think I'm decent at it too. Being a musician is very important to me.

But when I'm on Live, I'm not logging in to play you some Bach, I'm logging in because I'm playing a video game with other people. I'm not a "musician" on live, I'm just a gamer. Likewise, I'd like to think that homosexuals aren't logging into Live to attempt to have gay sex, and therefore I'd argue that asserting it isn't needed. What is gained by hanging that out there on Live? Nothing. Now what is lost? Well, for one, I have to listen to all the 14 year olds on the team make fun of you for being gay, and that tends to ruin my night, which is enough for me.

Don't be gay or straight or bi or tri (because that's illegal) or anything other than a gamer on Live. That's all that you're there for.

- J

Honestly, I'm somewhat surprised at everyone's ambivalance towards this. It is a double standard. I'm not saying that theGAYERgamer should not have banned but the fact that the other names with sexual nature haven't been is not right.

I don't think the point was about how this person should not have been banned but how it sets a double standard.

Imagine if CrackaKilla was banned and N-WordKilla was not. What response do you think that would garner?

stompy:
Well, we all know that Xbox Live is filled with homophobic and racist 12-year-olds, and the occasional well-mannered person. So, why fight the majority? Just let them rot...

" Mass of hooting dickholes " comes to mind when playing on X-Box live.

Joeshie:
No offense, but boo-fuckin-hoo.

The tag was in clear violation of LIVE TOA and they had every right to ask him to change his name. Microsoft had no way of knowing if that account was a negative or positive expression of homosexuality.

But the fact that they ignore "GAYGAMER" or mottos like "Down with blacks" (I have see that motto many times and complained to no effect) makes this unfair.

The overwhelming chance of Microsoft been in the wrong should be large enough for them to at lest talk to the guy.

Okay so banning him because of that name was a little anal (forgive the pun) but honestly. Not to sound bigoted but I dont care if someones gay/straight/tranny or fucks corpses. Why they feel the need to advertise it non stop confuses me.
Oh jolly, you enjoy rough sex from men with hairy bums, aren't you special. -.-;;;

Have you gotten people to complain about the names yet? You should, it would help.

avykins:
or fucks corpses.

You don't find that strange...

...ohhhhhhh kay then.

Anyway, I think Microsoft should crack down on all Lame ass names, not just ones with gay in them.

If this poll gets a fairly large number of people, with the majority voting yes, I'm sending the information to Microsoft in hopes to get their policy changed. Thanks in advance for any help!

I refer you to these articles

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-2594.html
(Especially the comments)

and it's following retraction

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-2609.html

The word Gay is banned for a protective reasoning and is clearly visible in the EULA.

this is really taking it too far over one name. i've seen a gamertag along the lines of "hilter23423" or something. if they don't want it, then just choose another name.

Sigh, this is what bothers me about homosexuals. Is there anything wrong with it? Of course not, however why must the world hear how they like to screw men instead of women? That's the same as signing on to Live and saying "I just screwed this totally hot chick." 100 bucks no one gives a shit. You are on Live to play a game video not to announce your homosexuality. So shut the fuck up and move on.

Man people will whine about anything these days.

The person who has to change there name was trying for this. He was trolling. The only reason why he would name himself "The Gayer Gamer" is to try to evoke a response from someone. Being forced to change a gamertag was not a big deal, but he wanted to complain about it. As far as I know, Microsoft could tell anyone to change their gamertag for any reason they choose, because they are the ones who control the XBox Internet(s).(I could be entirely wrong)

Knight Templar:
But the fact that they ignore "GAYGAMER" or mottos like "Down with blacks" (I have see that motto many times and complained to no effect) makes this unfair.

The overwhelming chance of Microsoft been in the wrong should be large enough for them to at lest talk to the guy.

They need to get reported first.

People bitch about other names that have gone unbanned, as if you assume that Microsoft is only out to ban gays and aren't actually banning other offensive names. Get this through your heads: LIVE is a huge service with millions of people. There are probably tons of offensive names that go unbanned because it's such a huge userbase and most of them will only be taken care of if someone actually reports the name.

If you want to see the other offensive names removed, then report them and stop acting like Microsoft is just a bunch of gay-haters.

Fire Daemon:

avykins:
or fucks corpses.

You don't find that strange...

...ohhhhhhh kay then.

Strange yes. Sexy maybe ^_-
But what I said was is I dont care if they do it. As long as they dont feel the need to advertise.

I secretly think that Bill Gates is the only mod on.

But anyway, there's not really enough time to go through and find all the fucktarded names out there. The only way they can do it, I think, (besides with random luck) is through the amount of complaints they get.

I agree with you about the whole advertisement thing, but it's like that with anything. If I have a gamertag that says "WhitePride" it would be a lot more bashed on than one that says "BlackPride."

Xbox live does consist of mostly bored kids who cyberbully. Then again, have you been in an MMO chat lately? It's time to stop taking offense to people who wouldn't say anything to you in real life and grow thicker skin. As a girl gamer, I can say that I've had to deal with more than my share of harassment in games, and I couldn't even care less anymore.

Just get over it, I say. Life isn't always fair.

thegaygamer was obviosly trying to piss people off because lets face it there are homo phobic people out there. and you dont see theheterosexualgamer anywhere. and does anyone here realy think it is microsofts diabolical plan to keep the gay man down and let straight innuendos be ok?

Joeshie:
No offense, but boo-fuckin-hoo.

The tag was in clear violation of LIVE TOA and they had every right to ask him to change his name. Microsoft had no way of knowing if that account was a negative or positive expression of homosexuality.

agreed.

You can be proud of your sexual orientation and express it in other ways without cramming it down everyones throats.

I could change my name to "christian_dude_who_loves_jesus_n_stuff" but that is really lame and cheesey and would piss people off.

Hang on, a team killing reacist prick had a name called "allnigswillhang", and he wasn't screwed. I just hate xbox live, and am considering not renewing.

sirdanrhodes:
Hang on, a team killing reacist prick had a name called "allnigswillhang", and he wasn't screwed. I just hate xbox live, and am considering not renewing.

I doubt if "Thegheygamer" would be banned either. There's always ways to get bigoted messages into text strings, and I'm glad the Escapist doesn't do it, because it's a nightmare trying to saying "I'm just going to nip to scunthorpe, *sniggers*" when there is 2 racial slurs and a cuss word in there by accident.

sirdanrhodes:
Hang on, a team killing reacist prick had a name called "allnigswillhang", and he wasn't screwed. I just hate xbox live, and am considering not renewing.

ok i hate to defend them but guess i will, i used to work for xbox live support and well it's not an instant thing, here's what is supposed to happen

1 see offensive name
2 use controller in game to report player, which you can customize the message for
3 name gets flagged and investigated
4 time passes
5 team looks at names to how offensive they really are
6 they then ban or don't ban the name

this is what happens

1 see offensive name
2 complain it wasn't banned
3 not do a damn thing about it yourself

see the fact is if there's an offensive name REPORT IT most ppl don't do this and just complain, funnier still is ppl get more offended if you are one of the ppl who reports names

Well that teaches you to reed the terms of conditions before you chose your GT.

I do agree that everyone clicks the button agreeing to the TOA when they first create their Gamertag and that Microsoft's ass in this case is completely covered because such things were stated in the TOA and thegaygamer had to agree to these terms.
I do also agree that there are worse tags out there that are probably a lot more offensive, but Microsoft can't do anything about it until someone reports it as offensive.
Therefore, this guy getting banned is more of a statement on how our society feels about homosexuality then Microsoft's view on it. Obviously, a normal person was offended by this Gamertag more so than other ones that I would claim were more offensive. This isn't Microsoft's fault and they shouldn't be taking the flap for it.

No offence but promoting and purposely using such name proved that he had it coming.I'd be a lot more concerned about 12-year-old's using homophobic slurs for NO REASON.

Calling Random Player a fag > Calling homosexual a fag

JakubK666:
No offence but promoting and purposely using such name proved that he had it coming.I'd be a lot more concerned about 12-year-old's using homophobic slurs for NO REASON.

Calling Random Player a fag > Calling homosexual a fag

I hate it when people use "gay" as a derogatory term. Not even because it offends me, but because the word has come to encompass an entire group of people and for it to take on a derogatory definition just brings down the entire group. Similar to the n-word in action, I suppose, even though that was meant to be derogatory from the start..

GenericWit:
Just get over it, I say. Life isn't always fair.

Thank you! Both parts of that need to be said often and loudly.

BlazeTheVampire:
I do agree that everyone clicks the button agreeing to the TOA when they first create their Gamertag and that Microsoft's ass in this case is completely covered because such things were stated in the TOA and thegaygamer had to agree to these terms.
I do also agree that there are worse tags out there that are probably a lot more offensive, but Microsoft can't do anything about it until someone reports it as offensive.

Because click-through agreements hold up so well in the courts. Riiiiight... Not to mention, discrimination is rarely allowed, even if I put it in my terms of service that I'm completely allowed to discriminate on the basis of gender, sexual preference, race, and nationality.

I'd never even put a hint about my gender preference in my username.
First of all, what would you possibly try to achieve with that?
Second, it would be the same as having a neon sign above your head saying "I'm gay, kick me!".
Seriously it's only asking for trouble.

Being gay does not give one the right to put "offensive" terms like gay in his/her username.
The word gay will probably never lose its derogatory meaning, thank you 12 yearolds.
I hope some day people will realise we're all the same, but I doubt that will ever happen.
Human nature...

tiredinnuendo:
Well, for one, I have to listen to all the 14 year olds on the team make fun of you for being gay, and that tends to ruin my night, which is enough for me.
- J

I take offense at that. I'm 15 and I'd hope that other people my age don't curse people out over and over. That being said, I think MS should try to be fair in banning names, but people shouldn't advertise the fact that they're gay 24/7. It's one part of a person's life.
It doesn't have dominate it entirely.

bulletproof12:
thegaygamer was obviosly trying to piss people off because lets face it there are homo phobic people out there. and you dont see theheterosexualgamer anywhere. and does anyone here realy think it is microsofts diabolical plan to keep the gay man down and let straight innuendos be ok?

I bet you any money that if you had 'thehetrosexualgamer' as your tag there's enough idiots on live that you'd be getting called a fag left, right and center because it sounds similar to homosexual.