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Press Junketeer  Posts: 405 Joined: 22 Dec 2007 | |
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Paperboy  Posts: 45 Joined: 11 May 2008 | I think it's ridiculous that everybody is insinuating that he is forcing his sexuality on people, or shouting it out, when it's just a username. He wasn't going on Xbox live saying "Hey guys! I'M GAY. You're all intolerant if you don't let me scream it down my mike at you". It was just his preferred name of choice. I think this whole thread is just showing a slightly juvenile attitude.
This argument doesn't work for three reasons. A) You chose to be a musician, nobody chooses their sexuality I don't even think this is about Microsoft being homophobic at all to be honest. It was just a stupid decision which the media has picked up and decided to scrutinize. |
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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1918 Joined: 29 Nov 2007 |
I call bull shit on that. I see it happen all the time. |
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Beat Writer  Posts: 199 Joined: 23 Apr 2008 | If I go on live with the gamertag "I F00K WH0REZ" I'm gonna get banned. even though I'm expressing my "rights" as a heterosexual man. Just like your "friend" did, the rules are simple, and he broke them. tough shit. You wanna report these people who have these so-called "bad" gamertags, please do so, you'll make live a better place, but please remember, it's the internet, not a "coming out" parade, please be a little more subtle, and enjoy your "more friction" sex life. MIdAS |
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Paperboy  Posts: 18 Joined: 18 May 2008 | Just to reiterate what others have said, Xbox Live has clear terms of service contracts that does not allow gamer tags that mention sexual innuendo or profanity (TheGayerGamer). Though whether or not other tags that are allowed (Straight R8pe, etc) is another topic.. And personally, I don't believe it should be either. |
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Paperboy Posts: 45 Joined: 11 May 2008 |
People choosing their sexuality? Or people announcing it necessarily? I can understand that he could just as easily not have called himself thegayergamer, but how is that in any way detrimental? It's a username, not a manifesto. Plus, if the terms of service state that you cannot mention sexual innuendo or profanity, it's not even conflicting with the terms of service. Gay is a sexual orientation. Not a swear word, and not a sexual act. So I call bullshit on all of you. |
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Muckraker  Posts: 320 Joined: 22 Mar 2008 | Wow. You're pissed because you got your named banned? Wow. First off, lemme say it makes me neutral. I don't care. However, others do. Second, why the fuck are you saying "I'm gay and proud!" Fine, you're gay. But saying proud makes you a persnikety little douchebag that's like "Oh, I'm different and better and glad. What do you have to say, straight low man?" It pisses me off because, if it's a condition from birth, you aren't proud of it. You just are it. You have no choice. You can stand behind it. But you shouldn't be proud of an uncontrollably condition. Remember how Hitler said he loved blond-haired blue-eyed people? We can't choose to be blond haired or blue eyed. We just are. |
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Paperboy Posts: 45 Joined: 11 May 2008 |
It's a username, not a manifesto. He should be able to play using a gamertag which expresses his sexuality if he wants to. It's not hurting anybody, and it's not against the T & Cs. It's not a "comment that looks, sounds like, stands for, hints at, abbreviates, or insinuates any of the following: profane words/phrases, sexually explicit language, sexual innuendo, hate speech (including but not limited to racial, ethnic, or religious slurs), illegal drugs/controlled substances, or illegal activities." Perhaps it was a "a gamertag or motto that other users were offended by" but I don't really see why they should find it offensive. The whole idea of pride goes back to when people were supposed to be ashamed or hide the fact that they were gay. You can't choose to have blonde hair and blue eyes, but nobody has probably tried to beat you up for it either, or hasn't given you a job because of it. Being gay is different because people do have prejudices. Also I call Godwin's law on that (aka reduction ad hitlerum). I don't even own a 360, but the level of immaturity about this on what's supposed to be one of the intelligent gaming forums was bothering me. |
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Copy Clerk  Posts: 102 Joined: 14 Apr 2008 | Thank you, errorfied. You very clearly stated what I was very astonished about. I couldn't help but be offended by the clear double standard and you eloquently expressed my concerns about this whole thread. |
| 45) | |
Infamous Scribbler  Posts: 653 Joined: 2 Jan 2008 | Okay, first off...
I don't say this often, but you need to grow yourself some thicker skin. This new batch of kids these days is turning out all wussy. And then there's this...
I was trying to make my point gently by picking a non-confrontational niche to put myself in, but if you're going to be obtuse, we can do that. I could also name myself "ChristSavedMe" or "BushisHitler" or "WiccanPride" or really anything else that's likely to stir up controversy, and that would also be wrong. Like it or not, proudly announcing your sexual orientation (or political views, religion, etc) on Live is a bad thing. Those things are not what you're there for, and they will cause some immature fuckwit to mock you and then I, who happens to be on your team, will have to listen to it. And once I have to listen to some squeaker rising to your essentially flame-bait name, you both get reported. Is it so hard to pick names that won't start arguments? - J |
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Brand Manager  Posts: 452 Joined: 8 Oct 2007 | I wish that could ban all the morons on there too. I've done my part to report them but man, there are so many! I do agree that they should take a lot of the names out. EQ2 does it, so Microsoft needs to drop the ban hammer! |
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Press Junketeer  Posts: 469 Joined: 26 Mar 2008 | The first thing I do when I lob into the Halo 3 lobby is mute EVERYONE. The amount of racist and sexist diatribe that spews out of the speakers is horrifying. I used to start reporting them but they seem to by like the Hydra, you chop off one head and there are six more! I don't know if the anonymity of the net brings this out of people or it's a case of "the more things change, the more they stay the same" and really the level of bigotry in society has not decreased since the 1920's. If I came across someone with the gamertag "GAYPRIDE" it really wouldn't bother me; I'd be thinking "good for him". If he was sitting on the couch next to me trying to put his hands down my pants then I'd have a problem, but in the game SFW? It's not like you are going to be digitally penetrated *wink wink*. Are people really that insecure with their sexuality that they think a controversial gamertag is going to be that confronting to their lifestyle? |
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Press Junketeer  Posts: 417 Joined: 14 May 2008 |
Sadly enough, they DO hold up in court, which is why they're allowed to do click-through agreements. If the "By clicking submit, I agree to all of the terms of service..." didn't stand up in courts, we'd all still be signing paper contracts for everything. If you don't read the terms, that's your decision, but when you click whichever button you click to go to the next page, you basically tell the company that you did read the terms and agree to all of them. EDIT: Lauren needs to read all posts before posting her own ^.^ Somebody quoted the Terms up there, lol. |
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Press Junketeer Posts: 417 Joined: 14 May 2008 |
You are my new favorite person, just for that. lmao |
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Copy Clerk  Posts: 70 Joined: 9 Nov 2007 | I could think of worse gamer tags. Ones more explicit and more lewd, but this one is pretty tame, shame that Microsoft took it down. But, Western Civilization has been pushing compulsory heterosexuality since the Roman Empire. Even though Homosexuality didn't exist until the late 1800s (and heterosexuality was after that...) |
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PROBATION  Posts: 2461 Joined: 26 Feb 2008 | Yeah, it is his right to be proud of his sexuality, but doing something like that is definitely trollish behavior. What if my Gamer Tag was I_Fu<k_M1lf5! (I fuck MILFS!) Guess what? I just acted like a Troll, trying to incite mass riots and jealousy. We all know that it is going to cause people to say things, and none of it will be good. Sorry that your name was banned, TROLL! User was put on probation for: HowTo: Talk to Girls. (3 days) |
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Gone Gonzo Posts: 1918 Joined: 29 Nov 2007 |
I was calling BS on the people not being able to choose their sexuality. |
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Press Junketeer  Posts: 410 Joined: 29 Mar 2008 | ok, lets start at the start. having many gay friends, most of them are sane, relatively normal people with stable lives and dreams. this guy, and i doubt he was gay, went in there with his cock swinging like a battlesword. he got served. simply, sexuality and gaming should be seperate issues |
| 54) | |
PROBATION Posts: 2461 Joined: 26 Feb 2008 | I am surprised that so many of you think the way I do... That he was trying to be offensive and got called on it... User was put on probation for: HowTo: Talk to Girls. (3 days) |
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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1716 Joined: 18 Dec 2007 |
I don't, I do not see the "theGAYERgamer" as an insult and I do not find it offensive. He was trying to express his sexuality and I'm sure that the reason why he was banned is because a bunch of kids could not handle the fact that he was gay. Your example of "I fuck Milf" is offensive however. If someone walked up too you in the street and said "I fuck milf" would you not feel offended in someway? Granted if someone walked up to you on the street and said "I fuck men" you would you feel offended by that. However when someone says "I am gay" I do not link that too "I fuck men", where as you might and that would explain why I think it is not offensive and you do. Although by that token introducing yourself as human is an insult. Just so you know, it is highly unlikely that Microsoft have staff to check the reports. If anything a ban would result for a large amount of reports for a similar reason. *EDIT* Put in a much needed "not". |
| 56) | |
Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1379 Joined: 4 Nov 2007 | I don't know, I think having a reference to one of any of your personal lifestyle choices (except the truly perverted ones like, say, necrophilia, but homosexuality is not perverted. This tangent was for those nitpickers who might think they have rebutted the point by bringing up an extreme example) *gasps for breath* in your name is not something that should get you banned. |
| 57) | |
Paperboy Posts: 45 Joined: 11 May 2008 |
So you make an active choice to be heterosexual? Literally struggling against your RAGING homosexual desires all the time? http://watchxonline.com/video/857-American_Dad_204_Lincoln_Lover.html Watch this. Replace Republican with Gamer.
See this, I agree with mostly. People are going to rise to the bait because that is (notoriously) what the userbase of XboxLive is like. As I previously stated, the name isn't even considered offensive by the guidelines mentioned by the so all these people claiming the name itself is offensive arn't justified, as well detailed by Fire Daemon. I just think it's a bit sad that people have found him merely stating his sexuality offensive enough to report him. People wouldn't have thought it was acceptable had it been done to "theblackergamer". This isn't even about liking gay people, or thinking what they do is right. It's just about tolerance of others and their differences; in spite of what was a poor choice of name, I do think he has a right to have it. |
| 58) | |
Paperboy  Posts: 37 Joined: 7 May 2008 |
"TheHeterosexualGamer" sounds dumb as hell in my opinion though... I think it's unfair of the obvious bias, if you don't see the discrimination, then, in the immortal words of Yahtzee, "You probably need help dressing yourself." |
| 59) | |
Press Junketeer Posts: 417 Joined: 14 May 2008 |
Well then, pants go on head, right? Could somebody button this for me? Because I really just don't see it. It's quite possible for someone to take offense at any name. It's just how people are. To claim that Microsoft is discriminating against this guy because he's gay is just ridiculous- they don't even know the guy. They're just following their own rules. I mean yeah, I can think of a lot more offensive tags, but maybe this guy's better off in the long run anyways. With how many people are homophobic out there, having that tag was practically asking for trouble. People can be very cruel to others online when they know they'll never meet them in person. I sincerely hope that in his discrimination claims and Microsoft's battle with it that he doesn't get his tag back, because if he does, with the amount of hype he's received, he's probably going to get a lot of homophobic backlash on Live. |
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Copy Clerk  Posts: 64 Joined: 14 Apr 2008 | I debated ringing in on this yesterday, and didn't do it, but since the discussion continues, I might as well put in my two cents. I'm a gaymer myself, so I'm not saying this because I'm some immature, insecure, heterosexual dweeb who has to make myself look retarded by not being able to breach the three letter mark when I'm insulting someone. That said, I think this is one of those times when both sides of the issue could use a bit of perspective. Whether or not the name is obscene or proud, whether or not the ban was homophobic or justified, at the end of the day we're talking about a gaming handle. The truth of the matter is if we lived in a perfect world no one would care about this sort of thing, in large part because everyone would have the good sense to pick a more tasteful name. I don't care about the sexual connotations of the name, but you have to admit "thegayergamer" is a bit, well, gay. I honestly don't think it's important enough to get fussed about, and before you ask, let me tell you why. There was a time when I was gay in both senses of the word because I had the most wonderful man in the world, and we were atrociously in love. We took long walks and held hands, we spent many evenings on the couch steadfastly ignoring the DVD we were theoretically watching... you know, frosting fights are a wonderful excuse to actually spend some time bonding in the kitchen. Anyway, like I said, atrociously in love. Our friends used to tell us we were so sweet, we were giving them cavities. So there we were, the happy little gay couple that was happily busy spending the rest of our happy little lives together. Unfortunately, he was from Australia, and one day the INS refused to renew his visa. I couldn't tell you why, since he was planning on staying permanently and had already been here for quite some time working toward getting his citizenship. If we had been a "regular" couple, none of that would have been a problem. We'd have already been married and could definitely prove it was a legitimate relationship. But, they don't let gay people get married in the United States, do they? No, Massachusetts doesn't count since the Feds don't recognize it. That's kind of the sticking point. State's rights don't sum up to fuck all if the Federal Government steamrolls right over them without so much as a "howdy-do". We talked, we argued, we fought, and all of it was for nothing. The INS showed up, packed him up amidst much screaming about how unfair it was because we were just as much of a couple as any straight couple out there. As he was leaving, the last agent out ended the argument by saying "queers don't count". Poof. That's it. Finito. Love of my life, gone. Dragged away while I have to listen to a constant barrage of people screaming about just how much I'm threatening THEIR relationships, and telling me I really do have equal rights and am being some sort of self-entitled prick for demanding all those special rights like the ability to call my relationship a marriage, have the government recognize it officially, and treat me accordingly. Do you have any idea how deep into the chasm of bullshit I've had to deal with because I'm gay I would have to dig to even get close to the point where I could really care about this? I just can't summon up a lot of sympathy for someone who creates an X-Box Live tag any person with an IQ higher than their age would know is going to rub people the wrong way and cause problems, and then make a press case about how horribly persecuted they are when it does. Sure, not fair. Like I said, in a perfect world... but in the meantime, there are much bigger fish to fry. |
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Paperboy  Posts: 44 Joined: 13 Mar 2008 | I tried to read through everyone's argument just to make sure I wasn't beating a dead horse or anything, but then I realized I'm a self-important prick so I don't care. I'm going to state my opinion anyways. I think tiredinnuendo said it best; Get on live as nothing more than a gamer (I kinda paraphrased there, sorry). Those who get on live as anything to "upset the flow" of the stereotypical gamer (which I don't think I have to spell out what that is) are just looking for reactions. They either want a reason to hate you and society or a reason to love themselves more. Microsoft is a business and thusly they will do whatever the majority of their stockholders think they should do. And unfortunately for whoever, the majority of the stockholders are probably not too keen on gay references in gamertags. It has nothing to do with the meaning; it's all about the connotation of words like gay, and their popularity. So while thegayergamer is getting banned, the sexual referenced gamertags that get away with it aren't. It happens. That's life. It's not about injustices you've suffered or they've suffered, it's just a word. So, while I agree it's a sad thing someone's getting banned for that, it's even sadder a thing that people put so much importance on it. If someone spent so much time figuring out a clever way to say "your mom" without getting banned, kudos. I was out having a life with real friends. *edit* I played that guy once on halo 3, too. He kicked my ass T^T |
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Muckraker  Posts: 308 Joined: 22 Feb 2008 | Most of them might not be gay. They might just be drugged because they tend to yell alot. My gues is they're using halusanigens(sorry if I spelt that wrong). |
| 63) | |
Gone Gonzo Posts: 1379 Joined: 4 Nov 2007 |
I'm sorry- and quite a bit mad- to hear that. |
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Anonymous Source Posts: 3 Joined: 21 May 2008 | One of the things that's most irritating about Xbox Live is that if you're a white Christian heterosexual male you're going to face persectution. It's quite irritating that around 25% of the time when I use my mic the response something on the grounds of "Go back to Africa nigger." I just mute and report them and continue to pwn them. But what's far worse is that so many people seem to think if you indicate you're not a white Christian heterosexual then you're in the wrong. I've heard plenty of pro-white, pro-Christian and pro-heterosexual jargon, and non of it is a problem but if I so much as speak in my normal voice or say I have a boyfriend then I'm trolling. It's a double standard if I've ever seen one. |
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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1141 Joined: 7 Mar 2008 | thing is this is an issue of someone breaking the rules, getting caught and now whining about it. the reason why this is an issue is because the guy claims to be gay. if the person had the name BDSMguy there would be no issue because there's no mass media attention behind the bdsm lifestyle when he clicked "i accept" they agreed to NOT have any sexual reference in their gamertag. he got caught. end of story he's is just being an attention whore because it's a social hot button. just fly the "oh i'm being persecuted cause i'm [insert social minority here]" and you get a media storm like a missing white girl while i have no issue with your sexual orientation, i also don't think it should be pushed on me much like pushing of religion. your sexual preference belongs in the "bedroom" and that's it. |
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Infamous Scribbler Posts: 653 Joined: 2 Jan 2008 |
And sometimes elevators. - J |
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Paperboy Posts: 37 Joined: 15 Dec 2007 | LMAO oh no, Microsoft is secretly plotting to stop homosexual gamers! What's next, herms and transvestites? Maybe even midgets next. Seriously, his name was in clear violation. If you see other players violating then just report them. However, if I were mod i wouldn't have banned him because honestly that tag wasn't really offensive. But then again i think most XBOX LIVE players are douchebags, and that probably rubs off on the mods somewhat. |
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Copy Clerk  Posts: 66 Joined: 11 Mar 2008 |
Well put =] |
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Gone Gonzo  Posts: 1847 Joined: 21 Jan 2008 |
... I'm sorry. You know, if people are so high and mighty about not letting gay people getting married, saying that 'it clashes with Christian values', then, isn't it against equal rights for all, regardless of your bias? I mean, why isn't suing against politicians for being discriminatory against gay people? No, seriously, if a Negro can walk up into court and say "The government wouldn't acknowledge my de-facto relationship", then why can't a homosexual person walk into court, and say "The government wouldn't acknowledge my de-facto relationship" It's hypocritical. ... Look, sorry 'bout the rant, but it's really aggravating when politicians, those who make the laws, don't abide by them. Again, I'm sorry AndiGravity, for your loss. |
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Anonymous Source Posts: 5 Joined: 22 May 2008 |
Innocent until proven guilty. Microsoft does posses that right to ask but I don't think that the gamertag in question is upsetting enough to warrant an inquiry by Microsoft, let alone banning it. Because no one knows the context or the positive or negative intent behind the name, it should be given as much respect as any other gamertag. My gamer tag is gibberish. You can see it right now in the little box to the left of this text. See it? Does it really even MATTER what a persons name is? No one is warning me that my name should conform to some standard. People should understand that going online is "unrated by the ESRB" and is basically run in the public domain. They should expect to be confronted with these sorts of issues. Because of that warning, I don't believe any gove |
I think you should have grabbed his cock before saying that :P
Dont ban me, i love you?