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Microsoft bans another gamertag for being too 'gay'? photo

Last week we told you about the Xbox 360 user whose gamertag “theGAYERgamer” was banned due to the name being “offensive.” Well, the big ol’ gay shenanigans are back!

We were just contacted by a man named Richard Gaywood. (You already know where this is going, don’t you?) Apparently his gamertag has now been banned for, you guessed it, containing the word “gay.” The kicker is, he wasn’t using the word in an offensive way: it is JUST PART OF HIS SURNAME!

According to Richard (and his helpful photo above), his gamertag — the horribly offensive “RichardGaywood” — was banned last night, with Microsoft recommending he create a new one.

No word yet on whether people actually complained (for the love of humanity, I hope not) or the name was just flagged by some automatic program, but, regardless, this is just a little ridiculous. It’s the poor guy’s name, for crying out loud. I feel bad for Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden. I heard she really likes UNO.

What do you think? Why do you think something like this happened?


Continue: More Xbox Live stories





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next 50 comments

75 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Unicorn's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:19
Unicorn
lol gaywood.
BlackSheep's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:20
BlackSheep
his name is seriously dick gaywood?

either that's not a REAL name, or his parents are cruel...
rdaneel72's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:21
rdaneel72
What about MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry??!?!?!?
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:24
MechaMonkey
The real question here is why anyone would do that to their child?
ZombiePlatypus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:25
ZombiePlatypus
I'm with BlackSheep. Dick Gaywood? C'mon, seriously?
MrSadistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:25
MrSadistic
dick happywoods would have gotten him further in life.
Remo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:25
Remo
There's only one word that can describe this.
You guessed it it'd GAY.
UnderLines's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:25
UnderLines
Or Marvin Gay
"Oooh baby, alet's get it on"
DarkTravesty's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:26
DarkTravesty
@ blacksheep : it is

Jonathan Kerr's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:27
Jonathan Kerr
This is so stupid. Also, what about Gay G. Cox?
Sharpless's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:29
Sharpless
Okay, this time I'm totally with Microsoft on this one. "Gaywood" sounds 1000% like a crude joke name. I mean, Gaywood? Seriously? Really? Gaywood? I mean, if it just had "Gay" in it, that would be one thing. But "GayWOOD"? Nuh-uh. Nope. Might as well have called himself RichardGaychubby.
TheRemedy's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:30
TheRemedy
He should have thought about having a less gay name before he was born, then this wouldn't be a problem.
BlackSheep's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:34
BlackSheep
OOOOOOO

but he's from the UK so it's understandable. :)
The GHost's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:35
The GHost
Mark my words: XBox live is going to turn into Big Brother. Soon enough MS will rule the world and it will monitor all of our activities...
The-Excel's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:38
The-Excel
There was this one guy in my middle school named Remo Gay. Honestly.
Faceless's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:38
Faceless
I'm going to start reporting every gamertag I see, stating that I find English lettering offensive. I demand they all be written in Sanskrit.
Jetsetlemming's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:40
Jetsetlemming
Hahahahahahahahahaha
That's what you get
Spartacus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:41
Spartacus
Someone should make the account StraightDude. By Microsoft's own rules, it'd have to be banned.
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:44
king3vbo
They probably think its not his real name
Technophile's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:53
Technophile
Well, one this was probably from complaints. Xbox 360 doesn't use an automated system to scan xbox live for offensive names. They do use a form of automation in their complaint process, but most of it is handled by real humans.

Secondly, I would guess that they think its not his real name and thats why it was processed.

thirdly, I don't know if it's generally wise to use your full real name for your gamertag. I would liken that to making your password your name.
mrplow8's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:56
mrplow8
That guy has the worst name ever. His parents might as well have called him Gayie McGayGay.
-PL-'s Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 15:59
-PL-
I don't really see the similarity in having your full name for your gamertag, and having your name as your password. Your password is just as hard to guess regardless of what your screenname is. Having your real name as your gamertag might help towards keeping personal anonymity, but it really doesn't make any difference in regards to the security of his account. After all, who knows if it's even his real name?
Professor Pew's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:03
Professor Pew
Poor Gaylord Maximus!
Holiday's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:05
Holiday
Well Microsoft may be getting a little silly but A) why would someone use their real name as their gamertag anyways and B) Gay or not why would you need to promote your sexual orientation over XBL? Anyways, anyways, I herd Gears of War has more homosexual overtones (undertones?) than Brokeback Mountain and that's a Microsoft game so...
F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:05
F Whipple
bahaahahahahahahaha
KMCC's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:09
KMCC
That is ridiculous and pathetic on so many levels. This probably happened because people are idiots.

I wonder if a certain number of people need to agree on these bans for them to be authorized? I many people agreed on this, its even worse. I am actually curious about this process now...
animateria's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:09
animateria
Geez...

Being 'gay' just meant being 'happy' back in the day.

And 'wood'? Oh come on! Grow up!

His name is better than

"Drew Peacock"
DJDuffy 's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:11
DJDuffy
This is a double standard by Microsoft. Stop drinking Hateraid!
savagesaladin's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:12
savagesaladin
OMG HOMOPHOBIA! WAAAAAH!
michiyoyoshiku's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:15
michiyoyoshiku
SUE SUE SUE it's the american way
PappaDukes's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:16
PappaDukes
that IS offensive. He should not only have to change his gay-mer tag, but Microsoft should pull some strings to force him to have to legally change his surname to Straightwood. ABSURD!
Namelessted's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:18
Namelessted
ok, the gayergamer thing was one thing but this is just another thing of stupid xbox LIVE policy with names. its not like banning names really does anything in the long run anyways. All that person has to do is chance thay "a" to a "4" or some stupid shit like that. I mean, that is what buckfitches ended up doing, and I am sure plenty of others do the same.

Why doesn't MS just let people have the name they want. If somebody else is offended by that name, then the user can put the other user on ignore and not play with that person. simple as that. MS isn't forcing homophobes to play with gay people nor decent people with racists.
mix's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:20
mix
Psh,

Dixie Normous OR Dixie Reckt FTW!
Takeshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:24
Takeshi
I know someone from the Netherlands who is called

Dick Cock

That's for real.
atheistium's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:26
atheistium
dang that sucks :/
Marioland's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:29
Marioland
Gloria Gaynor
entrager's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:37
entrager
Since everyone else is sharing funny names of people they know... in high school one of the Spanish teachers at my school was Señor Wood (say it out loud).
MaximusPaynicus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:42
MaximusPaynicus
I served with somebody in Basic Training who had that exact same name. Weird.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:44
Samit Sarkar
@rdaneel72: My thoughts exactly!
loki d20's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:47
loki d20
I think it's lame. Honestly they're not going to stop people from having offensive gamer tags no matter what they do and this is of course the case of an innocent bystander being affected by the overhanded policy.
MaxVest's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 16:57
MaxVest
IT'S PRONOUNCED AHH - ZWEE - PAY!!!!
KMCC's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:05
KMCC
I have a friend named Blaise Bear. Pronounced Blaze Bear. But thats actually cool.
Corak's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:07
Corak
I'd like to believe no one reported the name or that it is some name sweeping program by MS but I have a feeling people did report it. It sucks it was banned and its part of his name. Could be worse, I knew a kid in high school named Mike Rotch, not kidding. Poor bastard had his name called on the intercom a few times too, I remember the kids snickering in class, I was probably one of them too.
kielejocain's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:12
kielejocain
I know a Mike Hunt and a friend of mine claims to know a Mike Hock.

They should meet.
Knyte's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:18
Knyte
I think Xbox live, the players on it, and the people running it are all Homophobic. The favorite word everyone uses while playing games is "F*gg*t", closely follow by "homo". They ban any name that contains the word "gay".

Anybody else see a pattern?

A buddy of mine is a huge gamer, and is also "100% Flaming Gay" (His words, not mine.) He mention that in all honesty, most gay people wouldn't use the word "gay" in thier gamer tags, instead being far more creative. He wants to get a X360, and name himself "TheBackdoorAvenger" to see if he can get the name banned, or see if no one bats an eye at it, because it doesn't have the word "gay" in it.
ghets's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:51
ghets
Makes me wonder what would happen if Dick Armey ever tried to get an XBOX Live account.

Anyways i think the Live moderators have things backwards. How is the word "gay" offensive to anyone other than homophobes? Shouldnt they be the ones gettin the banned boot?
Technophile's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:56
Technophile
@Knyte

Seriously? Cmon, let's be realistic.

If you want to know how stuff like bad names and profiles and whatnot works on XBL then just go listen to this interview.

[url=http://majornelson.com/archive/2008/01/03/show-261-the-first-show-of-2008.aspx[/url]
4knuckleshuffle's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:57
4knuckleshuffle
WOW... Homophobia is so fucking gay.
Technophile's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 17:57
Technophile
Bacchus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/21/2008 18:07
Bacchus
so would

dick straightwood

be better?
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