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A gay gamer with the gamertag "theGAYERgamer" has had his name banned from Xbox Live for being "offensive." As we all know, Xbox Live is a hotbed of homophobia, but it seems that if enough bigots raise the alarm, they will be appeased. I have had a bad morning. Last night when i tried to sign into my xbox live account "thegayergamer" I was told that it had to be changed. I figured that it was just from people reporting it as an offensive name being that the greater Xbox live community isn't exactly welcome to gay people, i spend a lot of time muting people on Halo3. I assumed that once i called Microsoft they would straighten things out.
I talked to a supervisor there, Roxy, who told me that she didn't personally find the fact that my gamer tag had gay in the name offensive, but that the greater Xbox community did, so i would have to change it. I hope I'm not the only person who finds this don't ask, don't tell policy disgusting... eek.
So, even if Microsoft employees don't find a name offensive, they will take it down if enough people whine about it. Of course, it's not certain whether people complained because they thought the name was homophobic, or if they were themselves homophobes who were offended because of "dem darn faggits on mah Live," but given Xbox Live's majority clientèle ... I think we can more or less rule out the former case. That's just sad. While I don't agree with one advertising their sexuality (I don't scream mine from the rooftops unwarranted), one should have a right to do it if they wish. The man wants us to know he's a gayer gamer than everybody else, so he should be able to tell us. It's a shame that small-minded idiots on Xbox Live can have their way instead.
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Holy shit, this is possibly the most terrible thing I've heard. So bigots and idiots are offended so we take it down. Way to fucking go Microsoft.
I wish people would just wise up about gay people. But hell...Xbox live. Americans are pretty much fags for baggin on names anyway.
While I personally don't have anything against gays ( I have a few good friends gay, bi, all that stuff.), I think it's pretty fucked up that because people on live don't like it, it has to be banned. So in a sense, if a lot of people didn't like my name "Shin Oni", all they'd have to do is report it enough times and it'd be banned? Something doesn't sound completely right.
Though if you look at it, it looks just like America outside of games. Isolating gays from others....in a sense.
ahhhh sooo sad for gay people.......
Guess they have to stay hidden in the closet until they can be accepted in the gayming world !!!
While I sympathize with the gay community and the bigotry they face, I strongly oppose any form of homophobic hate, is it even really necessary to announce your sexuality through your gamer tag on anything? I mean I don't go around putting "TheStraightGamer" as my name for anything, is there really any point to it other than to call attention to one's self?
i respect your community Jim ... bad M$ bad bad bad !
This is such bullshit. Fuck you Xbox community, and a bigger FUCK YOU to Xbox for listening to those homophobic shits.
this is as bad as when someone's was banned (or thrown off...whichever it was.) from Xbox Live cause they were talking about Apples and Mac computers.
This is why I hate society in general in how they have to put down people of a certain ethnicity or sexual orientation.
@Trevor McGee- I think that user is exercising his freedom of speech, if he wants to express his sexuality then more power to him. If someone wants to be an attention whore then they should do it, it's not like there are a lack of those in the videogame world anyways, especially the Xbox live community.
y'know, one thing i would question... did people report the name because their bigoted homophobes, or did they report it cause they thought the name might be offensive to gay people... The former denotes bigotry and hate... the later however is based on some concerned people not realizing the account owner was actually gay and was not a homophobe trying to be insulting... they could have looked at the name and figured it was something like this:
http://www.machall.com/view.php?date=2006-08-28
Ofcourse, i don't know squat about the xbox live community and have a tendency to want to believe in the good in humanity... i'm just naive like that
Too bad MS.
Listening to 14 year olds that think being homophobic is cool.
@Trevor
I understand your point about if it is necessary to announce your sexuality (I don't myself), but think about the repercussion if your gamertag WAS "TheStraightGamer".....probably nothing.
I think the whole point is that you have the right to make your gamertag what you will, barring any breaking of Microsoft rules (which "TheGayerGamer" didnt), but if the greater Xbox Live community deems they dont like a name for whatever reason, Microsoft has set a precedent for forcing you to change your name.
@Trevor
If he thinks it's the defining factor for him then why shouldn't he be able to define himself by his sexuality? You don't go around calling yourself strightgamer but you do define yourself via TrevorMcgee if I hated that it doesn't mean you don't have a right to announce to everyone that you don't.
I will echo what Trevor said...
"While I sympathize with the gay community and the bigotry they face, I strongly oppose any form of homophobic hate, is it even really necessary to announce your sexuality through your gamer tag on anything? I mean I don't go around putting "TheStraightGamer" as my name for anything, is there really any point to it other than to call attention to one's self?"
I personally have no problem with whatever sexuality you choose for yourself, but something tells me that when you advertise yourself above and beyond the norm, all you are doing is trying to get attention. Its good to have pride and confidence in yourself but I think at some point it becomes self-pandering.
Something tells me that other gay people that play on Live, and draw no attention to themselves, saw this and thought it was some punk making fun of gay people rather than being gay himself.
Lame.
I see nothing bad.
I say ban thegirliergamer too whilst we're at it.
How could that be offensive? The name suggests himself, not the Xbox Live community..
"I mean I don't go around putting "TheStraightGamer" as my name for anything,"
On the other hand players named "Bigballs" "MassiveCock" "WomenWrangler" "TittyFuckerMcGee" in games like COD4 or UT do.
Trevor: As I said in my article, I certainly don't agree with advertising one's sexuality, or defining yourself through it. That said, I still don't think letting a bunch of whiners have their way is very cool, especially as you can be sure a bunch of them were just homophobic fuckwits.
If he wants to play Halo 3 with a name like that and weather the storm of abuse it will bring, more power to him. I don't think it's an amazing thing to do, to have "gayergamer" in your tag, but I do think he should be able to do it if he wants.
this happened to my friend, who happens to be a lesbian.
she couldn't think of a gamertag, so she went with PowerLesbian
last month she was asked to change her name. Now I barely notice her online :P
What Trevor and Corak said, there was no need to blatantly advertise sexuality over your tag name.
And just for the record, I have absolutely nothing against the guy being gay or not, I just happen to throw my vote for what Trevor and Corak said.
I'll not even bother to read the comments on this one. It might make me want to destroy all humans.
I'm gonna go with what everyone has mostly said in that I don't like people advertising their sexuality, be it furry, gay, pedo or anything. It's just something I don't care or want to see.
On the other hand I think this says a lot more about the Microsoft dispute management than anything else, to be honest.
And, as much as I'm going to get flack for saying this, HE WAS ASKING FOR IT. Seriously. Don't think like a politically correct prick, you know it's true.
MS also has a problem with gamertags that promote the nudist lifestyle, as my friend was forced to change his gamertag. I guess MasterNudist is offensive. Wise up MS, once you police on person, you have to police everyone. Soon there will be tech centers in India looking for offensive gamertags.
This is terrible and makes me angry...Duffy smash! Microsoft should sensor names unless they have VULGAR language in them, and the word "gay" is a perfectly fine word and there is nothing wrong with it AT ALL. Fags.
Well that's total crap. Like poor Buck Fitches. They can slam you for innuendo even apparently
Oh bullshit. If this person weren't gay, then there wouldn't be a lick of outcry about it. I know plenty of people, in real life and on the internet who get their panties in a bunch by the use of the word gay. Just because this fella is here, queer, and proud of it and happened to be censored because some people could've legitamitely said his name is inappropriate - It calls for outcries of bigotry.
I agree with the sentiment that this name was likely reported (in part) by OTHER gay gamers on Xbox live.
Gay, to some people, isn't a perfectly fine word. It entirely depends on it's context. Everyone from straight people, to moms, to gays themselves can, have, and will continue to have the capacity to be offended by the usage of the word dependings on it's context.
Oh well theres my idea of using a tag "happyandgay" out the window ;(
Seriously though, I would love him to phone up M$ again and record the conversation and release it on the interweb as I am sure it would cause M$ blatent embarrassment and maybe enough to change there silly rules.
I say temp-ban those complaining.
They probably banned the name because too many Republicans have been signing up for Live to troll for fresh meat.
I could be crazy but isn't discrimination based on sexuality illegal in the States, or was this some where else.
He should contact http://www.lambdalegal.org/cgi-bin/iowa/index.html
Think about this objectively, and make a few comparisons, and it may shed a little light on it: Is it okay for a black person to make his name "theNI**ERgamer?" I'll agree that it's a level of extreme well beyond "gay," but you have to judge them pretty much the same way. A woman can't make her name "ihaveaPUSSY." A man can't make his name "stickmyPENISinyou."
If it's offensive to someone, it has to go. Let's try a nickname or two that I could give myself that is the equivalent of "theGAYERgamer"...
"imaDICK," "thebiggestPRICK," "theFATTESTfatass." Each of those will offend enough people, despite them describing ME, that I'll have to change my name. Though thousands of names like that have likely been banned from Xbox Live, there is no public outcry about it because there's no minority or anything of that nature involved.
"Is it okay for a black person to make his name "theNI**ERgamer?"
Personally? Yes that would be fine. However, I would understand why MS would remove that one. Having a tag like "blackergamer" however, I would think is a lame banning.
To clarify my point: It doesn't matter who the player behind the name is, it matters what the name is. Period.
It is discrimination, there are way too many offensive names on Live that go unnoticed for that to be offensive. And in response to Trevor, it's no more necessary to play video games in the first place than it is to announce your sexuality, aside from the fact that straight men constantly announce their sexuality on Live (in crude ways, as well) without having to change their names
I think any reference to sexuality is out of place in a gaming/networking community, especially one that is available to all ages. The naming conventions and permissions currently in place are far more lax than any MMO one can play, and I don't particularly think that's a good thing.
If offensive and EULA-breaking names are going to remain as unchecked as they are, I don't this one should be singled out ---- but I wish there were much broader enforcement on all names that break those rules, including ones that needlessly point out sexual preference.
I think a lot of you on here are expressing the thoughts from the X-box Live community. Some users probably strained the useless idea that he doesn't need to advertise that he's gay. It doesn't have to be bigoted or hateful. Just goddamn stupid.
This is like saying that I don't need to advertise the fact that I'm Irish.
Maybe theGAYERgamer wasn't intentionally slamming in your face that he's gay. Maybe he just liked the name. I just liked the name "Angry Irish" and decided to use it. DO NOT ASSUME HIS MOTIVES! Really look at yourself and ask "Why do I care?"
Questioning his name OVERALL shouldn't even have to happen. Stop wasting your time.
@LuckBad
You're comparing the word gay to words that are considered curse words that are offensive. Are you saying the word gay or gayer is an offensive word? I he was thefaggiergamer I would see the problem where in fag is a derogitory term but gay is not offensive or deragatory in anyway.
@Yashoki
Sure he knew what he was getting into by naming himself that and he knew that he'd most likely be getting a ton of shit from people in games but do you think he was asking for getting banned from Live because other people are ignorant or who he is?
I don't know angry guy, I think there's a higher percentage of "14 year olds who think being homophobic is cool" as Teta put it than you think. I've come across so many little kids on Halo that I wanted to smack the shit out of for saying stupid shit...ok, I see what you're saying, bunch of people being stupid cuz noone really knows who they are. This stupid shit is the main reason Nintendo won't let me talk to people while I beat the shit out of them in Brawl, thanks little twerps and Microsoft for supporting them.
Wow that's pretty lame. With how racist/anti-gay people on xbox live are I find it hard to believe that anyone is offended by that gaymertag.
lol
funny... in PSN Ive seen racist/pornocomic names, they dont get banned.
I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that they, as well as some of the people who reported him, thought he was using "gay" in a derogatory sense. No one is going to convince me that, every time a redneck homophobe 15-year-old sees a homosexually suggestive gamertag, he reports it to Microsoft. Unless he happened to frequently run into the "white power" fragment of XBL, then I'm pretty sure this is at least partially a misunderstanding.
Remember, this is Microsoft we're talking about. Unless they've got idiots making the decisions (okay, yeah, I guess that is pretty likely) then they're not going to intentionally make a bad, bad PR move like this.
Shame on MS for caving in to the demands homophobic rednecks and 13 year olds. Especially when on X-box live you have names like "fetuseater666" and "Biggest_Cock".
I think it's a matter of pedophiles on Xbox live, that's what MS is worried about. Not that most people you meet on Xbox Live are mature, well adjusted, fine upstanding people anyways.
sue them for billions of money!!!!
Not surprised.
I think it is stupid when people brag about being a girl/ethnic/gay gamer. For one it bring about uninspired names.
"There is nothing to be proud about... it is a ----ing genetic accident" -George Carlin
That being said, I like girl/gay/bi/(Race here) gamers, I just don't really give a damn about their background.
Microsoft does suck though for giving in to the the racist and idiots on Live. Unless he was breaking the ToS with his name (I don't believe he was) they really should have just ignored their requests.
Guys, don't you understand? This is the American way! Banning something because a few people get riled up about it, rather than using it as a topic for discussion about the state of the country!
We've been ignoring thinks so we don't have to talk about them for years, and we ain't gonna stop now!
MURICA!!!
MURICA!!!
......
soooooooo lame.
As with a number of comments above I just do not get why people need to use their gamer tag to broadcast things about their personal lives. As Corak said above it is merely a way of grabbing attention.
I personally am of the opinion that this gamer purposefully chose the name that he did so it would get banned eventually and he could run and cry to the internets about how homophobic everyone on Live is. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised that he chose the name that he did just so that people would make derogatory comments about his sexuality so he could whine to MS and get people banned.
It's just a gamertag. No points, achievements or purchases will be lost, right? It's stupid that he's required to change it, but it strikes me as pretty inconsequential.
At least every other day I'm on XBL and every time I'm overwhelmed at the lack of common sense and social skills displayed by a majority of XBL users. So this is no surprise.
I don't agree with banning him just for having the word "gay" in his GT. However, if you look at the current status of XBL and what people make up the majority of the active chatters, there is another side to it. You know people are just gonna go on a homophobic rant when they see such a nickname, which only makes the experience worse for those people that just want to have fun and play. That way, in the current state of XBL, you only make things worse when your GT is something like GAYERgamer or ZoMgPs3isBeTtEr or URconsoleBREAKSlololol. Especially if you say Halo3 is amazing while doing it!
I'm not saying it's right. But until MS fixes XBL to make these things easier to defuse or less likely to happen (somehow), I think you're just gonna have to live with it happening from time to time. It's not really a civil liberties issue here, it's a company with a company network consisting of a majority of brand-aware consumers who happen to be racist and homophobic. What do you think will happen? :P
Personally I think I am theGAYERgamer, but what do I know. It's sad that closed-mindedness is still around. Maybe when a huge catastrophe happens and we have to work together, not as straight/gay/black/white etc. but as humans, the issue will cease to exist. *Sigh*
I don't see a problem with advertising your sexuality in your tag. If you want to meet similarly-minded people online, you need a name that suggests what you are all about. Since gay people are still very much an outsider group (and especially so on XBL) forming sympathetic and empathetic contacts is even more important.
I don't know if you guys have had more run-ins with the rainbow mafia than I have or something, but a gay guy wanting to connect with others is about the least confrontational thing I've ever heard.
Now you know why Nintendo uses friend codes...
Is GAY even a bad word? He's not using it in a derogatory manner ("You're gay!", "x is gay!"). It's almost as if people are trying to erase knowledge of homosexuals' existence altogether by getting rid of any references that may remind them of homosexuality. Pretty sad.
This is bullshit, and one of the reasons why i brought a fucking ps3 over the 360. I mean seriously, WHAT THE FUCK MS!! I hate live with all of the goddamn frat boys, 14 year old dick heads and jizzfucks. *end rant*
@FLASHBAK, yes youre right, there is no reason for him/her(maybe) to announce his/her sexuality, but the real question is what does it tell you about the live community in general. The person in question was simply using the freedom of speech, a god given right for goodness sake, the live community are real asshats, yes you do get your asshats on psn, but, for real, the ratio is a LOT less, the online aspect is inferior to that of LIVE without a shadow of a doubt. That I admit, however, I'd accept that if it meant
not dealing with fuckheads everytime I wanted to play online, which it does.
What a fag.
@5DIGIT
Exactly,talk about double standards
@Pew
MS will never fix XBL, because there will always be racist fucks.
people have already seen things the way I see em especially trevor and Sterling but I'll just give my opinion another shout.
I think the only ones doing anything wrong here are the users that complained, M$ is only keeping up with their customers and well as its been said before what do you expect when you put thing like GAYESTgamer or FATTESTgamer? It's the same thing as when chicks with cleavage get mad because people ar staring at their tits, well don't wear a big fucking cleavage end of problem.
A friend of mine had the gamertag "Niggor Mortis". Yes, he is black. That doesn't seem to matter to MS, as he had to change it.
I honestly think it's just as much a case of people reporting the name because they think it's homophobic. I have these two friends, they're brothers, and they're not gay, but their Gamertags are aGayAccountant and aGayDoctor. Which they had to change from aGaySomethingElse, twice. Each. They think it's funny.
So I can imagine seeing somebody with the name theGAYERgamer and thinking, "Man, I really wish people would stop making fun of gays." And then yes, I would probably report him.
Meh, I think having to change your pretend online gaming name is no big deal. If your gamertag has a word that that can be used to offend someone, whether or not the word applies to you, you shouldn't be to surprised when they ask you to change it. That's just the gay P.C. world we live in. ........er.....retarded P.C world.......umm..... less than great P.C. world we live in.
I personally hate it when people purposefully display their sexuality/gender/race/ect online. I really don't care about the personal lives of people on Live or PSN. As some other people have said, I believe this guy was just asking for it. He just wanted attention.
The bigger issue here is how the customer service reps deal with reported names. It seems that after a certain number of reports, the user is automatically banned. I don't think that is the best way to deal with these types of situations. The report system is often abused by the numerous kids on Live.
I had the same thing happen to me.
I tried to register the name "MyPenisIsHUGE" but it told me I couldn't because the name was offensive, when all I wanted to do was let the world know that my penis is, in fact, huge. C'mon MS, stop banning our names!
The guy is a stupid attention whore, there is no need to call attention to his sexuality like that, all it does is bring about more assholes, he was asking for it.
Why does one's sexual orientation have to be declared to their world in their gamertag...speaks of a lack of confidence to me...or simple immaturity.