Gays banned from Xbox Live?

[Pheran]

This seems pretty discriminatory to me. Oh, and if there's really a guy named "Richard Gaywood", he has my sympathy.

MODS: I considered posting this in Console Gaming, but it seemed more like an OT social issue to me. Feel free to move if you disagree.

Identifying Yourself As A Lesbian Gets You Banned On XBOX Live

Teresa says that she was harassed by other players and later suspended from XBOX Live because she identified herself as a lesbian in her profile. When she appealed to Microsoft, she says they told her that other gamers found her sexual orientation "offensive."

Teresa says:

I just recently saw a thing on your site about someones gamer tag being banned because it had the word gay in the tag.

I had a similar incident, only my account was suspended because I had said in my profile that I was a lesbian. I was harassed by several players, 'chased' to different maps/games to get away from their harassment. They followed me into the games and told all the other players to turn me in because they didn't want to see that crap or their kids to see that crap.

As if xbox live is really appropriate for kids anyways! My account was suspended and xbox live did nothing to solve this, but instead said others found it offensive.

Today I received a message from another gamer calling me a i love you. I am a lesbian, so they aren't too smart if they cant get their anti-gay slurs right.

Microsoft does nothing to stop this or prevent it, but instead sides with the homophobes. No one will help me get the word out about Microsoft's anti-gay policy. Not even the HRC who says Microsoft has a positive image with them. Not to me it doesn't!

We've heard of gamers being suspended for identifying themselves as gay in their GamerTag, and even one case of a guy whose name was actually "Richard Gaywood" but his tag was suspended anyway because apparently the word "gay" is so offensive that it doesn't matter if its actually your name.

As far as we know, Microsoft is unwilling to reconsider this position.

 

[rasczak]

that's so gay

 

[XxPrOdiGyxX]

what's wrong with that?

edit: clarification. how is microsoft to know that they aren't mocking or deriding the gay community?

 

[daveymark]

sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

 

[effowe]

Kids can hear all the swears and racial slurs they want, but someone identifying themselves as gay? That's offensive!

 

[JulesMaximus]

That sucks. I hate to see idiots pushing an agenda of hatred and winning at anything.

If xbox live really did ban her for being gay I hope she sues them and wins big.

 

[RapidSnail]

Microsoft doesn't hate gay people. It's more likely that they assumed that her reference was a poke at the gay community. Microsoft is a business like any other, they don't want to exclude any demographic for bad publicity and loss of potential customers. I believe this a mistake that will be straightened out, as it should be.

 

[aphex]

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

:beer:

Some 12 year old kept calling me a fucker in COD4 on PSN last night. At first I thought it was an older dude using a voice changer, but when he yelled at his mom that he didn't want to turn his game off just yet, his age was pretty apparent.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: XxPrOdiGyxX
edit: clarification. how is microsoft to know that they aren't mocking or deriding the gay community?

:thumbsup: Clearly MS isn't anti-gay, they're just trying to cut down on gay-bashing. Obviously they may go overboard sometimes. You have to remember that a large portion of their users are teenagers who use "gay" and "jew" as insults.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

No offense, but there are plenty of appropriate ways to answer these kinds of questions to young children should they ask. I've done it with mine successfully. It really isn't that difficult. The only reason why one might think it is difficult to do is because the topic is still considered taboo in some sense, but it doesn't have to be that way. All you need to do is think a little bit before you speak so that what you tell them is presented in a way that they understand while also recognizing that every little detail does not need to be presented either. They just need to be told enough.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

No offense, but there are plenty of appropriate ways to answer these kinds of questions to young children should they ask. I've done it with mine successfully. It really isn't that difficult. The only reason why one might think it is difficult to do is because the topic is still considered taboo in some sense, but it doesn't have to be that way.

I think he was being facetious. See the comment about his 3 year old playing GTA IV.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

No offense, but there are plenty of appropriate ways to answer these kinds of questions to young children should they ask. I've done it with mine successfully. It really isn't that difficult. The only reason why one might think it is difficult to do is because the topic is still considered taboo in some sense, but it doesn't have to be that way.

I think he was being facetious. See the comment about his 3 year old playing GTA IV.

....why I didn't catch that is beyond me. It is turning out to be one of those days. :laugh:

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

No offense, but there are plenty of appropriate ways to answer these kinds of questions to young children should they ask. I've done it with mine successfully. It really isn't that difficult. The only reason why one might think it is difficult to do is because the topic is still considered taboo in some sense, but it doesn't have to be that way.

And yet you ignored the obvious bullshit that his three year old plays GTA.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: RapidSnail

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

No offense, but there are plenty of appropriate ways to answer these kinds of questions to young children should they ask. I've done it with mine successfully. It really isn't that difficult. The only reason why one might think it is difficult to do is because the topic is still considered taboo in some sense, but it doesn't have to be that way.

And yet you ignored the obvious bullshit that his three year old plays GTA.

Take it easy there. See my reply.

 

[JujuFish]

Dick Gaywood? If that's his real name, that man was screwed before he had a chance.

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: RapidSnail

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

No offense, but there are plenty of appropriate ways to answer these kinds of questions to young children should they ask. I've done it with mine successfully. It really isn't that difficult. The only reason why one might think it is difficult to do is because the topic is still considered taboo in some sense, but it doesn't have to be that way.

And yet you ignored the obvious bullshit that his three year old plays GTA.

Take it easy there. See my reply.

:lips::heart:

 

[Tobolo]

Originally posted by: aphex

Originally posted by: daveymark
sorry, but when my 3 year old is playing GTA IV, I don't want him asking me to explain what a lesbian is.

:beer:

Some 12 year old kept calling me a fucker in COD4 on PSN last night. At first I thought it was an older dude using a voice changer, but when he yelled at his mom that he didn't want to turn his game off just yet, his age was pretty apparent.

He beat you ass too didn't he?

 

[acheron]

Xbox Live? So by "lesbian" they mean "guy pretending to be a lesbian"?

 

[JM Aggie08]

I, for one, hope she was banned for being gay.

/flamesuit

 

[Oyeve]

One of my RB2 bands is called "Jewish Priest", wonder how long that's gonna last.

 

[foghorn67]

There is a guy in the IW forums names "Like 9 Mexicans".
-You got killed by like 9 Mexicans.
-You killed like 9 Mexicans.

Wonder how that will go.

 

[MrDudeMan]

The problem here is that moron put that she was a lesbian in her profile. She should be banned for trying to stir up trouble for no reason, not because she is or isn't a lesbian. I've never read anyone's profile and found their sexual orientation listed because that would be ridiculous. Who cares? Be a lesbian all you want but you don't need to broadcast it.

 

[OCGuy]

Can you get AIDS from XBL, just like you can from a toilet seat or shaking hands?

 

[Yreka]

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
The problem here is that moron put that she was a lesbian in her profile. She should be banned for trying to stir up trouble for no reason, not because she is or isn't a lesbian. I've never read anyone's profile and found their sexual orientation listed because that would be ridiculous. Who cares? Be a lesbian all you want but you don't need to broadcast it.

I agree with this to a certain extent. XBlive is not the forum to express your sexual orientation. Take that shit to Myspace/Facebook/Twitter

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: Yreka

Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
The problem here is that moron put that she was a lesbian in her profile. She should be banned for trying to stir up trouble for no reason, not because she is or isn't a lesbian. I've never read anyone's profile and found their sexual orientation listed because that would be ridiculous. Who cares? Be a lesbian all you want but you don't need to broadcast it.

I agree with this to a certain extent. XBlive is not the forum to express your sexual orientation. Take that shit to Myspace/Facebook/Twitter

While I agree with you here as well, I think it's more ridiculous that people took it upon themselves to look at her profile then get on her case about it. You aren't forced to look at profiles, in fact you have to go through a couple menus to see them. It's their own fault they checked, and it's disgusting if they really harassed her about it. It doesn't belong in your live profile no, but it's also not a reason to get offended.