Are gamers intolerant?

[falconwind]

So, I got this idea from the post about the WoW discrimination.

Are gamers, in general, intolerant of sexuality?

Like, when someone says 'dude, you're gay' or 'that's so gay', are you really insulted by that? Or, do you think they should be really insulted? Or do you just laugh it off? Are you really thinking that there is something homosexual about it? Or do you just substitute "dude, that's ridiculous/stupid" with "dude, that's gay" without even thinking?

When we hear about nudity or scandily-clad girls in video games, we love it. No one is saying that you should have the same reaction to muscled guys in tanktops, but would you bury a game for it? Does this say more about us as gamers or simply as men (which the majority of gamers are).

If you're playing a game online, and someone, for whatever reason, let's it slip that their gay, would you care? Would you make fun of them? Would you try and kick and ban them? Would you wedge him into a corner or team kill him?

I only ask this, because, for all the 'dude you're gay' and 'this is so gay', I think there are a lot more gay gamers than people like to believe.

 

[Raziaar]

I find alot of gamers to have more homosexual tendencies than most other hobbyists. Its just simple fact!

But in response to your topic... I don't know. Alot of people are tolerant, but they are likely to be the silent majority. I have used the expression, "That's gay" etc since before I even knew what homosexuality was, and the connotations of such a statement. Its just a harmless expression.

I don't think people should get offended at something like that.

 

[Ennui]

most people are bastards. whenever there's a gay person in the server, it ends up with me defending them and yelling at all the prejudiced ****s that overpopulate every game on earth. but you all are well aware that i'm certainly easy to get into a heated fight, and not at all representative of the norm.

i think most gamers either don't care or have a problem with it, and maybe 5% will actually say something.

 

[Beerdude26]

most people are bastards. whenever there's a gay person in the server, it ends up with me defending them and yelling at all the prejudiced ****s that overpopulate every game on earth. but you all are well aware that i'm certainly easy to get into a heated fight, and not at all representative of the norm.

i think most gamers either don't care or have a problem with it, and maybe 5% will actually say something.

Same D:

Bad times

 

[Yuri]

Honestly, if someone announces that they are gay in the middle of playing a game, and they are being serious, I would probably make fun of them in the way that NO ONE GIVES A SHIT.

I do similar things when people mention their "hot girlfriends" the fact that they are "smoking pot" and the inevitable "I just got drunk last night and fingered a girl!" Fact is, you're playing a game. No one gives a flying f*ck about your dumbass life.

If its part of a conversation in a game that you can have conversation in (I.E. NOT HL2DM), no, of course not. I'm not intolerant.


And, if someone says "OMG GHEYS ARE STUPID AND SHOULD BE KILLED" and someone else admits that they are indeed, gay, and defends themselves, then I would probably defend them as well, unless it interfered with my playing.

 

[Kangy]

If someone calls me gay, I ask them what of it. It usually shuts everyone up for a few minutes \o/

 

[Bob_Marley]

I'll probubly sit there and think "WTF? This is relevent to the game how? I dont know you so why do I need to know this?" and then just settle back into playing normally

 

[PriNcE oF SpAcE]

I launch a toilet in their face all the same

 

[houndeye]

Maybe it's because I live in a wonderful place where gays aren't discriminated against and are openly accepted (although I doubt that's actually true, I probably just don't get out too much), but I find 'gay pride' and such ridiculous. If you like to have sex with other men, who cares? But, I also find any references to someone's sexual life ridiculous, be they straight, gay, bi, or part-time BDSM man-whores. It's just not something I care to know, and if I do know it won't change what I think about you.

 

[Sulkdodds]

I hear you Yuri about the people talking about girlfriends/stoned etc. I just say 'e-penis +1'.

If someone admitted they were gay I'd take the piss for being such an attention whore and say 'e-penis -1'. I really couldn't give less of a shit. But if there was actually a full scale normal people vs intolerant ****s debate going on then of course, out with the sword of verbal smackdown!

 

[jondy]

Are gamers, in general, intolerant of sexuality?

'gamers' in general are less tolerant because of the anonymity online chat provides. It's the same with chatrooms.

Gaming isn't the problem, rather the fact that you can say whatever the hell you want online and nobody can do a thing about it

 

[Asknoone]

Couldn't care less; I'd simply keep playing. I'd neither pay any attention nor believe him...its not just relevant. If he persisted, I might throw the odd joke mind...why the hell not? They are making the big deal.

 

[Fliko]

most people are bastards. whenever there's a gay person in the server, it ends up with me defending them and yelling at all the prejudiced ****s that overpopulate every game on earth. but you all are well aware that i'm certainly easy to get into a heated fight, and not at all representative of the norm.

i think most gamers either don't care or have a problem with it, and maybe 5% will actually say something.

I do the same... Usually end up owning myself.
I find myself insulted with it. Mostly because its annoying.

 

[Direwolf]

The cross section of online gamers still includes a lot of pubescent teen males...and guess who calls things "gay"?

 

[Glirk Dient]

If I see some gamers harassing someone that claism they are gay I will jump in to defend them. However, if someone kicks my ass, harasses me about it and exclaims they are gay chances are I will be pissed off and say something along the lines of "I hope you bleed to death out of your ass then". Not hating because they are gay, but because they are a jackass.

It really depends on the person, if they are nice I will be nice to them. If they are a jackass they can expect it back.

 

[Laivasse]

I would start spamming the radio with "You take the point"

I'm not intolerant though. It's just that it pretty much comes natural in an online game that some guy seeks attention=he gets mocked.

 

[DeusExMachina]

I highly doubt anyone will ever admit they're gay on CS. Homophobes up the wazoo. I do believe most gamers are intolerant...of everything. ESPECIALLY CS players. I've never seen so much ignorance it makes me sick.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

90% of gamers are prejudiced. I stopped playing NS and Counterstrike because of the number of people who would randomly call out another guy saying they are one of the following:

1. "Gay"
2. The N-word
3. "A Jew" (I've yet to work out any insult in this case, but people use it as a curse)

Needless to say, I don't play online games with randoms much any more, and if I do, I'm the one making the game so I can code a Steam ID ban on their ass.

-Angry Lawyer

 

[TheAmazingRando]

I'd type "Care" and continue playing normally.

 

[Milkman]

Fragging people online is a equal-opportunity employer. As to how a conversation would lead to someone's sexuality, well, I have no idea how that starts in the first place.

 

[Yuri]

I hear you Yuri about the people talking about girlfriends/stoned etc. I just say 'e-penis +1'.

I can't play a single game without someone saying "YUO GUYSZ SMOKE LOL!?" Wow, you're special, you do drugs. That matters to me. But what's worse is these terrible "I g0t LAID lsat nite!!" stories. Oh GOD! Alert fellow gamers, you saw a female's right nipple!

It's not the fact that this stuff is being said-- its the fact that you are spending your time playing a game with these people who are ever so stupid.


The only situation in which I would not really mock someone stating that they are gay is one in which
- They didn't bring it up in the first place
- The game was stupid enough to allow me to type without interfereing
- I was bored enough

 

[gick]

I personally wouldnt react, as I dont really care whether or not said person is gay or not. But it does piss me off the way that people say things like 'OMGZ U R GAAAY BUTSECHS!!!11!!11' Really, grow up.

 

[falconwind]

Not every gay person is a flamer (in fact, most aren't, which is why they could be anywhere) and not every gay person craves attention. I think it's quite the contrary; gays would be perfectly happy going about their own lives without drawing any attention. But since "acting gay" seems to naturally draw a lot of attention, it's sort of impossible. Gay pride and flamers ARE craving attention, no doubt about it though.

the scenario i was imagining was where the fact is revealed in a way that's not really trying to be in your face or even attention grabbing. Simply a truth. I suppose that's rather hard to see happening, though not impossible.

I think the demographic of gamers has a lot to do with the general immaturity level. Many gamers are young and immature. There are also many asians... at least that's what I believe... and asians are rather notorious for being anti-gay. And I'm asian, so don't think I'm being racist, it's a fact. Just as immature teens are known for being "omg teh ghey! lololol"

I think it's really funny that a gay friend of mine will still refer to something as 'gay'. Like "that hockey game was so gay". And he realizes the irony of saying that. It's just the term is so widely used among teens that it's second nature even to him.

 

[Raziaar]

I like my beers cold, and my homosexuals flaming!

 

[CptStern]

most homophobes hide it fairly well ...the majority probably wouldnt say anything to the gay gamer because they know their pov may be unpopular. I find it's not just limited to homosexuals but pretty much anybody who isnt white/western/english speaking


it's kinda like HL2.net ..there's more than a few racists here who dont advertise it but they're there

that said, I think the majority of people wouldnt be bothered with a player revealing they're gay in game ...they may think it's inappropriate because for the most part people are there to play the game not chat

 

[VictimOfScience]

I ignore this kind of chat as its totally irrelevant to the game at hand (usually CSS). Insults or d1ck-swinging or flaming--its all the same to me and should be ignored. If it goes on seemingly forever, then I have no problem whatsoever finding another server to happily play with people who acutally want to play the game and not be annoying or chat in general. Of course, normal, civilized conversations can be tolerated to an extent, but typing and playing can be dicey!

I think the reason this is even an issue is that so many gamers (esp. CSS and DM it seems) are young and immature and simply don't know any better unfortunately. You live and learn and I think its safe to say that we all did some stupid crap or said some idiotic things in our youth. And its too bad that the term "gay" has become synonymous with 'stupid', 'lame', 'cheap', etc, sort of like how the word "retarded" has come to mean the same thing. Both of these words have useful definitions and neither of them have anything to do with the "definitions" I mentioned above. Its too bad, but eventually you grow up and learn the true nature of things (hopefully) and you realize the error of your ways and try to help others do it too.

 

[Sulkdodds]

Strangely enough, I have never ever heard the word 'jew' used as an insult.

 

[VictimOfScience]

Strangely enough, I have never ever heard the word 'jew' used as an insult.

Play on enough public servers and you will hear it all and then some!

 

[Llama]

Just keep playing. Hell, a nuke could go off in my garden and id still keep playing

Edit: Sulk, you wouldn't believe how often I hear it in school. Its like the new fad :|

 

[Some_God]

In my school, nobody would dare use it in an offensive manner... ass kicking is a great influence.

 

[JNightshade]

Ugh, that's the reason I barely play CS:S any more. I don't know what the deal is... too many insecure fourteen-year-olds? Whatever it is, the intolerance is sickening.

 

[DeusExMachina]

Strangely, I've found more mature kids on CS: S than I have on 1.6

 

[Talyn]

Wow... using "gay" as an insult is one thing, but "Jew"? That would piss me right off - if I was playing World of Warcraft and someone used that as an insult, I'd kick them out of my group, warn my guild about them, and report them to the GMs so fast their antisemitic heads would spin.

...just, wow. That completely blows my mind. Who knew that people like that even still existed in the civilized world?

 

[Sulkdodds]

The only time I've heard Jew used as an insult is in my history class, directed at the guy who's actually Jewish, who laughs and calls the other guy a nazi. All in good fun!

 

[Glirk Dient]

most homophobes hide it fairly well ...the majority probably wouldnt say anything to the gay gamer because they know their pov may be unpopular. I find it's not just limited to homosexuals but pretty much anybody who isnt white/western/english speaking


it's kinda like HL2.net ..there's more than a few racists here who dont advertise it but they're there

that said, I think the majority of people wouldnt be bothered with a player revealing they're gay in game ...they may think it's inappropriate because for the most part people are there to play the game not chat

Thats interesting...would you consider me one of those racists?

 

[CptStern]

Thats interesting...would you consider me one of those racists?

I dont know you well enough ..but I've never seen you say anything racist ..you may be a bit homophobic but I wont hold that against you :E

 

[DeusExMachina]

I think he's talking about a certain friendly...ghost .

 

[Sulkdodds]

If only the politics forum had image tags.

Then I would post this smiley.

 

[JNightshade]

Hahaha, the politics forum doesn't have image tags? I have to hand it to the staff- that's pretty clever.

Anyway, there's a difference between goofing around and serious racism (although less of one than you'd think). I mean, calling someone a "Jew" as an insult can be construed in completely different lights, depending on your tone of voice. But in my experience online, most of the race-related insults are, in fact, genuinely malicious. I remember when I wandered into a CSS server, wondering why there were all these ethnocentric f*cktards, when I realized it was a KKK server :x. I was careful with where I played after that.

...there was this kid there, he must've been nine, and the stuff he was saying... it was sickening.

 

[Raziaar]

I am an administrator for the Virginia Stuntport - No Racing server for Multi Theft Auto.

Anyways, I log in another day, on the server list and I see a cloned server of it by some assholes who apparently didnt like the Admin on the actual Virginia server, and they decided to put all sorts of expletives into their title, including the N word. Those morons.