Homosexuality Not A Game

First off, I'll begin by apologizing for my recent absence in post, but I firmly believe that is was a lapse in judgment on my university's part for having midterms and St. Patrick's Day a week from each other. I mean, come one, we're in college. Logically, after finishing the ever-stressful midterms, one will turn to drinking, and what better time than St. Pattie's Day, where everyone is Irish (because apparently all you need to do to be Irish is wear green). So now that my typing fingers have grown cobwebs, it's time to crank out the news. And boy is there news to be told!



We'll start off with a personal experience of mine. I'm a moderate video gamer. I like to go online and play with other, random people. Yes, I am in fact a nerd. Yes, the sunlight does in fact burn me. But all of that is beside the point. I've noticed a recurring trend every time i defeat another player online. Aside from the profanity (which there is always a lot of), I also get called "gay", "fag", "homo", and variations thereof. I mean, I don't really mind because it's pretty true, but the fact that they say that because they don't know me, and that they use it in an insulting manner is a bit annoying.

So when I heard Microsoft (which is the company that runs XBOX Live) was discriminating against homosexuals, it didn't come as too much of a shock. Apparently, XBOX Live Banned a lesbian because she put on her gamer profile that she was a lesbian. GASP! People being themselves! Anyway, Microsoft apparently received complaints from many parents of XBOX Live users saying they didn't want their children to be exposed to "that crap." Microsoft says that it automatically bans terms such as gay, lesbians, etc. I don't know if any of you have ever played online with some of these people. Reading the words lesbian or gay isn't their problem. Getting them to shut up about it is. As well as all the misogynistic and racist language that goes on. I wonder what Microsoft is doing about this? Absolutely, nothing so far.