MS: Xbox Live Fort Gay ban "a mistake"

By Robert Purchese Published 9 September, 2010

Didn't realise it was a place.

Microsoft has been caught out for misguidedly banning an Xbox Live user who declared he came from "fort gay WV" - a real place.

"At first I thought, 'Wow, somebody's thinking I live in the gayest town in West Virginia or something.' I was mad," Josh Moore, 26, told the Associated Press. "... It makes me feel like they hate gay people."

"I'm not even gay," he added, "and it makes me feel like they were discriminating."

Moore tried to explain to an MS customer service rep that "fort gay WV" was a small community of around 800 people in Wayne County, along West Virginia's western border with Kentucky. But his pleas fell on deaf ears, and he was warned that if he put the location back on his profile he'd be kicked off Xbox Live and forfeit his membership fee.

Even the Fort Gay mayor, David Thompson, got involved. But he was told the place name didn't matter, because use of the word "gay" was inappropriate in any context.

"It was so inappropriate for them," he said, "they wouldn't even say the word. They said, 'that word'.

"It's beyond me. That's the name of our town! It's appalling. It's a slap in our face."

Eventually, chief of Xbox Live police Stephen Toulouse was alerted and the case rectified. He blamed miscommunication.

"Someone took the phrase 'fort gay WV' and believed that the individual who had that was trying to offend, or trying to use it in a pejorative manner," Toulouse explained. "Unfortunately, one of my people agreed with that. ... When it was brought to my attention, we did revoke the suspension."

"In this very, very specific case, a mistake was made," he conceded, "and we're going to make it right."

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (121) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DDevil #1 1 year ago

    I wonder how that Fort got it's name?

  • skowhegan Verified Staff, Eurogamer Network #2 1 year ago

    I'm sure its just a very happy place.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 08:45

  • towser #3 1 year ago

    probably due to all the happy people...

    ...


    In the old sense that is



    EDIT - bah! beaten! Curse you. :-)
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 08:46

  • altitude2k #4 1 year ago

    Instead of banning them, they should have done something to bring it to everyone's attention.

    EDIT: I guess they did...good one MS!
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 08:47

  • ZuluHero #5 1 year ago

    I once went to a place in Cornwall called "Cocks". I wonder if anyone uses LIVE there and had any problems? :)

  • SAMagic #6 1 year ago

    The residents of the town of F**king, Austria, have told Microsoft where to go.

  • Fab4 #7 1 year ago

    Lets hope no-one from Bachelor's Bump is on XBL ;)

  • ryandsimmons #8 1 year ago

    I just want Mount Gay rum to start advertising on live.

  • MisterFalseName #9 1 year ago

    Time for everyone to change their location to Fort Gay?

    If the town only has a population of 800, then as soon as the number of users with it in their profile hits 801, the jig is up!

  • BAM! #10 1 year ago

    He may not be gay, but on XBL he'll definitely be called a faggot.

  • Negotiator #11 1 year ago

    And the rubbish jokes start getting posted.

  • Scimarad #12 1 year ago

    This is just hilarious:)

    Why on earth did they start banning anything 'gay' related in the first place. Very bizarre...

  • s3y3 #13 1 year ago

    I love that the customer service people aren't even allowed to say the word gay. That is some "gay" paranoia.

  • UsernamePending #14 1 year ago

    Its like when AOL came to England, no-one from Scunthorpe was allowed to join!

  • Cronan #15 1 year ago

    They banned it because they thought the word was being used pejoratively, not just because of the use of the word. Clearly they were wrong.

  • altitude2k #16 1 year ago

    He should have circumvented it by calling it Fort Fruit.

  • alcides #17 1 year ago

    "its pathetic that they'd ban anyone for saying that whatever their intention!its playground name calling, if you cant handle that then your in for a rough life!"

    1) The word is not an insult like "moron", "idiot", or "pervert" and only is pejorative if you mean it this way.
    2) Banning it as a swear word is condoning this vision AND enforcing a taboo on homosexuality as something dirty.
    3) So, I'm in for a rough life whichever way? Of course, ye mighty superior heteros!

  • BigDannyH #18 1 year ago

    Superb!

    I live near Pratt's Bottom and quite enjoy eating spotted dick. Gonna ban me too, Adolf?

  • Fab4 #19 1 year ago

    StepTo is a decent bloke though. If you contact him directly about something he usually replies, and has helped me get some filthy-mouthed racists console banned from XBL in the past.

  • unacomn #20 1 year ago

    Well, thank god I don't live in Trebuci and that most Xbox support reps don't know my languadge.

  • hayisforhorses #21 1 year ago

    Seems bizarre microsoft are so concerned over this when you play any mainstream fps on live and you will be bombarded with shit talking rascist morons seems like pissing at a forest fire to put it out.

    Would be interested to know how the people of Gayden get on with microsoft.

  • Dolly #22 1 year ago

    My girlfriends parents live on a street called Titty Ho, in Raunds. I'd love to try that badboy out on Live.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #23 1 year ago

    I am getting sick of the puritanical censorship that seems to be the norm these days. If it isn't Apple telling you that you can't look at porn, its Microsoft with an itchy ban hammer. I wonder if anybody from the German town of Wank has been banned yet?

  • randompanda #24 1 year ago

    I must have missed the memo that stops you being able to look at porn on Apple products.

  • evilcoffee #25 1 year ago

    For a long time Xbox Live wouldn't allow "Cumbria" as a location...

  • Tyronne #26 1 year ago

    I heard it was a place that people were bending over backwards to move to.

  • p00ntang #27 1 year ago

    only on a Rainmac Pro

  • Whitster #28 1 year ago

    @ randompanda

    Its the lack of flash that causes most problems.

  • JayScott #29 1 year ago

    A friend of mine lives in Pakenham Upper, but that sounds so violently heterosexual I guess he's not going to have any trouble whatsoever.

  • altitude2k #30 1 year ago

    @Dolly

    I have to travel through Raunds on my way home from work. Lovely.

  • AliRay #31 1 year ago

    Fort......PFFFFTTT!

  • JahB #32 1 year ago

    we have a similar problem in austria, and no, this is not a joke. the place is really called "Fucking"....

    http://go oglesightseeing.com/2007/01/fuc...

  • richardiox #33 1 year ago

    Pretty out of order for MS to deem the word "Gay" as offensive. Kinda of articulates the fact they obviously feel being homosexual is wrong.

  • 3william56 #34 1 year ago

    Are they the only village in the gay?

    (Obviously Microsoft is using Bing not Google, as three seconds on Gmaps shows that there are 3 Fort Gays in the US. Nice to see that when a user contacts them, they do their research thoroughly).

  • SL33PY #35 1 year ago

    @DDevil, Gay used to mean "Happy"

    Reference: Fallout 3, a song sung by a woman lyric quote "Gay as a daisy"

  • Tinrib72 #36 1 year ago

    More concerned that you cant watch porn on apple products.

  • DDevil #37 1 year ago

    @SL33PY - Thank you for your valuable insight.

  • zombiesinmyhead #38 1 year ago

    To be fair they were probably doing the guy a favor. I mean who would want to tell everyone on xbox live that they lived in Fort Gay? Oh I can't see that causing any problems, I'll also put down that I live on Bangmyass St.

    This post in no way condones homophobic behavior, but lets face it you get screamed at for being gay just for signing in to xbox live these days.

  • B0MBJ4CK #39 1 year ago

    I wonder what the the folk of Fingringhoe, Essex would think of such name banning shenanigans.

    Fort Gay sound like it should be a map in Halo

  • HisDudness #40 1 year ago

    Oh man, I can just imagine the response to this ridiculous event:

    Users are going to play a game with the moderators over the "appropriate" use of the world gay.

    Who's your favourite artist? Marvin GAY and Gloria GAY nor

    What's your favourite beverage? Mount GAY rum and coke

    etc. etc.

    Let the games begin...

  • B0MBJ4CK #41 1 year ago

    ^^^
    Don't you mean GAYmes? ;-)

  • RealityCheque #42 1 year ago

    @richardiox: only if they feel it's being used offensively, which if you read the article you would already know.

  • Chalee #43 1 year ago

    I wonder whether the people from Brest encounter the same problem!

  • yupyup #44 1 year ago

    Hopefully this will pave the way for F**k mountain to be allowed.

  • InfiniteFury #45 1 year ago

    Location - on top of Lord Hereford's Knob

    /shameless HMHB joke theft.

  • DDevil #46 1 year ago

    Pity those who live here

  • Mildew #47 1 year ago

    No one live in Nob End around Bolton then?

  • 00.00.01 #48 1 year ago

    @ DDevil moderator 09/09/10 @ 10:46
    Ghehe, nice! Good to historical facts support the article.
    '...allowed prostitutes to work only in Cocks Lane.'

  • altitude2k #49 1 year ago

    http://ww w.ukvillages.co.uk/Place/17386/...

  • onyxbox #50 1 year ago

    The whole thing is a mess IMO. Banning the word 'gay' is just adding fuel to the situation and there's enough propblems on there as it is...

    Last time i was on XBL I heard someone threatening another person with "I'll come over there and rape you, your wife and then I'm gonna' rape your children"

    Although this incident was particularly shocking I'm led to believe this sort of thing is not uncommon... I mean what sort of people are these?

    I've never in my life heard anything like that anywhere but it happens on XBL quite a bit from what I can gather.

    Shocking and disgusting beyond belief, people would be arrested for stuff like that anywhere else!

    Grr!

  • The_Amazing_Potato #51 1 year ago

    I keep getting warning emails from some websites because I live in Scunthorpe, and they think I'm trying to be sneaky with my swearing. Boy, are they wrnobheadsong.

  • darkmorgado #52 1 year ago

    In this very, very specific case, a mistake was made

    Except it's a mistake you've made before, isn't it MS? This is why you've had to start working with GLAAD to improve your practices towards gay people...

  • Dezm0nd #53 1 year ago

    I live on Bell End. Oh ho ho ho!

  • darkmorgado #54 1 year ago

    its pathetic that they'd ban anyone for saying that whatever their intention! its playground name calling, if you cant handle that then your in for a rough life!

    Yes, because we should all just roll over and take it shouldn't we? Just like it should be perfectly acceptable to call black people niggers or chinese people chinks. It's political correctness gone mad!

    Just because you're not offended by it, doesn't mean that the people it denegrates aren't.

  • darkmorgado #55 1 year ago

    They were just trying to protect the community

    Yeah, better not let the public know about homosexuality. They might get turned!

    This line of thinking is what led to Section 28.

  • aplayer #56 1 year ago

    i got a month ban for saying i live in essex uk i mean come on xbox live

  • governmentyard #57 1 year ago

    "Just because you're not offended by it, doesn't mean that the people it denegrates aren't."

    Nor that they are, nor that the things we choose to be offended by are anything other than our own problem.

    How about this, though - anyone who gets more than 100 people clicking to say they overuse the word faggot on live gets [fag] tagged next to their username for six months. Simple, automatic and fun for all but the hysterical knobends who infest the otherwise quite decent service.

  • darkmorgado #58 1 year ago

    I'm not sure what annoys me more, to be honest. That they have banned someone for living somewhere called Fort Gay, or that despite this they do absolutely nothing about the thousands of people on LIVE screaming homophobic and racist abuse at each other on a daily basis.

  • Kami #59 1 year ago

    I think I too find this amusing when the level of behaviour from many people on this service lowers any hope you may have for humanity as a whole. It's fairly specific games and genres that the worst behaviour seems to take place, but the fact it's continually allowed makes a mockery of any policy like this.

    But then, geography was never Microsoft's strong suit anyway...

  • darkmorgado #60 1 year ago

    How about this, though - anyone who gets more than 100 people clicking to say they overuse the word faggot on live gets [fag] tagged next to their username for six months.

    Missing the point much?

    Using the word gay, or fag, or whatever in a negative way creates an association that the thing it relates to is negative.

    And yes, I can assure you that the large majority of gay people find the whole "that's so gay" thing rather offensive. That's why so many of us have taken to saying "that's so straight" instead. Guess what? We get large numbers of straight people complaining that they find it offensive, and it gets the point across.

  • darkmorgado #61 1 year ago

    Frankly, a better solution would be to tag each players Gamercard with a notice telling people that they have been caught being racist or homophobic online. A large reason people think they can get away with this is the anonymity that the internet provides. Put a permanent stamp on their profile and they might think twice.

  • speed182 #62 1 year ago

    "It's a slap in our face" - A dick slap perhaps?

    In all seriousness, MS Customer service are idiots at the best of times.

  • Fab4 #63 1 year ago

    @darkmorgado

    Its harder to prove someone is racist/homophobic etc on XBL during a game. It requires one of the XBL PET members (or someone of a similar stature in XBL) to be in the game and hear it for themselves. Of course you can send them video evidence of the game (with the audio), which they will act on.

    I was in one game last week and i wish I had been videoing it. I was calling out positions of enemies and out of nowhere this guy on my team said "You smell like a jew.", and then continued with anti-Semitic rant throughout the game. I sometimes wonder what fucking thought processes these assholes have.

  • Lee_Morris #64 1 year ago

    "use of the word "gay" was inappropriate in any context"

    In any context! Wow, just wow.

  • darkmorgado #65 1 year ago

    I sometimes wonder what fucking thought processes these assholes have.

    I don't think they have any, to be honest. The reason idiots hold these bigoted views is normally because they are, quite simply, ignorant and uneducated.

  • dwalker109 #66 1 year ago

    This isn't an issue. This particular word's meaning varies wildly depending on context. Sometimes it is pejorative, sometimes it is not. Sometimes it is difficult to see which on first glance. Microsoft have done nothing wrong here. I don't really think it needs to be hauled through the streets, and this isn't really about gay people at all.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 11:48

  • darkmorgado #67 1 year ago

    This isn't an issue. This particular word's meaning varies wildly depending on context. Sometimes it is pejorative, sometimes it is not.

    It's only been given a pejorative context through homophobia, which has become widespread and common because people didn't think before starting to use it so often. It isn't helped by that fat c*nt chris moyles either.

  • Fab4 #68 1 year ago

    I don't think they did anything wrong either. There is a reason why they have a complaints submission forum on xbox.com, to handle issues where people think they have been banned for no reason.

    XBL profiles are visible to everyone, so they have to be 'rated' accordingly. I think this is just a case of 'better safe than sorry' on the behalf of one of the PET members.

  • darkmorgado #69 1 year ago

    I see there's a homophobe on here negging any comment that criticises homophobia.

    EDIT: How ironic. He negged this as well. I bet he doesn't actually have the courage to stand up and be counted though.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 11:57

  • darkmorgado #70 1 year ago

    XBL profiles are visible to everyone, so they have to be 'rated' accordingly. I think this is just a case of 'better safe than sorry' on the behalf of one of the PET members.

    But is that really acceptable? Having a policy on homophobia is fine, but this (and the previous incident where they banned a lesbian user for being an open lesbian) isn't a homopbia policy. This a blanket ban on orientation-related words, implemented because Microsoft said that people find being gay offensive - it's a policy put in place which condones homophobia, not to combat it. This is why they have had to work with GLAAD, and this is why (thankfully) the policy is actually being scrapped later this year.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 12:02

  • UsernamePending #71 1 year ago

    I was going to change my name to "Dick van Dyke", in honour of the famous actor. But I don't think I'll bother now.

  • chrisola #72 1 year ago

    anyone from Cock Bank better watch out!

  • Iain815 #73 1 year ago

    @yupyup

    Yay, Arrested Development quotes ftw!

  • darkmorgado #74 1 year ago


    MS or Sony will never be able to do anything about it. A large amount of gamers are racist and gay bashers.

    We don't know that really, because they've not tried to do anything about it. And just because a problem or a type of behaviour is widespread doesn't mean it isn't worth challenging. Not even being seen trying to do something about sends out the message that, as a company, you condone that behaviour. I appreciate the point that unless someone is listening to the match that it's hard to prove, but there is plenty of software out there that recognises key phrases and tags them. Governments use it all the time to pick out emails or phonecalls.

  • Fab4 #75 1 year ago

    I'm not sure I'd appreciate voice-monitoring of XBL, purely on a privacy issue.

  • darkmorgado #76 1 year ago

    I like freedom of speech

    So do I, but I believe that freedom of speech ends when people abuse that freedom to spread bigoted or offensive views.

  • darkmorgado #77 1 year ago

    I'm not sure I'd appreciate voice-monitoring of XBL, purely on a privacy issue.

    They already do monitor it, it's just that they use real people (which is arguably more invasive to be honest, as software doesn't technically "listen" and understand the words being used), which is why so many people get away being offensive on LIVE and only a small handful get banned.

  • InfiniteFury #78 1 year ago

    I didn't realize that, how do they manage things - pick groups at random, listen in on people who have been flagged up etc?

  • kangarootoo #79 1 year ago

    @Fab4

    "I sometimes wonder what fucking thought processes these assholes have."

    The answer, is "very few" :)

  • Fab4 #80 1 year ago

    They do not monitor voice conversations. They keep a record of all text/voice messages sent and, so I'm led to believe, monitor video conversations. They do not monitor in-game voice or party chat, unless a specific complaint has been made against a gamertag.

  • TelexStar #81 1 year ago

    because use of the word "gay" was inappropriate in any context.

    What? Really? In "any" context? Fucking idiots.

  • darkmorgado #82 1 year ago

    @Fab4

    Fair enough, I had been previously led to believe that they do actually monitor it. To be honest, it's not something I have any problem with. I don't see it as being any different to being a moderator on a website - someone whose duty is simply to ensure that people are behaving themselves and removing offensive content.

  • kangarootoo #83 1 year ago

    "A large amount of gamers are racist and gay bashers."

    Nonsense. Like most people in all walks of life, most gamers are relatively liberal and fair and polite. The problem is that people tend to shout abuse more readily than they shout encouragement. So if you are listening out for noise, abuse is what you will hear most frequently.

  • Hughes. #84 1 year ago

    Microsoft continues to fuel the idea that "gay" is a pejorative word, and therefore that being gay is wrong, every time it takes action like this. Gay people know they're gay, so they won't be offended by being called gay, and straight people know they're not gay, so they have no business being offended either.

    The only people who should be offended by the word are homophobes, and they should deal with their own issues, maybe somewhere nice and private, like a closet, rather than giving license to Microsoft to butcher language which is neither profane, nor offensive to anyone who isn't crippled by neuroses.

  • darkmorgado #85 1 year ago

    There is no law that says you have the right to not be offended by something someone says

    Actually, there sort of is. A huge amount of legislation is dedicated specifically to protecting people from discrimination. Whether you like it or not, calling someone a racist or homophobic word is actually a crime under incitement of hatred and discrimination laws.

    How do I know? Because unfortunately I have previously been in a position where I felt that I had no choice but to report someone for being so discriminatory.

  • Fab4 #86 1 year ago

    Expressing your sexual orientation, whatever that might be, is permitted in your profile. I think this case stems from a misunderstanding that 'Fort Gay' wasnt an expression of orientation but something else. (That something else being in fact a place name). I'm sure they would have done the same if there was such a place as 'Fort Hoe'...not that i'm equating being gay to being a hoe, but for some its an orientation too :p

  • darkmorgado #87 1 year ago

    Expressing your sexual orientation, whatever that might be, is permitted in your profile.

    They have previously banned people for stating their sexuality on their profile. When it came out, it caused quite a lot of fuss. It was reported on here quite extensively, and the whole debacle forced Microsoft to start working with GLAAD.

    EDIT: Here's the link if you don't believe me
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 13:01

  • Hughes. #88 1 year ago

    Yeah, looks like whoever is negging these comments needs to come out of the closet. I'm off to sniff profiles for the stench of mothballs.

  • Fab4 #89 1 year ago

    Yes, but its been permitted since March of this year. I dont think the PET are that far behind in their enforcement rulings though ;)

  • SniperZoz #90 1 year ago

    they could have googled it before banning ... or at the very least "bing" it ...

  • makeamazing #91 1 year ago

    Couldnt someone at MS customer service just use google and see if the place existed... thats the problem with Customer Services sometimes (dont get me started on BT), they just read from a script and dont deviate from it, even if its wrong.

    What about peoples names containing the word gay? As obviously there are people with gay as a first/surname, would that cause issues?

  • NHDavid #92 1 year ago

    Can't wait for Kinect to come out.....everyone will be exposing their willy in video chat!

  • Huxamalay #93 1 year ago

    This is stupid, why didnt the customer services rep just google the name

  • kangarootoo #94 1 year ago

    I don't think the issue is a result of a mod not believing the place existed. I think someone (perhaps with their own feelings on the matter, which they confused with company policy) was just getting a bit slap happy with their moderation powers. Thankfully, they have been called to account and hopefully "retrained".

  • Zebula77 #95 1 year ago

    Soooo, no typical pun in the headline this time, EG?

    For shame!

  • BuddyChrist #96 1 year ago

    It's like Snoopy:
    NO GAYS ALOWWWED!!!!!!

    I've seen a lot worse comments from hyper squeakers who spout nothing but high pitched atrocities.

    Microsoft wants us all in on this:

    " I'm 24 and I'm Pc" (politically correct)

  • LiamK #97 1 year ago

    @Biker_Bob

    "Just make more family oriented videos with Kinect Microsoft! And while you are at it, realise that your country has the highest muder rate and pumps out the majority of the porn videos into the world. But using the word gay...brrrr....the horror!! "

    Er, I don't think Microsoft is responsible for the murder rate or amount of porn produced in the US.

  • djcool3005 #98 1 year ago

    @Area88 (last comment first page)

    Take your dick out of Microsoft's arse. Haha see what I did there?

  • Gromit #99 1 year ago

    Microsoft are actually trying to create an "environment" that is open to all, including children. If you allow people to put whatever they want in their gamertags, you will just have loads of filthy, tasteless names that aren't appropriate.

    I don't care what your sexuality is - there is a time and a place for talking about things like that & it's not on a video games service, especially where kids are looking on.

    Why the hell would you want to be called Fort Gay on Live any way? You will get torn to shreds. He was just trying to push the boundaries I suppose.



    Right, that's the first time I've defended Microsoft AND censorship. Please don't make me do it again....

  • kangarootoo #100 1 year ago

    @Gromit

    You didn't read the article did you.

  • darkmorgado #101 1 year ago

    Microsoft are actually trying to create an "environment" that is open to all, including children

    But they're not, are they? Otherwise they would also do something about all the racism and homophobia and swearing on voicechat. It's incredibly hypocritical of them to try and censor gay players out of existence under the pretense of "preventing offense" while simultaneously ignoring the vast amounts of offensive comments being made on LIVE every bloody second.

  • banjo21 #102 1 year ago

    U.S is just PC crazy.
    I think US want to
    a) rewrite all languages in to one - so there's only one. with no offensive words
    b) ban all religions and invent one that offends no one andthen make everyone follow it
    c) dye everyone the same colour so no one can be offended by references to any colour
    d) remove all sex organs for much the same reason.

    If only everyone in every way was identical the US would be so happy. Hang on isn't that what a certain Austrian wanted a while ago - not very PC after all?

    PC = the most hideous infection of the 21st century. (and te 20th for that matter).

  • darkmorgado #103 1 year ago

    Oh, and in response to this:

    I don't care what your sexuality is - there is a time and a place for talking about things like that & it's not on a video games service, especially where kids are looking on.

    Again, this is the thinking that led to the absolutely insideous Section 28 over here. Gay people exist, it's a fact of life. There's nothing dirty or seedy about it, so there's no reason to try and shield children from that knowledge. It's not like you have to give them details about rimming or something.

    And there are plenty of reasons why someone might want to "advertise" it. It's no different from "advertising" where you live. It helps you find like-minded people, so you might actually be able to play a match of COD online without being interrupted every 5 seconds by someone screaming homophobic abuse down the mic.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 17:06

  • darkmorgado #104 1 year ago

    @banjo21

    There's actually nothing PC about this at all. If you look into the reason they put the ban in place in the first place, it's actually rather discriminatory.

    Oh, and there's nothing intriniscally bad about political correctness - it's all about accepting diversity and trying to reduce the persecution of minorities. But like anything else, it has the potential to be abused and taken to extremes where it becomes negative. And to be honest, most of the time when people scream "political correctness gone mad!", they are actually just trying to make an excuse for their own bigotry.

    Last point not aimed at you, btw, just in general.

    EDIT: Haha, a neg for pointing out the facts. Evidence for this point: The Daily Mail ran a story a couple of years back saying that a county had cancelled Christmas because it offended people. The story was a COMPLETE fabrication. In reality, Hallmark had created a multi-religion card range at christmas time. Another bit of evidence: Homophobia is on the rise, particularly homophobic violence, but increased legislation to prevent homophobic discrimination is condemned as "political correctness gone mad" by... yep, the Daily Mail, who are notoriously homophobic (and actually supported Hitler, fact fans).

    I actually wouldn't be surprised if that fucking shitrag invented the phrase.
    Edited by 2 at 10/09/10 @ 00:20

  • Wheatley #105 1 year ago

    "We're going to make it right." = "I'm going to fire someone."

  • kangarootoo #106 1 year ago

    "I don't care what your sexuality is - there is a time and a place for talking about things like that & it's not on a video games service, especially where kids are looking on."

    People never say that for the kids' benefit. They say it to avoid dealing with subject that they themselves feel uncomfortable about. Information is never a bad thing, a well balanced kid cannot be corrupted simply by KNOWING THINGS. In fact, it is the absence of information and knowledge that often leads to fear, which in turn leads to bigotry.

  • Bigglesworth #107 1 year ago

    I was led to believe that fear leads to anger, and thence to suffering.

  • darkmorgado #108 1 year ago

    @kanga

    Well fucking said. I would like to add that preventing children from knowing about it increases homophobia as well, perpetuating the cycle by making it taboo. Quite often I think that the only thing children need protection from is their own parents.

  • darkmorgado #109 1 year ago

    @Bigglesworth

    I was led to believe that fear leads to anger, and thence to suffering.

    And then to the Dark Side.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 17:30

  • darkmorgado #110 1 year ago

    @noface

    He's pointing out the futility in trying to create an artificial, sanitised environment when children are more likely to get exposed to shocking content by watching the news or looking down the street than they are by being introduced to the concept of homosexuality.

  • airjoca #111 1 year ago

    I bet things like "SerialKiller" are allowed as gamertags, but nothing with the evil word "Gay" on it.

  • CaptainKid #112 1 year ago

    If having "that word" is forbidden to have on your profile, is the word "heterosexual" forbidden as well?

  • darkmorgado #113 1 year ago

    @CaptainKid,

    IIRC, no. The reason behind banning the word "Gay" was because MS said that being Gay was offensive to too many people, and inappropriate for children to see.

    The hypocrisy obviously escaped them.
    Edited by 1 at 09/09/10 @ 23:30

  • CaptainKid #114 1 year ago

    @darkmorgado
    I thought I read a while back they didn't want any sexual references on profiles because of the kids.
    And gay in particular because it is a swear word or something.

  • darkmorgado #115 1 year ago

    I thought I read a while back they didn't want any sexual references on profiles because of the kids.

    Actually yes, I think one of the MS execs was quoted as saying "if my 11 year old is playing Halo 3 I don't want him seeing someone with the word Gay in their profile because it isn't appropriate"

    Which led to a backlash on three fronts -

    1. An 11 year old shouldn't be playing a 15-rated game in the first place, and

    2. Deeming the word Gay "inappropriate" is discriminatory and creates a negative connotation

    3. It completely ignores the fact that MS are doing NOTHING to combat the endemic racism and homophobia on XBL while simultaneously blanket-banning gay people from being open about their sexuality because bigots find it offensive.

  • BeachGaara #116 1 year ago

    The mistake here is that MS has a policy of bannng anyone who uses the word gay anywhere on thier profile. For shame MS, for shame.

    It's pathetic, in the literal sense of the word. What's wrong with being gay?

  • plastickitty #117 1 year ago

    "In this very, very specific case, a mistake was made," he conceded, "and we're going to make it right."

    We've changed your town name to Fort Hetro

  • Fab4 #118 1 year ago

    "The mistake here is that MS has a policy of bannng anyone who uses the word gay anywhere on thier profile. For shame MS, for shame. "

    That's just it...they don't. They have in the past, but since March expressing your sexual orientation is allowed. That's not to say profile information such as 'I fuck dudes/bitches' ** would be allowed, but to describe yourself as a gay/lesbian/straight gamer would be perfectly legit.

    ** I actually saw this (using bitches) a few weeks ago.

  • darkmorgado #119 1 year ago

    @Fab4

    I think the point though is that people in a position of responsibility are still enforcing a policy that has been since rejected following complaints about how discriminatory it is. So either:

    a) The person in question is rejecting the change in policy because they don't agree with it, which shows a worrying tendency towards homophobia.

    b) The person in question has not been INFORMED of the change in policy, which shows that MS haven't been very good in communicating it to their workforce (possible apathy).

    Either way you look at it, it reflects fairly badly especially after MS said they were going to improve their practices towards the gay community after the last monumental cock up.

  • johnny_death #120 1 year ago

    "I'M NOT EVEN GAY!!!"

  • Gromit #121 1 year ago

    @ Darkmorgado & Kangarootoo -

    Thanks for the armchair psychology and claims that I didn't read the article, but I did, and If you would want your kids on the internet listening to adults talking about sex and drug abuse, then I hope you don't bring any kids into the world.