BioWare rethinks policy on homosexuality

By Ellie Gibson Published 29 April, 2009

Forum rules change, man apologises.

BioWare has changed its mind about letting users of the Old Republic forum post terms referring to homosexuality.

Until yesterday, words such as "gay" and "lesbian" were banned on the forum. Community manager Sean Dahlberg posted that this was because "these are terms that do not exist in Star Wars".

The internet went bonkers, and BioWare has since decided to stop filtering the words. Dahlberg has issued an apology on the forum.

"My intention was not to demean anyone but simply to help promote a community that could discuss topics in a mature fashion," he wrote.

"When I first built the word filter list, I added a variety of terms to the word filter that have been used numerous times in derogatory messaging. There were some words added to the filter that should not have been."

Dahlberg went on to say there was "never any intent to limit discussion", but conceded, "I have overstepped my boundaries in my original statement and I sincerely apologise for doing so."

Fin.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 3 years ago

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

  • menage #1 3 years ago

    Who didn't see this one coming.

  • morriss #2 3 years ago

    Gay

  • DFawkes #3 3 years ago

    "My intention was not to demean anyone but simply to help promote a community that could discuss topics in a mature fashion,"

    Banning any words isn't mature. I'm glad he reconsidered.

  • CordableTuna #4 3 years ago

    Let's all remember that his original action had nothing to do with word filters. Mr Dahlberg closed a thread called "GLBT discrimination in forums?" by saying "As I have stated before, these are terms that do not exist in Star Wars. Thread closed."

    Now he's got his own Penny Arcade comic, so he's backpedalling furiously. Sorry Mr Dahlberg, decency won this one.

  • kangarootoo #5 3 years ago

    "Banning any words isn't mature. I'm glad he reconsidered."

    +1

    And that is all I have to say.

  • bad09 #6 3 years ago

    "Banning any words isn't mature. I'm glad he reconsidered. "

    + 2

  • Maykael #7 3 years ago

    Well that's a relief, i thought they lost their minds for a second there. I was already imagining a their next game : "Bigot's Gate: Throwing Rocks at anything that is not our Values" in which you'd have skills like Book Burning, Gay Crucifying, Abortion Ban, etc.

    LE: +3 :p
    Edited by 1 at 29/04/09 @ 09:32

  • Singularity #8 3 years ago

    BioWare rethinks policy on homosexuality, experiments.

  • ZuluHero #9 3 years ago

    I guess the balance lies in the use of the terms, either in a legitimate or derogatory sense. Unfortunately the latter seems more commonplace, no matter the maturity of posters.

    I don’t envy the choices of a community manager, they must feel that they are constantly between a rock and a hard place, and pleasing everybody all of the time just isn’t possible. Plus I have very little faith in MMO communities anyway. Especially those of your average teenage American variety.

  • GreyScale #10 3 years ago

    I can sort of see where he's coming from, gay slurs seem to form the basis of the average 14 year old American brat's abusive vocabulary, it would be nice to play online games and not have to put up with 'faggot...jew...queer' insults mumbled in a whiney American drawl.

    That said, pretending that it was because gays and lesbians don't exist in Star Wars was a bit crap. Plus people will always find ways round the swear filter so there aint much point.

  • the_inchworm #11 3 years ago

    Star Wars Morality:

    Gay & Lesbian = bad
    Incest = fine

    /confused

  • The_Inquisitor #12 3 years ago

    Well, he did say the 'terms' didn't exist. Perhaps they're called something else in the SW universe... anyone have any ideas what it may be?

  • Oh-Bollox #13 3 years ago

    Wookies?

  • schnide #14 3 years ago

    BioWare senses lost sales, rethinks policy on ..

  • bad09 #15 3 years ago

    "Well, he did say the 'terms' didn't exist. Perhaps they're called something else in the SW universe... anyone have any ideas what it may be?"

    Jedi? They are pretty gay in the prequels. Nothing beats a good blaster by your side....

  • darkmorgado #16 3 years ago

    Well, he did say the 'terms' didn't exist. Perhaps they're called something else in the SW universe... anyone have any ideas what it may be?

    Rough translation guide for Star Wars:

    Gay = Protocol Droid
    Midget = Astrodroid
    Jamaican = Jar Jar Binks
    Emo = Anakin Skywalker
    The Pope = Emperor Palpatine
    Talentless Hack = George Lucas

  • bad09 #17 3 years ago

    Jamaican = Jar Jar Binks

    Meesa Black? So meesa an annoying black poof? Meesa figuring that :(

  • ruttyboy #18 3 years ago

    "A awful lot of gay people like to tell others what to think and say, while in the same breath mock their religion and attack their beliefs. When they use words like hate filled bigots they need only look in the mirror to see one"

    May I please be the first to say, "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

    Thankyou.

  • Meho #19 3 years ago

    It's a thankful task being a community manager... Yet, having scripts doing your work for you seems like a lazy way out so... Hope this is a lesson learned in a broader sense..

  • coomber #20 3 years ago

    If Bioware had only banned the word 'gay' I could have understood what they did. It drives me mad that Americans equate the word 'gay' with 'crap', and they could have said they were trying to stop it being used as an insult. But seeing as 'lesbian' was banned too, seems to me this was just good ol' homophobia. Glad they saw sense.

  • smoothn00dle #21 3 years ago

    Someone is trying to turn Star War universe into Christian universe. Star War should have gay/Bi/Les characters that why I don't like the new Star War which full of paper heterosexual character that make this universe fake. Look around us, gay ppl are everywhere.

  • j-bo #22 3 years ago

    @NickJD - Not suscribing to your ideals and beliefs is not the same as mocking your religion. The reason why groups in society mock religion is probably beause said groups are coming under fire from religion, just from trying to get on with their lives. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone - how about religion stops bloody throwing stones already, mmk?

    @Grey - While i agree with you, banning the words just reinforces the negative use of them - i.e they're banned because they are a bad word. Surely the task is to challenge the people who use it in a perjorative fashion, not reinforce it? Also see coomber's point - since when has bisexual or lesbian been used as generic slang "omg that's so bisexual"?

  • login_name #23 3 years ago

    Someone is trying to turn Star War universe into Christian universe.

    Sure, because as we all know, only Christians are homophobic.

  • Azazel #24 3 years ago

    They're just really good at it.

  • Maykael #25 3 years ago

    @login_name Well... in Europe and North America christians are the homophobic ones because they are the dominating religion. What's funny is that in the problem of homosexuality religious people, even if moderates or fundamentalists (no matter which of the ones that ban it) will have the same say.. it's against nature. They will go to hell.

    Before you start shouting, I know there a gay christian people and moderates that have nothing to do with homophobia, but you must understand that the precious bible bans gay people, as well as sex before marriage, women rights and other stuff like this. These all are sins. Bad things I'd say. .. I hoped the Jedi would be more open minded:p.

  • GreyScale #26 3 years ago

    @Grey - While i agree with you, banning the words just reinforces the negative use of them - i.e they're banned because they are a bad word. Surely the task is to challenge the people who use it in a perjorative fashion, not reinforce it? Also see coomber's point - since when has bisexual or lesbian been used as generic slang "omg that's so bisexual"?

    A noble thought, but one that I fear is wasted on these people - to them saying 'fag' as an insult is not cutting because they are subverting openmindedness, but because it is offensive...in other words, I'm not sure they care that it's homophobic, even if they know it is. If I was a board admin I'd consider it somewhat of a waste of energy trying to convince some 14 year old American fuckwit that they are wrong - easier to just gag them for everyone else's sake.

    This is the Intarweb, there is a near unlimited supply of 14-year old American fuckwits...

  • login_name #27 3 years ago

    @Maykael

    So what you're saying is, in Western culture, all homophobes are Christian?

    Ok, glad we got that straight :/

  • hiddenranbir #28 3 years ago

    Lame.

    Can't these people respect any boundaries.

  • mega7ech #29 3 years ago

    Yeah lets ban gays from watching Star Wars at Bioware's offices! & I didnt read the article! \0/

  • Lemming81 #30 3 years ago

    @login_name: "So what you're saying is, in Western culture, all homophobes are Christian?

    Ok, glad we got that straight :/"


    I see what you did there! :)

  • AenarVTz #31 3 years ago

    @Grey

    So prejudice against a group of people based on sexual orientation is bad, but prejudice against a group of people based on where they live is OK? One seems just about as narrow minded as the other to me...

    'Man likes sex with other men' -> 'Must have good fashion sense, because I have met other men like this with good fashion sense'
    'Man lives in country with retarded leadership' -> 'Man must be retard, because I have met other men from his country that are retarded'

    Sure, America obviously has a lot of individuals that could not have been produced without the ingestion of lead paint chips and frequent blows to the head to have elected and re-elected leadership as it has had in recent history, but that does not mean they're all like that.

  • GreyScale #32 3 years ago

    Sure, America obviously has a lot of individuals that could not have been produced without the ingestion of lead paint chips and frequent blows to the head to have elected and re-elected leadership as it has had in recent history, but that does not mean they're all like that.

    Nope, ALL Americans are whiney 14 year old brats. Every single last man-jack of them. Without exception. Even Obama.

    Of course not, but if you have ever played XBL or Counterstrike etc then you'd notice a disproportionate amount of the idiots seem to be American...

  • kangarootoo #33 3 years ago

    "but that does not mean they're all like that."

    Like most aspects of life, the vast majority are NOT like that. Quiet polite people just don't out in a crowd or leave an impression on your memory the way angry obnoxious ones do.

  • Neddy471 #34 3 years ago

    I've found that rudeness and lack of courtesy is an international thing. On the interwebs, the US is the largest demographic. Consequently, people from the US tend to be the most frequently encountered idiots. Of course, people who are looking for a reason to bash America don't let this get in their way.

    And on the flip side: The banned list was overly long, but I'd love a chance to chat where I wasn't hearing "gay fag" every three words, or having it spammed by trolls. There's a reason why no nation has unabridged freedom of speech: People can't handle being civil.