MS explains "theGAYERgamer" name ban Comments by Robert Purchese

I don't have the slightest idea what that Ian "thing/guy" is...

@miiiguel

He's some nasty paedophile school janitor from the UK who killed (and probably raped) two young school girls.

NickD7- That my friend is a generalisation. Therefore is silly. Second why shouldn't he be able to put gay in his gamertag? Do all gamertags have to be relevant to what you do in game. If they were everyone would be called "camper" or "team-killer" or "wow that guys really good hes got a 30/5 kill death ratio".
That whole I'm a nigga thing. Thats made me laugh, thanks. where to start? The N word is an offensive racist insult. Its used to insult people. Gay is a descriptive term for someones lifestyle choice. Its like getting abuse for putting "imasurfer" as you gt. I admit not quite the same but its a more relative comparison than the one you made.
To eevryone who is saying that you don't want to be forced to explain the term gay to your children:
Fair enough, it is your choice. I would like to make a few points though. One is that danwhithead is right, perhaps you shouldnt let your children play the games where this bigotry flares up in the first place. Two- Yes gay can have sexual connotations but if you are not explaining them to your child are not suggesting to them that sex is bad and should be thought of as taboo and that gays are bad and should not be spoke of. Basically leaving the education of your child in terms of homosexuality to people who like to scream it down microphones. 3- Is it not better to explain these things to your child in a controlled environment in a reasonable way? Or to let them form opnions on "the gays" by listening to people on xbox live and other children in the playground.
Its obv your choice but thats just the way I see it.
Steams.....my.....clams....!

Any name not suitable for children suit not be on xbox live it's a family orientated service. Now how to police millions of people's choices is of course very hard. how it is possible to create gamertags with certain sexually orientated words in them and how it's impossible for microsoft to filter on this I don't know. Maybe they don't want to do that. Maybe parents don't want their children to play on xbox live. A lot of these statements probably raise more questions :P

nasty...

off-topic: I almost puked (literally, no bs) when I heard about Austrian dude on telly.

@Kryon

Speaking of pedophiles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7jVnrfoZ...

I've only ever reported one person, because his name was 'BurnAllMoslems'

OK, look, the word 'gay' may not be a direct sexual reference but come on,The most common use for the word is in regards to what a person likes sexually. It's nothing like saying I'm a surfer!

surfer - A person who likes to surf, on the net or perhaps in the sea on a board.

Gay - A man who likes having sex with other men.

I don't feel I should have to explain the latter after a go on the family console. I don't care if a person is gay, a tranny (like JedimasterMalik) or a midget into amputee porn, I don't need to know to enjoy a game with them. It's just not necessary imo.

there is someone on my friends friend list that has "do you hate wog music" on his profile... there has never been anything done about it and i have complained about him on all 3 of my accounts(japan/us/uk)... yes im a loser but their screening system needs some work..ive seen so much racism on profiles and in names.. but a name that doesnt really have any sexual innuendo in it at all gets banned....

i guess the boy on xbl who said "gays dont play no 360" was right.. YOU GET DELETED!

NickD7

well said m8. This is exactly how i feel. Why do Gay ppl feel the need to tell all and sundry about their sexual preference? When i played EVE there was this guy called BackdoorBandit - his sig was loud and colourful and said " Campaigning for your right to approach from the rear".

Yes slightly amusing, but it really pissed me off. Gay ppl suck in the other sense of the word. I dont tell everyone my sexual preference so why must gays broadcast it?

@CunningLinguist

I've got the DVD, bloody hilarious stuff :D

Kryon- I only made that comparison to show the stupidity of the "nigga" gay comparison. I did say it wasn't a great comparison. Anyway I really cant see how this ramming it down your throats. If someone was called the "undertaker" or the "sewage cleaner" or "the social care worker who has to deal with incontinent older people" would be annoyed you had to explain to your children these slightly uncomfortable topics. I dont like this idea you cant express yourself in just your screen name. Why cant you just say to your children that men loves other men you dont have to go into graphic detail about what they might do to each other.

well after hundreds of years of oppression the homosexual side should be proud to be what they are but yes, no one wants it shoved down their throat (how many times will that be read here in this comments section today?) - you're homosexual, marvellous. I'm straight, marvellous. Right let's play some games shall we? What does it matter what your sexual orientation is?

You've answered your last question with your first sentence. You can't acknowledge that homosexuals (or any other minority group) has been oppressed for hundreds of years and then say that the difference doesn't matter. Because to gay people (or black people, or whatever) the difference does matter, and it matters every single day. Society totally defines gay people by their sexual orientation, yet for them to use their sexual orientation as an open part of their public persona somehow makes them the problem. We've come a long way from the 1960s, when gay men were sent to prison for being who they were, but let's not pretend that the playing field is level.

It's a "can't see the wood for the trees" argument. Our culture is absolutely saturated with heterosexual imagery and, as part of the heterosexual majority, we just take that for granted as the norm. Pretty much every other advert on TV, in magazines, on bus shelters, uses heterosexual imagery to sell everything from ice cream to cars. Our culture is so hetero dominated that the outspoken homosexual voice looks like he's making a big deal out of nothing. Make a movie about a man and a woman falling in love and it gets a PG and huge box office. Make the exact same movie about two men falling in love and it gets slapped with an adult rating and shoved to the arthouse fringe.

Someone calling themselves gay in a public forum shouldn't be the cause of this much hand-wringing in 2008. If a parent is shocked, concerned or outraged at the possibility of their child stumbling across a Gamertag with the word "gay" in it, but doesn't feel equally aggrieved by the constant and far more explicit heterosexual imagery plastered everywhere else then they're being horribly hypocritical.

How many games feature sexualized depictions of women with enormous tits and tiny clothes? And yet the simple out-of-context use of the word "gay" is something no child should have to see? That's bullshit.

For the record, I told my son about homosexuality a month or so back. I can't even remember what prompted the question, but I just told him that sometimes men like other men and women like other women. He just nodded, shrugged and carried on with whatever he was doing. Hardly the end of the world. It's the parents who have the hang-ups, not the kids.

@Unclebenny

I honestly do get what you're saying but I'm just happy that MS disallow names with any kind of possible sexual undertones, it is meant to be a family friendly experience (although, most of the time it's not) but at least they're trying to keep the names clean...

You're all a bunch of slack jawed faggots round here.

what is more concerning really is how the word gay has been hijacked to be used to describe something that is rubbish, hence associating a particular sexuality with something crap.

in theory his gamertag could mean 'the rubbish gamer'

You're all a bunch of slack jawed faggots round here.

I heard that chewing tobacco makes you a goddam sexual Tyrannosaurus...

DanWhitehead- Top stuff.
Kryon- Fair enough maybe we just disagree with whats family friendly. I know from personal experience (not som,ething to get into here) tell someone something as a child and they will usually accept it then get on with life because thats more interesting to them (see Dan's comments). Tell them as an adult and they'll get scared, reactionary, angry or confused. Of course I dont have kids so I understand I'm not coming from an experienced background here
I totally agree with the removal of sexually explicit or offensive names. Why some people cant be more orignal in their gamer tags is beyond me. How may supasnipers and topkillas do I have to see?

The most pertinent assessment of this Xbox Live debacle, and it's not even related.

"One man kebabed, hundreds scarred forever by a shared blood ritual. And yet an astonishing sense of community here now, a positive atmosphere, a sense of a job well done, a shared sigh of relief. Very much like the bizarre euphoria at the end of an hour's vomiting."

HugeBlackPenIsHere

@Unclebenny
Yeah, DanWhitehead does make some very good (and eloquently put) points but he's a journo so I can't go up against him as I'd loose a written argument :'(

I don't like censorship in any form, everybody has a right to have any name they wish. The option should be for everybody else to have it turned on/off not ban/remove the 'bad' names.

This also means MS have to spend less cash 'reviewing' names and might actually be able to design a 360 that doesn't overheat.

AbyssUK

You're all a bunch of slack jawed faggots round here.

Strap this on your sore ass, BobsUncle.

Waldo, you gots an awful perdy mouth, thar boy!

"Gayer" isn't remotely close to being innuendo. I personally don't see the need to associate sexuality with an online gaming handle, but if someone else wants to then why shouldn't they? If they don't mind the negative attention they might garner from small-minded morons, then what's the problem?

Using the kids/parents argument is pathetic, if a child sees the word "gay" and asks what it means, they should be told. They'll either be told "Some people fall in love with people of the same gender as themselves, there's nothing wrong with it, blah blah" or they'll be told "some people are posessed by satan and our religion tells us that these people deserve to die and live in hell for all eternity", depending on where the parents stand on the matter. Either way it doesn't raise "difficult" questions in any way shape or form.

Saying that Xbox Live doesn't tolerate homophobia is completely false. The idiot user that recently sent me a voice message shouting "YOU'RE A FUCKNG FAGGOT!" at me certainly didn't have any sort of action taken against them. Water off a duck's back to me, but still totally unacceptable behaviour.

To those complaining about their children coming into contact with 'Gay gamer tags' online.

Why on earth are you letting your children play online in the first place? Surely you are exposing your child to all sorts of dangers such as possible exposure to paedophiles/obscene language - coming into contact with a slightly gay name should be the least of your worries!

Dan Whitehead has summed up most of my feelings on the subject far more eloquantly and reasonably than I would have. I'd just add to those who are saying "I don't want to have to explain to my children what "gay" means" - um, why not? What's so hard about telling them that while most boys want to have girlfriends and most girls want to have boyfriends, some boys want to have boyfriends and some girls want to have girlfriends? Nobody's saying you have to go into the exact medical details, for crying out loud.

As vercetti102 said- Perhaps he(or she) is just a 'Happier' Gamer?

Maybe his or her name is Gay?

The sexual undertone crap dosn't wash with me at all. It always seems to me that the word gay always has this sexual reaction that is completely unnecessary. If that person wishes to get hassle from the said folks that will mock him for such a name it is his/her choice.

It's been said before, but it can't be said enough IMO: the word gay refers to a sexual orientation, not (necessarily) to sexual acts. One can be gay without ever having sex with anyone of your own gender. (Not that I'd recommend that).

The arguments used by MS to ban that username sound like complete bullshit to me. They're just caving in to pressure from conservative Live users / parents.

Guy A has slogan "I do women!"
Guy B has slogan "I do men!"

Both are unacceptable. It doesn't matter how you try to spin it to fit in with your personal/political views on homosexuality, it's still a sexual reference. Is it the worst ever seen, or heard, on Live!? No, of course not, but that doesn't mean it gets a free pass.

No one should be treated differently due to their sexual orientation, but that goes both ways. What is the need to advertise your sexual orientation on a video game console? It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, it has no place on Live!.

You want to put yourself out there and display your sexual preference at every opportunity, whether for personal or political reasons? Then prepare for a backlash - homosexual or not. If you want to be treated like everyone else, act like everyone else.

I have homosexual friends, I shared a house with a homosexual colleague. Aside from the usual male banter in the pub, not once do they feel the need to advertise their personal life. They don't hide it, they just don't force it down everyone's throat. Just like I don't tell everyone I bump into that I like women. You can be openly gay without being a walking billboard.

PenIsland

:)

That's actually a website...

EDIT: Here it is - http://www.penisland.net

I think they should just let everyone have whatever name they want. If there's someone with a name like "AmericanInbred" then so be it - its their name. If they want to be frowned upon and have no friends then that's their problem, not everyone else's.

login_name; I think what we're getting into here is that some gay men are camp. This can be annoying and it can be easy to link gayness and campness. I'm not suggesting you are, but is it possible you are just assuming because gayergamer put gay into their status they are making a big deal out of it. Seems to me most people like to put something interesting about themselves or try and make themselves sound cool with their gt's. I've never encountered (knowingly) a gay gamer on live and if i saw that name it would I would notice it more than "redneckkilla25" but then its on with the game.
I agree with you if gayergamer was in the pre-game lobby shouting "I'm gay, I'm gay". that would be too much. Theres a distinction here we are missing between "ramming it down peopes throats" and just expressing yourself.

L42yB: That's actually a parody. And a very old one.

I'd just add to those who are saying "I don't want to have to explain to my children what "gay" means" - um, why not? What's so hard about telling them that while most boys want to have girlfriends and most girls want to have boyfriends, some boys want to have boyfriends and some girls want to have girlfriends? Nobody's saying you have to go into the exact medical details, for crying out loud.

The only problem is, young children have a tendency to ask "why" rather a lot. XBL is designed to be family friendly. Having to explain about 'sexuality' is something to do when you feel the child is old/mature enough to fully understand what is being explained.

I agree with login_name...

@madafunkola:"so he got a fair few retaliations. But how do we get these people banned? "

You go to "recent players" (he'll still be on there) and click "File a complaint", then I think it's abusive language. It'll take about ten seconds. Do it for the community!

The only problem is, young children have a tendency to ask "why" rather a lot. XBL is designed to be family friendly. Having to explain about 'sexuality' is something to do when you feel the child is old/mature enough to fully understand what is being explained.

And parents have a tendency to reply "because it just is" a lot. I still don't see what the big deal is.

"The idiot user that recently sent me a voice message shouting "YOU'RE A FUCKNG FAGGOT!" at me certainly didn't have any sort of action taken against them. Water off a duck's back to me, but still totally unacceptable behaviour."

You filed it right? I mean i'm pretty broadminded but I'm aware other users aren't so If I see GTs or mottos that are obviously designed to offend (last one I saw was a French idiot with "rape me!!! (woman)" as his motto) I'll report em. I normally despise censorship, but unless you're going to do something really stoopid and lame like Friend Codes we've gotta police GamerTags and mottos. I can't think of any way MS can make it easier.

I would just like to say that this has made a very interesting debate, and most of you are fairly mature about the matter.
I didn't think much about reading or writing posts on eurogamer untill now and I think I'll be doing just that more often in the future.
So fair play to you all and your brain-squelching!
I'm tending to lean towards 'theGAYERgamer' side on this one as he/she is, from what I've gathered, the victim here.
I dont feel like (for lack of a better term) its being "rammed down my throat" and it is ridiculus that the tag was banned where as the many other tags with racist slur and mottos are still out there in force.
The name doesn't suggest a sexual act but orientation and since when is it wrong to state what you are or are not?
Certain people (benefiting from a religious lobotomy) would be offended if a tag stated a certain orientation of creed, but would it be right to ban it? not much else I can say that Dan hasn't siad for me already, good man Dan!
Edit:I was quite cranky about this untill I saw someone out of my balcony try to drive off with a wheel clamp on his car, gave me an evil look when I laughed a bit too loudly.

Firstly, thanks for fixing the typo in the article title :)

Secondly, to those who are complaining about 'Gays' shouting out about their homosexuality, you do realise that for every one who makes it clear there's probably ten who just keeps it quiet? They could be your colleague, your friend, your brother even your dad!

"RUN! THE GAYS ARE COMING!"

"And parents have a tendency to reply "because it just is" a lot. I still don't see what the big deal is."

Children aren't stupid, they know they are being fobbed off when given that response, look, it's not a massively huge deal but all I'm saying is, I prefer these things to be moderated to some extent.

@Garulon: Yes, I did report the user, and review him and all that malarkey, but nothing really comes of it. He retaliated by submitting negative player feedback of me, claiming poor sportsmanship, but I've no idea why. Perhaps his connection dropped and I shot him when he couldn't move or something stupid like that. Anyway, c'est la vie.

If Xbox Live was moderated more vigilantly, I would feel much happier about paying a yearly fee for a peer-hosted gaming service. There should be a zero tolerance system in place for racist/homophobic/etc abuse. If someone is proven to have behaved inappropriately, a warning and a one month ban should come into place effective immediately. If the user then does it again, a permanent ban should come into place, with no refund for their membership fee.

Microsoft need to make it very clear that abusive behaviour is not tolerated, and should be punishing the people that are in the wrong, not people with harmless gamertags.

Forget people expressing their sexuality, its these assholes that need to be removed from XBL, and society in general....http://www.1ssclan.com/index.htm

I've already successfully had one of them deleted (SS Steiner) when he spouted his nazi claptrap on the xbox forums.

Is this what we have become?

Gay means happy and happy means gay!

And there we go once again with the "the children! Won't somebody think about the children!" argumentation.

I think it's only good that children learn at a young age about diversity. You don't have to give them any gory details, just tell them that sometimes two men or two women like each other so much that they want to share their life together, just like Mum and Dad. Whatever could be wrong with that.

Besides, the video that xxxgayboyxxx (I think) made about what happened when he wanted to play online with that tag was about Halo. If you think your child is old enough to play Halo online, they should be old enough to learn about different sexual orientations.

I chose not to watch that video, btw. I find it very hard to deal with that sort of hatred and ignorance. Strangely that can apparently just go on on XBox live. I haven't heard any parents complain about the hatred on XBox Live either. Apparently that is not as bad as somebody saying something about their identity.

People have too much free time on their hands.

If I understand how child's accounts work on Live, if someone with a childs account was playing Halo 3/COD 4, they would see all the gamertags of the people playing against them, right? So it does make sense that people shouldn't be allowed obscene names there.

On the other hand, can people with child accounts hear lobby talk and the like? Wouldn't it make sense that kids can only hear talk from people on their Friend's lists?

You seriously complained about "IAN HUNTLEY8" gamertag? so if someone with your name which resembles your gamertag commits a crime you will change your gamertag? did you complain about the presumably 7 other people with that gamertag, why not get the probably hundreds of people with that name worldwide to change their name.

WARNING: MADE UP STATISTICS FOLLOWING

Okay, how many people use their actual name as their gamertag? About 1%. How many people worldwide are on XBox Live? About 0.0000001%. So if you meet someone online using the name "Ian Huntley", are you going to assume that he's the 0.000000000000000001% of Ian Huntley's out there who might be using XBox Live AND he's using his real name (along with, apparently 7 other Ian Huntley's). Or do you think he's someone using a well known name for humorous/winding up purposes?

XBL - the place where you can call everyone gay but yourself.

Seems to me most people like to put something interesting about themselves or try and make themselves sound cool with their gt's.

Is your sexual orientation an interesting aspect of you that you would like to show the world in a gamertag? Why is being gay interesting to a gay person? Why is it cool to tell everyone your sexual preference? It should be an every day, boring aspect of his life.

I'm not suggesting you are, but is it possible you are just assuming because gayergamer put gay into their status they are making a big deal out of it.

I assume nothing about the person involved. I see an inappropriate gamertag and stated my reasoning. Prehaps you, and everyone else who thinks he's being unfairly treated, assume that he is not trying to make a big deal out of it. Does anyone here actually know who this person is and why they picked the name or are you just using it as a platform to voice your own political viewpoints on the subject?

At the end of the day, it doesn't matter why they picked it or if it's homosexual or heterosexual in content. It is a sexual reference and has no place on Live!