ATTN: Religious Gays - Show Your Pride on Xbox LIVE

[Vector]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6252982.html

Microsoft is revoking its own version of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy when it comes to Xbox Live. The Xbox 360 maker today updated the terms of use and code of conduct agreement for its online service to allow users to include mention of their sexual orientation, religion, nationality, and race in their gamertags and user profiles.

Previously, such information was not allowed on Xbox Live as a way to head off potential conflicts, insults, and slurs. In announcing the policy change, a Microsoft representative said that the company realized the old standard "inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox Live community."

While the rules have been relaxed, Microsoft has said the remaining restrictions will be more stringently enforced. According to the company's new terms of use, gamers may use the words "lesbian," "gay," "bi," "transgender," or "straight" to describe sexual orientation on their profiles, but only those words.

As for other restrictions, Microsoft does not allow content "that other users may be offended by," whether due to profanity, hate speech, or references to illegal drugs. Furthermore, Xbox Live users aren't allowed to create "a gamertag, profile content, or in-game content that references controversial religious topics, notorious people, organizations, or sensitive current or historical events that may also be considered inappropriate."

Gamers interested in flexing their new liberties can change their existing Xbox Live gamertags for the standard fee of 800 Microsoft points ($10) under the Edit Profile menu of the My Xbox section of the system's dashboard.


What are your thoughts? I'm very interested to hear from some in 'affected' communities.

[Bianca]

I never hid the fact I'm gay from my Live profile. Many of my fellow gay friends never did, either. So, I can't say much about being able to "flex" my "new liberties" (pffffft), but I do feel this is a very nice (and needed) change. I'm glad Microsoft came to their senses. Shows growth on their part, even if their initial policy was inexcusable and very absurd.

[jagger916]

It's a great idea. Might not work out too well in a community where the word fag is used more than the letter A.

[Stu]

I'm sure there's nothing that Live's homophobes can say that the gay community hasn't heard before, so it makes sense that Microsoft should come more in line with the real world.

[Vector]

I was more curious as to what would happen to the people who chose to put their sexual orientation, religion, etc. in their gamer tag. I just can't imagine the amount of hate and bigotry that a person with a tag like "GAYmerBoi238" would be exposed to. As sad as it sounds, I guess they'd kinda have to expect what was coming, right?

[Kei_M]

People need to grow up with the bashing, it's really not funny and it's just kinda sad. When and if I get a 360, I'll make sure to post my orientation with pride <3

[Stu]

I just can't imagine the amount of hate and bigotry that a person with a tag like "GAYmerBoi238" would be exposed to.

Wonder no more. If you're easily offended, don't click the link, it's utterly fucking disgusting.

[kevstah2004]

I don't care to know people's sexual orientation or religion get back to the gaming

[Karui]

Wonder no more. If you're easily offended, don't click the link, it's utterly fucking disgusting.

That is disgusting. I don't fully comprehend why anyone would be homophobic, but I understand if someone chooses to be homosexual. I personally have nothing against it, but whenever people start being homophobic is when you lose my understanding. Personally though, I am heterosexual, but I have nothing against people who choose to be homo, whether you're female or male. It would be like someone choosing to attack you, because you choose a music genre over another.

[Vector]

I don't care to know people's sexual orientation or religion get back to the gaming

I also don't care to know that people like to smoke pot all day, but I still see gamertags like xXCannabisXx or JoEyPOTSmoKeR420. Now, people of certain orientations and faiths can show the same type of 'pride' in their gamertags, too.

[jagger916]

That is disgusting. I don't fully comprehend why anyone would be homophobic, but I understand if someone chooses to be homosexual. I personally have nothing against it, but whenever people start being homophobic is when you lose my understanding. Personally though, I am heterosexual, but I have nothing against people who choose to be homo, whether you're female or male. It would be like someone choosing to attack you, because you choose a music genre over another.

Who says anyone chooses anything?

[Bianca]

That is disgusting. I don't fully comprehend why anyone would be homophobic, but I understand if someone chooses to be homosexual. I personally have nothing against it, but whenever people start being homophobic is when you lose my understanding. Personally though, I am heterosexual, but I have nothing against people who choose to be homo, whether you're female or male. It would be like someone choosing to attack you, because you choose a music genre over another.

Wow, uh, I really don't want to derail this topic, and I really wanted to ignore this, because getting into this debate for the billionth time in my life seems largely ridiculous, but... being gay is not a choice. People can argue about this until the cows come home, but I can say with all certainty that I did not "choose" to be gay. Just as you did not "choose" to be straight.

Not trying to attack you, because given the polite context of your post, I doubt you're trying to troll with a comment like that... however, it's really hard to bite my tongue every time I hear the words "choice" and "gay" in the same sentence.

[Karui]

I meant no offense by that! I kind of just slipped and said that. My psychology professor told us that studies had shown that people who are homosexual are actually differently built in the brain, not that I am saying it's a disease or a disorder, but I really just wasn't paying attention to the way I worded that. Sometimes I forget how sensitive people are to subjects such as this. I apologize.

[Stu]

I love watching people try to defend themselves in the face of looking like a homophobe, always fun!

[doomed]

I don't care to know people's sexual orientation or religion get back to the gaming

This. I don't care at all to check if I'm playing with gays or not.