[MUD-Dev] Gay Characters in Videogames

[Jon A. Lambert]

"Michael Tresca" wrote:
> From: Matt Mihaly [mailto:the_logos at ironrealms.com]

>> Amusing (possibly) anecdote about gay roles in muds. Achaea's
>> administration is -very- intolerant of any sort of
>> gay-bashing. (Achaea is the only one of Iron Realms games that I
>> have direct in-game involvement with.) I've been known to punish
>> players for using the word 'gay' as a pejorative on public
>> channels even though the kids using the word that way probably
>> don't consciously realize how homophobic an insult that is at its
>> core level.

> This is a HUGE problem on just about every online communication,
> I'm afraid.  I've discovered the fastest way to separate the kids
> from the adults is how they use the word "gay."  They're usually
> shocked when people get offended.  When we catch it, we make it a
> point of discouraging that kind of term.  But it's a persistent
> issue.

Yeah it's obvious they didn't learn it from their parents as it's
not something I've heard from a parent.  Maybe they learned in
church.  Hmm.. No I haven't heard it there either.  I wonder where
they came up with it.  A few years back they coopted the term bad
and used it when they meant good.  It took me awhile to figure out
phat wasn't fat either.  Keep an eye out if you hear "lights are
on".  I just figured that one out.  It means they are up to no good.
Yeah I share your frustration trying to keep a firm iron adult grip
on the language, especially the terms we hold near and dear.

I learned in running a mud not to react to anything designed to
shock and offend.  On a previous game which I worked for the owner,
a nice middle age woman, had a list of words she didn't want
appearing on channels.  Well the kids wanted to see the list.  We
figured it was so they could snicker at it.  Actually they kept
coming up with new words not on list and the list became pretty
long.  Some we never heard of.  Well she found it's pretty hard to
run a clean family-type game, especially with a lot of kids playing
it.  That's pretty funny actually.

No I learned that trying to enforce codes against popular teenage
slang is going against the tide.  After all I'm not their parents.
Yeah I know it's really gay.. I mean it sucks.  That's just the way
it is.  ;-)

--
J. Lambert
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