It would be fantastic if labels didn’t exist, but they’re kind of necessary.
It would be easier if we could all just say ‘I like eating pizza’, except we have to label pizza by their toppings, because some people don’t like pineapple on pizza and think it shouldn’t exist. Therefore, the people that do like pineapple on pizza have to defend themselves, and thus pizza is labelled by topping.
Now, if you start a business and open a shop, and you choose not to sell pizza with pineapple, it is erasure of proportion of people who like pineapple pizza, and could be construed as agreeing that it shouldn’t be a thing. It’s also just easier to sell pizza with pineapple, because then you’re representing everyone, and there’s no reason why it’s to the detriment of anyone else.
That’s why it’s important that there’s LGBT representation in video games. Doesn’t have to be the main focus, but it’s not obnoxious simply to weave LGBT characters into parts of the fabric of the game.
Overwatch doesn’t force anything on anyone whatsoever - you have to look beyond the actual game itself to even see anything remotely LGBT. It’s only really explored in the comics.
Well it hasn’t done the community any favours. Now when a new hero is introduced that is straight there’s an uproar about it by the same crowd of people.
I’ve gotta be honest, I’ve seen no such uproar. I know a metric ton of people who have stopped playing the game simply because they’re bored of it or have moved on to something else, but I honestly can’t say I’ve seen a single person stop playing it because LGBT characters exist.
Overwatch has done phenomenally well since its release and has had LGBT characters from the start, so I don’t really see how it has fractured communities or hurt the game.
It is, though - not acknowledging the existence of something that exists is erasure. I’m not saying that’s what Blizzard is doing, the conversation at this point is more of a hypothetical discussion about representation in games in general.
if I had to label my RL orientation I’d be Pansexual and fall into the LGBT+ group
I don’t see the need to go place one of our now vast and many group members in every node in life games/television/books because at the end of the day 99% already know we exist in RL.
I feel its being pushed too much front and centre these days through media and I think it’s not really needed.
What do you mean ‘reminded’? When you see a straight character you aren’t being ‘reminded’ of anything, they just exist there because they’re representative of a fact of life. The same applies to LGBT people.
By reminded i mean every time i see topic about LGBT not happy about smth… Because straight ppl dont run around and scream that they are straight, yet LGBT people do…
It’s important because LGBT characters are often depicted in a negative light in video games (and other forms of media) historically, and that cultivates negative perceptions of LGBT people.
From his pineapple pizza example, if you’re not offering pineapple in your pizza shop it’s because you’re wanting to exclude someone and not perhaps because it doesn’t sell well or any other business related reason. No, you want to exclude.
They have been conditioned by the media to scream and cry.
Yes, you’re exactly right - some developers don’t include LGBT representation because they fear it will hurt sales. Exactly right. How is that less of a problem exactly?
Come on, that’s not fair. There’s plenty of LGBT people who don’t do that.
But on the flipside, I can remember plenty of instances where if a straight guy was called gay he’d get mad or insulted as if its some shameful thing.
At the end of the day we’re all just human beings with different ideas/opinions/ethics/morals/codes. It’s good we live in a world where subjects as LGBT and such can be talked about in the open, for the most part. But some people do take it too far.
Like with someone who ‘identifies as a lamp’. Yeah, fine go ahead. But don’t expect me to call you a lamp, because biologically speaking that’s ridiculous.
Everyone has lines they don’t want to cross: For me most sexual orientations are completely fine.
But for some individuals out there it’s not really about the sexual orientation anymore; it’s about the attention they can receive by crying out in an over-the-top manner. That kind of attention grabbing, both positive as well as negative isn’t something I like or approve of (and to be clear; in today’s world that kind of thing isn’t limited to LGBT people, but to many different groups/creeds/races).
