Slashdot Mirror


Gamer Claims Identifying As a Lesbian Led To Xbox Live Ban

Goatbert writes "I just read on the Consumerist about an XBOX Live user being banned for identifying herself as a lesbian. Despite appeals, Microsoft has stood by its position that merely mentioning that you are gay or lesbian is grounds for terminating your XBOX Live membership."

10 of 1,182 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Get a PC by tcc3 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Yes you too can play a small fraction of available games. There's also the "constant hardware upgrade" metagame. wooo!

    Each game platform has its place, they are not substitutes for each other.

  2. Re:What's the purpose... by Racemaniac · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    it shouldn't, but it will. there will always be intolerant idiots, and what do you hope to prove by trying to get into a fight with them?

    even if 99% of the people don't have a problem with it, 1 in 100 is still a lot of people online you're picking a fight with. why not just shut up about it, and not provoke those people?

    and who is at fault? the ones causing all the trouble over it? or the one shoving it in their face while they'd rather just not know? imo both are just as wrong

  3. Re:What's the purpose... by Racemaniac · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    since i seriously doubt there are people who are severly against straight people, so you're not picking fights with anybody. so why should i doubt you'd get into trouble for that

    it's not MS who decides that straight isn't a problem, while gay is. it's society. i just think this is a simple case where both sides are wrong. both the ones getting into a fight with her because she's lesbian, and the lesbian for obviously provoking those people.

  4. Re:What's the purpose... by Racemaniac · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    yeah, repression and seeking confrontation will really show them how wrong they are.

    you know they're wrong, good for you, they don't, and never will. how about not feeding the trolls and just keeping it fun online?

    and somewhere hope that time and/or education will slowly convince them?

  5. Re:Draw the line by DesScorp · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    "Just like if I don't like their policy of "No blacks allowed," I can simply find some other network to play my Xbox 360 on."

    And? Don't buy an Xbox in that case. Reward some other company with your money. Punish Xbox by telling other people "I think what they did sucks" (and that's essentially what Teresa did. My problem isn't that she complained, its that she seems to have a sense of entitlement about what Micrsoft can do with their network).

    This is Xbox live, not a public school or courthouse, where vital public services are being conducted and paid for with tax dollars. This is a completely private entity that sunk money into the business, has a profit philosophy, and is trying to make money with that philosophy. If you don't like that philosophy, then by all means, go to someone else.

    If neo-nazis want to start White Power Live, let them. If black supremacists want to start The Malcom X Network, let them do it. If Muslim radicals want to start Allah Will Punish You! Online,then let them do it.

    And if you don't like what they're doing, don't send them money or use their network. Simple as that.

    --
    Life is hard, and the world is cruel
  6. Re:What's the purpose... by Racemaniac · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    putting it in your profile for all to see just might be...

    i doubt in a gaming setting like xbox live the discussion rarely gets to your sexual orientation.

  7. Re:Fair is fair by Racemaniac · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    i understand your point, and frankly, i don't use xbox live, so i don't know how visible/important the profile is.
    but imo
    1) if you put it in your profile, it's there 24/7 for all to see/know. while casually/accidentally mentioning it in a conversation won't happen that often. certainly not in a gaming context i think, since when chatting i'd usually be discussing game things, not personal things (unless it's with people you know, and the they probably know you, so it isn't a problem either)
    2) the weeding out part is true. but how about you only mention it to potential friends? not also the 99.9% of people who you wouldn't get to know better anyway, and by that multiplying the troubles you get by it by 1000?
    3) there are plenty of things that can cause trouble with people. i don't believe in any god (or religion or whatever). that doesn't mean i put in every of my profiles that i don't like religions. that doesn't mean i'll look for fights with convinced religious people. and if i were to put it in a profile, and some admin would ask me to remove it since it's causing problems with lots of religious people, i would remove it.
    it may be true, it shouldn't be offensive, but there's a time and place for stuff like that

  8. Re:What's the purpose... by Chris+Burke · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Er, no. I seriously don't give the slightest damn about anyone's sexual orientation unless they are female and I'm in the process of offering them a drink.

    And does "not giving a damn" mean you really don't care if they say anything about it or not, in which case congrats and what I said has nothing to do with you?

    If not, does "not giving a damn" mean you don't want to hear about it, as in you do care about not knowing?

    If so, are you equally offended by the OPs admission of heterosexuality? Or for that matter what I assume is your own such admission right here? Would you tell someone who said exactly what you yourself just said "Dude stop talking about being straight"?

    If not, thanks for proving my point!

    Face the facts: "I don't want to hear about your sexual orientation" is something you only hear when the sexual orientation in question is not-straight. Straight people casually mention their sexual orientation all the time and nobody says anything like this (and no, complaining about vulgar/explicit descriptions doesn't count). It's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" for normal society, where it's only an issue if you say that you're gay. Don't tell me that these people don't care about sexuality, they obviously do, and they want to go on being able to believe that someone is straight.

    --

    The enemies of Democracy are
  9. Re:Mod parent up by LingNoi · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    How is it shoving in your face? I could understand if her username was GayGirl or something but putting "BTW i'm gay" in her PROFILE, the place you put information on YOURSELF isn't anywhere near a big deal as your making out.

    Also your "being gay = pedophilia" speech pretty much ruined any point you were making you bigoted Christian dickwad. Are you also a member of the KKK?

  10. Re:What's the purpose... by Feanturi · · Score: 0, Flamebait
    Fact: You're full of shit.

    I don't actually need to know about anyone's sexual orientation. It's simply true that those of us without an agenda to push don't walk around yammering about our proclivities as if it means a good goddamn to ANYONE but ourselves.

    It's kind of like they do this: "Hey everyone! Look at me, I'm gay! I'm different from you! What are you gonna do about it? Huh? Here I am in your face with it! What, are you some kind of homophobe? Why can't I be here getting in your face with it? Huh? Look at me! Everyone pay attention to me! How dare you appear uncomfortable with me forcing my way into your face! Hey, pay attention to me dammit!" We really just don't fucking NEED to know who you prefer to fuck, and that's all there is to it. Maybe they'd be less upset all the time with how different people "make" them feel, if they just got on with life and let the rest of us live ours too?