Is the original poster serious? Man, that doesn't mean they don't want gay gamers. If they let you name yourself Qweer Cop, then they have to let everyone use names like that. Is this really what the gay community needs or wants? Then we'd hear people QQ because of it. It really isn't that hard to understand the actions they took. Would you think it was ok for an African American to name themselves N****r Jim? Because I sure don't think it'd be ok. It's derogatory no matter who says it. It ticks me off when I see this crap. Oh it's ok if I call myself (insert derogatory name) but if someone else does it's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Originally posted by green13

Originally posted by Wyldsong

Blizzard reversed their decision, which I think is a good thing, but it still did not make it to court, so there is no precedent set.  Besides, I have to say that using the word gay and creating a gay guild and naming a character Qweer Cop are two different things. 

I don't know any gays that consider the word gay offensive, but I do know many that don't like the word queer or any subsequent play on the word.  While I can see quite possibly a case being won in the Blizzard case, I can't see one being won for the right to name a character "Qweer Cop" on the grounds that some people would and do consider that offensive.

Any case that makes it to court dealing with the virtual worlds of MMOs will be an interesting one indeed, because as I have previously stated, it is a slippery slope indeed.  Can an arguement be made as a place of business, sure.  Can an arguement be made as private property, definitely.  Who is to say who is right?

As for your last point, I agree one hundred percent.  It is possible to enjoy the game without bringing sex, religion, and politics into it.

In the WOW case, a good argument was made for it being a place of business, and I think that if anything like this ever did make it to court, that the courts would agree. That would, however, open the question of how to deal with the international nature of the online world.

But I honestly think that mmos will do everything humanly possible to never let a case like this get to court. And the fact that chat channels and tells can be monitored and logged, puts them in an ideal position to do that.

I think the difference between that particular case and this one, is that the girl in question simply used the word "gay" in its literal sense in the context of recruiting for a gay / gay-friendly guild. In that context, Blizzard's actions were discriminatory - though I believe their explanation that it was a misinterpretation by staff who didn't have much experience with these things.

Qweer Cop is definitely in a different category, and I personally side with Cryptic in that I think their intentions were good, but I'm not sure I'd go so far as to bet against him winning a case. I've read of some downright bizarre decisions in this area, especially in the US. I think my favourite one was a woman who successfully sued her employer for sexual harassment because she overheard two other employees discussing a rumour about a fourth employee having been sexually harassed.

Here again, I agree on the WoW case, but I still have to say, even knowing that some bizarre cases have been won in the courts, this one with the naming issue wouldn't float.  The WoW case showed a knee jerk reaction to a sensitive issue, and was clearly discriminatory.

A case in the naming issue with Qweer Cop would lead to a web of entanglement with names (if the issue ever made it to a court mind you) that I am sure no judge would want to untangle.  Who is to decide if this name is being used by a proud member of the gay community or some punk kid thinking he is just being funny? If that goes through, then what is to stop names with other deragatory terms that others could just claim they are using because they are a proud member of such and such and are just trying to show it? And who is going to be the one to make those distinguishments between who honestly thinks they are doing right and by those who are being purely deragatory and racist/biased/etc?

A sexual harrasment case, be it valid or not is one thing, but something like this has too many factors for it to feasibly pass.

Besides, if parents can't get away with this:   http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479904,00.html ; then why would this it make it through? Names can be and are a sensitive issue.

So, we can agree on the idea that Cryptic had good intentions, but we have to disagree on this particular boat floating in court. 

I will say, thanks for the interesting convo though=) 

Originally posted by qotsa

Is the original poster serious? Man, that doesn't mean they don't want gay gamers. If they let you name yourself Qweer Cop, then they have to let everyone use names like that. Is this really what the gay community needs or wants? Then we'd hear people QQ because of it. It really isn't that hard to understand the actions they took. Would you think it was ok for an African American to name themselves N****r Jim? Because I sure don't think it'd be ok. It's derogatory no matter who says it. It ticks me off when I see this crap. Oh it's ok if I call myself (insert derogatory name) but if someone else does it's a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Preach it Brother!

Couldn't say it better if I tryed. 100% correct.

Originally posted by Giddian

Originally posted by Elikal

I usually take my word serious, and being in a MMORPG beta under NDA, I usually refrain from taking things to the open. But my personal code of ethics force me to bring something to the public, which I personally feel of enough importance.

 

It is a story whose topic may be know to you. Banning gay people from MMOs. The story is simple enough. I created a character called "Qweer Cop", looking like a Cop. Now my character was forcibly renamed, telling me it was harrasment against sexual orientation. You may mind the irony, that a gay gamer (me!) is "protected" from being harrased by calling himself gay. You may or may may not share my idea of freedom that I can call a character as I want, but pretending to protect ME, by banning my own self-descption is in every way the height of absurdity.

I thought after WOW and SWTOR, we have passe beyond this way of PC thinking. Apparently the lesson isnt learned... so here we go again.

 

I posted a post in the Beta Forum, *kindly* and *reasonably* asking that it was wrong to forbid my character to be named like that. The Tems of Service just mention usage of sexual orientation is only forbidden, when it is used in a derogatory way, which I as gay gamer myself, can't. I mean I AM GAY. I can call MYSELF as I want. Freedom of Speech in USA used to be an absolute, but apparently in 2009 it just means "Freedom of Speech to say what I agree to". There goes the land of the Free. I am ired about the fact they forbade "Qweer Cop" - I used a hero called "Qweer Avenger" in City of Heroes for YEARS, and not a single moment anyone cared.

Nor is the word "Queer" genuinely sexal, as if I had called the char "Assbang Anvenger". It is a matter of identity. And it was a simply fun char, either way. The matter is, when in a forum a reasonable debat isnt just locked, it is deleted, and all the effort from both side are nullified.

 

I understand most of you won't care. I know most of you won't care rat's ass about my pain about being made invisivle and being harrassed by a company. But even tho I know they will likely win and I won't, I must fight this fight. It is to acknowledge what I am - what we gay gamers are. We are once more forbidden even our very own name!

 

And tho it may not credit me as a serious or sober person by your definition - I spit my hate of despise against Cryptic. Hell's own fire is not as hot as my anger against you. Know that I am entirely honest and serious in saying this: from the depth of my heart I wish Cryptic curse and doom.

 

You should have changed your name to "Retarded Cop", because that seems to describe you too. Ethics? I don't think you understand the meaning of the word. I like Women does that mean I should be able to make a character named "P%#@* Banger"? NO, it is wrong. I get it, Your Gay, Your Proud, Who gives a F#@*. That doesn’t mean we need it thrown in our face.

I have to agree.  OP, you have some serious self identity issues if you feel you need to parade around an online game world proclaiming to the world that you are gay.  You sexual orientation has NOTHING to do with why your name got changed.  I've been playing online games for years and I don't remember any company letting people run around with avatars with any sort of sexual orientation theme.  If you did see one, it would not last long because people report the crap.  The companies don't care at all about your sexual orientation and bottom line is, they don't want it in their games.  Remember, their game their rules.  You are just another pog in the wheel.
 

Thread has run its course, locked.