James of Thinking
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What’s wrong with homosexuality in gaming?
Something pretty divisive cropped up on the internet this bank holiday weekend; the massive games company Electronic Arts is being targeted by a hate campaign. Why, I hear you cry? On one recent release, ‘Star Wars: The Old Republic’, you may opt to include a gay romance within the plot of the game and it seems like this hasn’t gone down too well with some people.
As the anti-gay community whip out their pens and start scribbling, stamping and sending their letters to the company – those sane people in society who can accept gay relationships have decided to make a stand and put together a petition in support of EA Games, telling the gaming giants to ‘keep fighting the darkside’.
With gay rights and same-sex marriages in the UK being a hot topic at the moment, this comes around at a time of very heated and opinionated debate. All things considered; yes, kids play games but the game is rated 12+, kids also watch Eastenders with their mum and listen to Lady Gaga. Kids can get 50p, go buy The Sun and flick to page 3… I’m going to deem that much more ‘damaging’ than a gay romance plot.
People who claim to be ‘protecting’ children from this type of thing fail to face up to the reality that homosexuality is just another form of sexuality. To me, these parents are using their children to force gay culture out of society all together. Children are already protected from anything unsuitable by the 12+ rating on the game itself, Eastenders being aired at an appropriate time & Lady Gaga having parental warnings on her music where required.
The reality of this ridiculous boycott towards EA games is that homosexuality is in society, it’s accepted and people support it. As Charlie Brooker pointed out on Twitter; “EA targeted for including gay romance in a videogame? What is this, the 1930s? No. We didn’t have games back then”, followed by a suggestion that “In the next Modern Warfare, they should have a special ‘gay’ gun that’s better than all the others, thus forcing online players to use it.”
Personally, I couldn’t give two hoots about a gay romance being involved in the game I’m playing, the TV show I’m watching or the music I’m listening to. In my eyes, it’s just exactly the same as a heterosexual romance. It’s a big step forward that a huge brand in the ever growing and impressionable gaming industry are beginning taking homosexuality seriously.
If you agree that EA should continue to ‘fight the darkside’ sign the online petition.
Published by SQ on 10th April 2012
Who I am...
Founder of System of Thinking.
Columnist for SQ Magazine. Blogger for for The Huffington Post UK.
Studying Sociology at Liverpool John Moores University.
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