The Escapist - Rant on Sexism in Geek/Gamer Culture

The Escapist : The Big Picture : Not Okay

So this guy has just gotten major points in my book.

But seriously? Sexual harassment is an essential part of fighting game culture?  What the hell?

As a girl in gamer society, especially while I was in college, I definitely had to deal with some crap.   Nothing on the level of what that poor girl in the Street Fighter x Tekken tournament had to put up with (by the way here's a link to an article with some quotes), but enough that it was a challenge sometimes.  For a while early on I decided it was actually easiest to do everything I could to not be effeminate and just be one of the guys.  On one hand, yeah, being thought of as a "gamer" as opposed to a "gamer girl" is a good thing.  On the other hand, I shouldn't have to give up ways I like acting that are considered effeminate to do so.  And honestly?  I really haven't had it that bad all things considered.

I'm also a big fan of the point he makes towards the end, about how what makes him angrier then the fact that geek/gamer culture frequently displays a lot of sexism and other casual bigotry is the fact that as a hole, people would rather IGNORE it then actually admit that it exists and address it.  Most geeks I know are not incredibly sexist, racist, or otherwise bigoted.  Yeah, they tend to tell a lot of off color jokes, but mostly among friends who KNOW that they're screwing around.  But mostly, they're good folk.  There is that minority though, and yeah, it seems to be something that a lot of people don't like to talk about.  Fun thing though, the problems you get really touchy about when people bring them up, or vehemently deny, are generally the ones that really need to be dealt with.  And when people who get up in arms against geeks and geek culture can point to these assholes and say "look, here's what we're talking about!" and see the rest of us not openly objecting?  Well then we obviously agree with them right?  Idiots and assholes will be idiots and assholes, you can't really sweep them under the rug because they just pop right back up saying stuff like this coach.  And even if they could be swept under the rug, they shouldn't be because not calling people out on this shit and making a big deal out of it sends the message, both to them and to people watching, that this is okay.

Well as Moviebob so eloquently puts it, "IT'S NOT OKAY!"