Jerry Milionis Gay Video Games

A gay love scene from the game “Dragon Age 2” has caused much controversy over gay stereotypes.

                  When I have played video games in the past and still in the present, I have never stopped for a moment to consider the sexual orientation of the players and characters that are interacting in the virtual world. What if the character I am controlling was gay or lesbian, bisexual or transgender? Would it change the gaming experience? I am not so sure. Very few games have actually attempted to address the issue of sexual orientation, but most argue that a character will connect with the gamer better if it is more realistic. Therefor games such as “Fable” and “The Sims” have added options where one can choose the sexual orientation of the character as whom they are playing.

                  Still there has been some backlash to this idea. Often times, openly gay gamers have been harshly criticized and cruelly harassed by the majority of homophobic gamers in society. Popular game titles such as “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” used online advertisement adds with the acronym F.A.G.S. (Fight Against Grenade Spam), to try and influence their frequent gamers to change their in-game tactics. After seeing a lesbian love scene in the game “Mass Effect,” one newspaper columnist called the simple yet passionate display a “virtual orgasmic rape.” And in “Dragon Age 2,” some members of the gay gaming community have taken offense to the stereotype that all gay men are obsessed with sex, as the game forces homosexual encounters that if avoided, can be detrimental to the player’s success.

                  Personally, I have been a first-hand witness of the disrespect the gay community receives in the gaming world. In general, I find that often times, gamers use far too much vulgar language to describe something that is of little impact on their lives. By doing well in a game or killing another character does that condone “raping” them as many of my gaming friends often say? If you ask any rape victim, the answer would be no. Video games are too universally popular and so influential on the minds of the gamers that we can ill afford such blatant disregard for human dignity. The change is prevalent and more is coming; hopefully the questions concerning a character’s sexuality will be disregarded as gamers remember that everyone has the right to play the game.

Works Cited

"Gay Gamers: Fire Dragon Age 2 Writer." Advocate.com. Ed. Advocate.com. 31 Mar. 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/03/31/Gay_Gamers_Fire_Dragon_Age_2_Writer/>.

Good, Owen. "Infinity Ward Removes Modern Warfare 2 "F.A.G.S." Video." Kotaku, the Gamer’s Guide. 1 Nov. 2009. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://kotaku.com/5394595/infinity-ward-removes-modern-warfare-2-fags-video>.

Matos, Xav De. "Gay Video Game Characters Coming Out of the Closet - Asylum.com." Asylum | Men's Lifestyle | Humour, Weird News, Sex Tips, Fashion, Dating, Food and Gadgets. Web. 20 Dec. 2011. <http://www.asylum.com/2009/12/07/gay-video-game-characters-coming-out-of-the-closet/>.