The Consumerist is currently running a story about how a gamer was first harassed by other players and then booted off Xbox Live by Microsoft. Her crime? Admitting she was a lesbian in her gamer profile. According to the report she was harassed online by other gamers and when she complained to Microsoft was told that gamers found her sexual orientation offensive and her suspension stood.
Microsoft argues that the terms and conditions of use for Xbox Live forbid the creation of a gamertag or use of text in other profile fields "that include comments that look, sound like, stand for, hint at, abbreviate, or insinuate content of a potentially sexual nature."
Which is probably why gamer Richard Gaywood also found his gamertag suspended.
Is it just me that finds the Microsoft position somewhat bizarre? On the one hand it says that it takes harassment of any kind "very seriously" and strongly encourages members to report "inappropriate behaviour" so it can be investigated. Yet at the same time seems to be harassing the gay and lesbian community with its own actions.
Re: Microsoft takes the gay out of gaming on Xbox Live
Yeah, but is it fair that Richard Gaywood gets his gamertag suspended because his name is 'offensive' to the small minded? Is it fair that Microsoft support tells a woman that people find it 'offensive' that she is a lesbian?
Those, I think, are the issues here.
Microsoft seems to be having a think (http://blog.wired.com/games/2009/02/xbox-live-bans.html) about the whole issue, now admitting that it has an "inelegant" banning policy and is going to investigate the Xbox Live policy that caused the problem.
