Gay gamer sites respond the Xbox Live bannings

Following Microsoft clamping down on the word "gay" in GamerTags, a couple of gay gaming sites have offered a mixed response to the issue.

"I’ve taken a few deep breathes, run this story over in my mind again and again and yet still return to the same annoying factor," said LesbianGamers. "Why does ‘gay’ automatically equate to sex or 'of a sexual nature' and carry with it such negative and deviant overtones?

"I can understand Microsoft are trying to protect users, but perhaps there needs to be some tabled debate as to what they’re protecting whom from and what they’re perpetuating in the process. Linking ‘gay’ to some negative or sexually explicit content merely fans the fires of homophobia."

GayGamer's take was a little more sedate.

"I'm somewhat on the fence with the issue, having played many MMORPGs and seeing the many annoying and disturbing names that can come from idle minds on the internets, and it seems as if Microsoft is putting up the normal "we can't make exceptions" defense," said a writer on the site.

"All of this, however, is greatly outweighed by the fact that it is his given name, and despite the connotations it may carry with it, he lives with that name every day."

Thanks, GamesPolitics.