Kickstarter: Gaymercon obliterates funding target

@97 gonna assume that wasn’t aimed at me since I never mentioned banging anyone :p

@100 That’s only be a problem to me if it said gay people not allowed. This event welcomes anyone.. so long as they aren’t going with the intent to bash gays.

Where does dating come into it? I admit I skim read the site but didn’t see anything about it being a place to hook up, or have some folks just made that assumption because that’s all that gay people care about (clearly) :/

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Also is it that hard to understand why this event is being organised? Perhaps people should try to stretch their imagination a little and imagine what it’s like to have sneers and jeers aimed your direction simply because the gender of the person’s hand you are holding is the same as yours.

The reason these events are held isn’t to say.. omg we’re gay and special look at us! They are held because we rarely get a fucking minute to just breathe and be ourselves without ridicule, ignorance and hostility.

Note that being ourselves doesn’t mean banging each other like rabid dogs, it means not being scared to cuddle our other half, or act camp, or butch, or to just be ourselves. It’s something that straight people take for granted, and that in itself is the biggest reason that they don’t understand why “zomg gay fest” events occur.

@101, I think I’m just going to have accept my view of things is based on a London view point. I’m not saying the dickish things don’t happen, it’s just that I see all sorts of couples going about their business just fine. I can honestly say I’ve never seen any trouble when I’ve been out with gay mates and I don’t think that’s because they had a big burly hetro guy (that’s me ) scaring off the homophobes! :p

@102 Trust me it’s VERY different in some places. Worse one I had in Bradford was a guy come up to me and my GF in the pool room (at uni bar) and act really aggressive, thrusting hips at us asking whats wrong with this, you need some of this in you, you ain’t right, etc.

Why? Because I pecked her on the lips in public, shocking I know.

So far I haven’t had much aggro at gaming events, I go to the big multiplay events in the UK and so far so good, no problems, really nice people.

But the internet is a different story again, with faggot and homo remarks every other minute. I think it’s one of the reasons I basically don’t play anything online anymore.

I just think people should hold off being so judgemental when they don’t have much of a clue what it’s like to be discriminated against in the first place. If the discrimination didn’t happen, then these events wouldn’t happen either, as there’d be no need for them.

“I think I’m just going to have accept my view of things is based on a London view point”
Well consider some first world countries lucky then, here in South America things are worst, gays most of the time are kept in the closet due the social repercusions, society has a strong discrimination here torwards gays, they are open to the public scorn, mockings, call names and are treated in a pretty bad way overall, sometimes with hate especially in the male population, is really strong, sadly, thats why sometimes we need to see the overall picture not all the time things are like you see it in your everyday life, things can be a lot worse in a lot of ways on other parts, empathy is really a good thing, and this last part is not direct it at you per se.

@Viralshag “I know plenty of people that are comfortable around gay people, are they comfortable about going to a gay nightclub… Not so much because they know it’s primarily for gay people”

To me that just goes to show they don’t actually know what they’re talking about. I can think of few places more “dangerous” for a straight female who doesn’t want to get picked up, than a gay bar.

I have straight guy friends who go to gay bars, purely because they know the straight chicks will have their guard down there.

The idea that a gay bar is just for gay people, is just as ridiculous as assuming that a dive joint is just for straight bikers.

To me it just screams ignorance, really.

I simply don’t see why a club with a primarily gay audience would be a threat to anyone, unless they were uncomfortable with the sexuality, and had some pretty flawed notions of what actually goes on in there.

I guess it could be a London viewpoint, but it sounds a little onesided to me.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/homophobia-exacts-a-chilling-price-as-hate-crimes-climb-2374674.html

I have a friend who was viciously beaten just for being gay. There was absolutely no provocation, no prior contact. The guy just knew who he was and decided to kick the shit out of him. He spent 3 months in psychiatric care trying to get over it. And there’s very little risk of that ever happening to me in a gay bar.

“The stereotypes about gamers are many, but the core is the perception that gamers are usually straight white guys in dark rooms furiously mashing at a controller. That’s not the reality.”

Err…replace controller with keyboard and that’s me.

This stinks of “commercial geek” like Comic-Con or the Nerdist channel, etc.

Horrible.

@DSB, I’m talking about your average joe straight guy or girl, how many of them would choose a gay bar over a hetro bar? And when I say “comfortable” I’m talking about people making that choice I just mentioned, comfortable with the crowd, the music, the general vibe of the place.

You’re taking what I’m saying way out of context. I don’t think I’ve said anywhere that gay bars are “just for gay people”, but the truth of the matter is if you’re going to go to a gay bar, there is a high likelihood you will be in the minority of straight people there. And for some people that has absolutely nothing to do with ignorance, it’s simply the fact they don’t want to go to a LGBT focused event.

And if you want reasons as to why, you can just look at my #90 post as I think people are trying to make this discussion out to be something it’s not. No one here is attacking the gay community for wanting their own event. It seems more like most people want to know why they feel the need they should host their own event.

If groups of society don’t feel that they are welcome at an event that is meant to be aimed at everyone regardless of their race, colour or sexuality then obviously something is failing. But my argument is that gaming events, from my experience, have always seemed like a welcoming place for everyone anyway and this seems like a somewhat unnecessary breakdown of that.

I wish someone would think of the poor video games.

Oh the humanity.

@107 Fair game, in that case I misunderstood the use of the word.

Uncomfortable to me means a pretty negative attitude towards something. The fact that it isn’t your preference is fair enough.

Funny story though, the gay clubs in Copenhagen are openly complaining that there are too many straight people in there every weekend. It makes it hard for them to actually do their thing.

It seems to me like there are plenty of people clearly scoffing at the idea.

“Why would the gays need their own convention?”

Think about it. Ask yourself why people get so offended when they’re hit on by a member of the same sex. Or public displays of affection, that don’t concern them in the least. Why not ask how it can be that gays often aren’t afforded the same rights as everyone else in a relationship?

If you asked those questions, you’d really have your answer.

When you don’t feel welcome anywhere else, the constructive thing to do is make your own place.

Things are moving forward, and they’re only going to get better, but I think this is simply a neccesary response to an imperfect time in history.

Been an avid reader of VG24/7 for ages but virgin poster.

I’m gay and proud of it. I would fully support this kind of event (should there ever appear one in the UK), as I would fully support any kind of gaming event (can’t wait for EuroGamer in September!). I’ve been to several gaming events with my boyfriend, and we’ve never once faced any kind of disrespect, aggravation or homophobia – but then again, we don’t conform to a gay “stereotype”.

I’ve had a good chuckle at some of the comments on the thread, and can fully appreciate most people’s views.

But let’s be honest here, the LGBT community is vilified enough, so why not host a convention where a gay person can meet and talk to other gay people that share a common passion for gaming?

If you don’t agree with it, don’t attend! Simple as.

I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be offensive or anything but do gay people REALLY need their own game convention? Why not just go to the ones now for everyone? If I went and set up a Hetero-gamer Convention people will go and have a hissy fit.

@111 Booth babes really aren’t there for the lesbians. I’d say gaming conventions are inherently aimed at heterosexuals as is.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that (that’s not sinister either) but it does answer the question why these guys and gals might appreciate one with a focus that’s closer to home.

Aside from just being a theme, it also gives them the opportunity to discuss things within a context that a traditional convention isn’t likely to cover.

Imagine if someone gets inspired to make a decent gay protagonist based on one of those discussions? Wouldn’t that be something?

How do people think like lifeless alcoholics whilst not being drunk.

Or are they really just lifeless alcoholics.

@110, Welcome to the posting section!

You (and Silk) really highlighted the only point I have been trying to make, in that you both say you have been to gaming conventions and haven’t faced any problems with the fact you’re gay.

Outside of the internet hate and stupid chat you get – which you get whether you’re actually gay or not anyway – I’ve always thought that this is another area where gaming is quite unique in that you always find a wealth of people from different backgrounds coming together purely for the love of gaming.

I can’t stress enough that I have no problem with the event itself, my opinion is just that from my experience, gaming expos are one place that has always seemed to welcome the fact you’re a gamer and pretty much everything else is irrelevant.

Honestly, I would really prefer sexuality to stay a sideline thing to these event’s. It’s like I’m in high school again where all people can think about is sex. Sure sex is a common thing but why the hell do we always have to talk about it? I don’t play darksiders wondering if War is into dudes. And honestly outside of Link being a Fated warrior stuck in a time stream of preserving order from chaos. The relationship between him and Zelda is practically based on friendship and their shared fate. Not whether He want’s to plow her or not.

Heck in metal gear I love the fact Solid Snake has no Sexual Interest. He is completely focused on his task. Because that’s the story, fleshing out other characters like Boss finding out she was a Lesbian for a while was a great twist on a character you learned to respect. but, it wasn’t the primary focus of who the Boss is as an individual.

It’s just annoying that you can’t leave this neutral ground NEUTRAL.

@115 Sexuality != Sex

The event isn’t about sex, it’s about people feeling comfortable and able to be themselves. If they could do that everywhere already then yeah, there’d be no need for said events.

If we ever get to a place like that then great.

@Viral I’ve had no issues..yet. I don’t doubt that gay guys get more hassle though since it’s mainly a male crowd and there’s a lot of young ‘uns. We still get faggot screamed out across the halls etc. but I personally don’t care much about that.

@114 I think it’s probably rarer in gaming. Maybe because (core) gaming itself is relatively marginalized. Growing up in the 90′s, I often felt like a freak for saying that I liked playing with computers.

It’s probably one of the overlooked truths of gaming that the people do tend to stick together, when they’re not plotting to kill everyone or shoot heroin from playing too much Grand Theft Auto.

But things are a bit different when you turn off the computer and have to face the rest of the public. Xbox Live was banning gay nicknames “to save gays from being made fun of” for example. I think it’s fair to say that there isn’t enough focus on gay culture in videogames.

@115 That’s a fair question.

If all the preachers and politicians would stand down, and give people the equality they demand, there would be little left to shout about.

If those people want quiet and neutrality, the fastest way to do it, is to give them their rights. Praying the gay away doesn’t seem to be a roaring success, so it’s not likely to end until they do.

@103

“If the discrimination didn’t happen, then these events wouldn’t happen either, as there’d be no need for them.”

And that’s EXACTLY the problem – that sentence suggests (intentionally or not) that gaming events are a haven for discrimination, causing the need for an event like this, which is patently untrue.

@116 Sexuality = Sex it’s one and the same. And the event which focuses on sexual preference attached towards a hobby make’s it a sexually oriented event.

And, even as you and cubman stated the main events you go to already don’t make you feel un-welcomed. Make it a gaming event without the pull of a distinct sexuality and then you can have all the panel’s of homosexual focus with some hetero one’s that still achieves overall agenda.

It’s just a easier way to go about this.

@119 Fair enough. Please do explain booth babes.

The notion that current conventions don’t already have a preference towards a distinct sexuality seems batshit to me. Have you not seen those pictures, man?

http://mygaming.co.za/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/e3-booth-babes-header-530×298.jpg

Also, silkvg247 thank you for being the first internet person in here who is, not only articulate and intelligent but rational too.

I must’ve misread you between the tedious alcohol induced essays and hysteria of some deprived folks longing for freedom. Perhaps I pressed the space bar somewhere at the wrong time. And #97 had nothing to do with you (obv).

@Silk, That’s fair enough. And don’t forget I’m mostly basing my view on being a straight guy at these events. I think DSB raises a good point in #117 in that gamers have usually stuck together because of the assumption that playing games means your some kind of daylight skipping basement troll that only comes up for air, red bull and to get pizza from the delivery man.

I think it’s hilarious that all you can use is Booth Babes and don’t go as far as the HOMOSEXUAL INSPIRED PANELS that are always at conventions. What about those? What about the Transgender Cos-players that roam freely and smiling in the place? I even took a picture with a few before.

Your selective questioning in trying to make the one hobby that is possibly the most neutral places something its not.

I got a great picture at MCM of Master Chief teabagging someone…

“The stereotypes about gamers are many, but the core is the perception that gamers are usually straight white guys in dark rooms furiously mashing at a controller. That’s not the reality.”

Err, it hasn’t been the perceived reality for about ten years now, nor would anyone really describe gamers as “geeks” any more. Do try to keep up, Gaymercon.

Having said that, it is pretty cool to see some weight being given to this if the gay, lesbian, etc. communities feel they are being given short thrift. I would argue that gaming is so universal that those perceived stereotypes are Gaymercon’s own: I would be no less surprised to find that a gimp costume-wearing trans-gender ladyboy enjoyed a bit of CoD than I would be to see my mother playing Bejewelled 3 on her iPad.

@123 The most neutral? Really?

Can’t say I’ve ever heard of homosexual inspired panels, but I have seen plenty of actual girls dressed up as transsexuals for cosplay purposes.

Not exactly provocative stuff.

And I don’t see how cosplayers have a lot to do with the actual conventions themselves, as opposed to booth babes that are paid to wear next to nothing and flirt with guys to make them look at videogames.

Outside of major event’s like e3,gamerscon where you have corporations at the head you don’t see booth babes in the average convention. See your thinking of this convention as a convention where developers are going to be showcasing their games and technology. This is not an expo, this is a themed convention like the average cosplay/gamer/anime/comic convention.

In the average convention you cosplayer events where the floor cosplayers sign up to participate in live action role play. And they have themed panels all the time where you get a healthy dose of everything and nothing is forced as a main event.

Conventions are indeed neutral grounds. This is a convention not an expo. so combining 2 different things doesn’t count towards the overall position this is focused as

@126, To be fair, most of the time I think the booth babes look bored. Usually because the guys ARE more interested in what’s on the screen they’re standing next to.

I hate PR hired helpers at expos. You ask them about the game and the standard response is usually “I don’t actually know. I don’t really play games… It looks cool though, right?”

And that’s from a guy and not a booth babe. Makes my blood boil. I would rather they hired a geek who would probably do that job for free entry and would probably know more about the games because they’re actually interested.