I'm gay for starters and why the hell gays need a special news site is beyond me. When it comes to gaming a gay guy or woman is exactly the same as the straight equivalent. Just ogling different characters.

"True tolerance isn't making special recognitions of your fellow gamers' differences, but simply not caring in the first place." About time people realize that. 100 years ago, in America, it would be unheard of to let a well to do American girl marry a man with Irish blood. These days, who cares? And 'gaymers' have their own 'gayms' already, the Cho Aniki series...and Final Fantasy.

This is ludicrous, and I wholeheartedly agree with you, Eliza. Why is the presence of gay gamers even something that needs to be measured? The more you start adding importance to rediculous metrics like this, the more you start segregating the minority even further. What difference does it make at all? I don't believe that there are any marketing leverages to be gained by it. I know plenty of Whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics who all play Mario titles as well as GTA titles. Similarly, sexual orientation, I highly doubt, is going to dictate what games are enjoyed. I think a lot of the intentions to recognize market sectors based on inconsequential factors such as sexual orientation actually end up doing more harm than good. I think the inherent beauty of video gaames is that it's like a universal form of entertainment for the masses.

Good post, Eliza. We need to whip the fear out of people. Homophobia is just as bad as racism. I bet most people would prefer NOT to know their fellow gamer's sexual habits whether straight or gay. Some people act like gays jump out of the bushes and grab your ass in a surprise attack or something. If ignorance brings fear, then how is that bliss?

I like Mr Garrison's take on the issue of tolerance... "You tolerate a screaming child, it doesn't mean you don't hate it anyways" to paraphrase. That said, members of a site I frequent have been pretty happy to take part in the survey, so in this case I say to each their own.

This isnt news... If you're gay, who cares? Does it make you move faster in Zelda?

To counter-point, I would say that the side effect of not pointing out that there are gay or female gamers is that the industry tends towards assuming that everyone must be a 14 year-old white male with a purile sense of humor. Maybe if there were a sense that gamers represented a diverse audience there might be a little less stereotyping and a little less tolerence for gay bashing and other discriminitory behavior. And maybe companies like Blizzard would think before putting stupid policies in place.

IT'S SNAKE AND MERYL, NOT SNAKE AND DARYL IT'S DRACO AND MARIA, NOT DRACO AND MARIO IT'S DIRK THE DARING AND PRINCESS DAPHNE, NOT DIRK THE DARING AND PRINCE DANNY

I am gay as hell and play PS2 games with my other gay and straight friends constantly. It's all mixed and sexuality has nothing to do with gaming (except when you are dressing Elise in SSX for some reason.) I've encountered several groups here in NYC of gay gamers. Most are over 35. All are inclusive for anyone who is fun.

To counter-point, I would say that the side effect of not pointing out that there are gay or female gamers is that the industry tends towards assuming that everyone must be a 14 year-old white male with a purile sense of humor. By pointing out that the gay/female/reptilian players ARE the minority, you reinforce the majority stereotype automatically.

"IT'S SNAKE AND MERYL, NOT SNAKE AND DARYL IT'S DRACO AND MARIA, NOT DRACO AND MARIO IT'S DIRK THE DARING AND PRINCESS DAPHNE, NOT DIRK THE DARING AND PRINCE DANNY" You don't have proof. According to PSM, it's not Snake and Meryl or Daryl. It's Snake and Raiden.

Of course its Snake and Raiden. Probably why I'm the only person who actually likes him.

The idea that someone's sexuality should *exist* and be *there* and not necessarily *celebrated* is not a very popular one, but I am with you in agreement on that. It's like certain kinds of feminism... it just serves to increase the differences between two groups instead of bringing them together. It's antagonistic to people who are not a part of that group, and it really serves no positive purpose.

While I do agree with Eliza whole heartedly, someone still needs to say "Hey, I'm standing right here, you ignorant SOB". I'm tired of having to deal with homophobic, racists, sexists, and/or just plain rude gamers, interwebbers, and people in general. While I do think the whole movement for gay's in gaming and woman in gaming is quite tacky (tackier than that awful pink T-shirt), someone has got to shake loose the hurtful "norms" of today's society. I'm pretty sure no one would appreciate someone saying "You dirty ", so why do we deal with anything else that is equally as hurtful. I still can't believe that people still say "That's retarded" this day and age, but no one is really willing to defend the mentally challenged. Gaymers are just a few people trying to make themselves known, because they're tired of being ignored and ostracised..

Yeah, I'm of the homo persuasion, and I don't get the point of this survey. There will always be Xbox Live players calling people fags... just deal with it. Most of the homos I've met fall into two categories. 1. Videogames Suck. I never play them. 2. Videogames Rule! I will SO kick your ass in DDR! And last time I checked, there were plenty of straight fans of the Final Fantasy series, which has more sexually androgynous characters than any drag show on earth. But seriously, a good game is a good game. Whether your checking out Ivy's chest or Kilik's abs while playing Soul Caliber is your thing.

"By pointing out that the gay/female/reptilian players ARE the minority, you reinforce the majority stereotype automatically." So gay people are reptilian? jk. Pointing out that there are gay/female players reinforces the idea that they may be a minority, but a vocal and influential minority. I think all who are suggesting we should be past all this mishomonist crap are a little ahead of the curve. Yes we should all be past that, but we're not. Xagest: you said it well.

I just wanted to add a 'Go Eliza!' ;)

You know, I'm getting pretty damn tired of all these efforts to try and focus on "minority groups" like women or GLBT in gaming. Can't we just be gamers? I don't care what's between your legs or who you sleep with. Just play, dammit!

"I think all who are suggesting we should be past all this mishomonist crap are a little ahead of the curve. Yes we should all be past that, but we're not. " You're right, most people are not, but the only thing stopping you is, of course, you. The only course of action is to lead by example. Do we self segregate ourselves by pointing out our differences or do we stop judging people by appearance and beliefs? Ask yourself why you feel the need to declare what sets you apart instead of identifying what you have in common? It's hard enough tearing down the walls society has erected between us when people start building walls themselves.

Most of the homos I've met fall into two categories. 1. Videogames Suck. I never play them. 2. Videogames Rule! I will SO kick your ass in DDR! So true thespunk, so true. The only reason I still read the gaymers community on livejournal is it's too damn entertaining/painful. Most of the posts are of the "Sephiroth is my bishi! lolz! ^_^" variety, and I just can't relate to that. Thank god I've got me a man that not only loves God of War for the gameplay as opposed to the "hotness" of the main character, he kicks my ass at Guitar Hero too.

ha when i worked for this one gamestop, this group of gay black guys would come in very regularly, and i swear they were the best customers. totally fucking hilarious guys. the best part: they hated madden.

Guys I agree whole-heartedly that gays who game shouldn't be treated any differently from non-gay gamers, but I do have one thing to point out. ***Comparing racism to homophobia is like comparing fine art to a giraffe.*** It's nonsensical. You can't possibly say "I know plenty of Whites, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics who all play Mario titles as well as GTA titles..." because you're comparing a difference of natural race to a difference of morality. No matter where you stand on the 'can you choose to be gay or not' argument, you have to see that you can't choose to be black or white, and so issues of race can not be effectively applied to any sort of 'discrimination' argument for or against those who hold different sexualities.