Xbox Live "Gay" Crackdown MIGHT Be Getting A Little Out Of Hand

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Last week, Microsoft banned a user from Xbox Live for having the gamertag theGAYERgamer. Things did not end well. Now, tonight, we get an email from another Xbox Live user whose gamertag has been barred because it violates XBL policies. The incriminating gamertag? RichardGaywood. The problem here? It's the gamertag of a Mr. Richard Gaywood, a now-disgruntled 360 owner from the UK (and yes, we've confirmed this is his real name). Oops.

Source: http://www.kotaku.com.au/games/2008/05/xbo..._of_hand-2.html

That is some name to have mind you heh.

Dick Gaywood. :laugh:

[CelticWhisper]

Good thing Dick Van Dyke isn't on XBox Live.

[Sethos]

Can't blame them with a name like that.

[magik]

Can't blame them with a name like that.

Yea. It's unfortunate that that is his real name, but you can't make the exception because of that. The majority of people that do not know the person will find it offensive.

BTW, what the hell were his parents thinking?

[naap51stang]

Some blogs are getting out of hand. I posted on one about something that sucked...that word

was not allowed.

Don't you just love free speech?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Can't blame them with a name like that.

It's a real name though, theGAYERgamer is not a real name.

I've seen Gay in quite a few real names, my computing science teacher at Glasgow Uni was called Simon Gay.

MS can do whatever they want though, names like this are going to cause the teenies on live to have a field day with insults.

[Sethos]

So what, it could still offend players out there - Just because my name is Suck McCock*, doesn't make it less offensive. The name could be 'misunderstood' so It's just fair to ban it.

*Not my name :p

[zeta_immersion]

democracy right? ... serves your right, sue the pants off em

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

So what, it could still offend players out there - Just because my name is Suck McCock*, doesn't make it less offensive. The name could be 'misunderstood' so It's just fair to ban it.

*Not my name :p

No one is going to get offended by this name, what will cause offence is the idiots who start throwing abuse, which is no doubt why MS banned.

The name you gave is genuinely/universally offensive, this is not.

Unless you find the idea of tree's being gay offensive, but then, I think you need your head checked if you interept the name like that and take offense :laugh:

[Sethos]

Unless you find the idea of tree's being gay offensive, but then, I think you need your head checked if you interept the name like that and take offense :laugh:

You gotta remember It's not all native English people using the Live service.

So my uncle with lacking English skills, who is taking everything very serious sees a name with the word "Gay" in it whilst playing Uno, he would definitely be cross and report the guy :laugh:

[C_Guy]

Wow this is really disappointing, Microsoft has never appeared to be homophobic.

What's next, banning "black"? "woman"? "Buddhist"? "iPod"?

Way to set a mature and professional standard, Microsoft. Ignorance reigns supreme on XBOX Live.

So my uncle with lacking English skills, who is taking everything very serious sees a name with the word "Gay" in it whilst playing Uno, he would definitely be cross and report the guy :laugh:

Yeah, homophobic ignorance is hilarious. :rolleyes:

[Sethos]

You got some issues, C_Guy - Damn :s

[C_Guy]

You got some issues, C_Guy - Damn :s

Oops! I'm not the one promoting homophobia. You want issues? Grab a mirror.

[Sethos]

Yeah, I'm promoting homophobia ... Not the fact that the word "Gay" can be used in an insulting sentence like MANY other words and the reason why they are banning it, not because I or Microsoft are Homophobes.

Idiot.

[+Mystic MVC]

democracy right? ... serves your right, sue the pants off em

Your kidding right? People are paying for a service from MS, MS has the right to deny and limit what they want especially when the gamertag is commonly seen and easily abused. :unsure:

[Athernar]

Your kidding right? People are paying for a service from MS, MS has the right to deny and limit what they want especially when the gamertag is commonly seen and easily abused. :unsure:

Sure, they can deny and limit what they want.

As long as they provide a refund for the service denied, when you pay for something you have the rights, not the company.

[utdarkviper]

i dont have xbox live or a 360 lol but they shouldnt even allow real names. just as a safety factor. this would also eliminate the problem seen here

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Yea. It's unfortunate that that is his real name, but you can't make the exception because of that. The majority of people that do not know the person will find it offensive.

They can find it offensive if they are small minded idiots. It's his freaking name. That's like not allowing people to type Scunthorpe as their location. Sure, it may contain the letters to make up a rude word, but it has no reference to it.

Moreover, who are Microsoft to define "gay" as being offensive. I find such a stance to be a whole lot more offensive!

Gaylord is a real name, has been for centuries. It has, in fact, been a prominent name within aristocratic circles and used to carry quite a lot of respect. Gloria Gaynor was a singer, who had massive chart success. If instances such as this are suddenly singled out and made unacceptable, where does it end?

Aggy contains all the letters of the word gay. Ban it. Gareth contains 2 of them. Ban it. Heck let's ban anything that is associated with homosexuality in any way whatsoever, be it intentional, perceived or tennuous. In fact, let's make these people never come into our society. We can create a lovely little master-race.

[utdarkviper]

Moreover, who are Microsoft to define "gay" as being offensive. I find such a stance to be a whole lot more offensive!

Same reason there are restrictions on guns. On person may just buy guns to collect them, but there are people out there who use them as weapons. Some people use the word 'gay' in a non-offensive way, "collecting" it into their vocabulary database, while others use it as an insult/weapon.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

And microsoft allow representations of guns within their games. Do they not allow representations of homosexuality within their Gamertags?

Guns = OK

Homosexuality = BAD

?

[gigapixels Veteran]

If MS feels those names should be banned, then that's fine. I personally doubt it has anything to do with some homophobia with in the company, but more to do with idiots complaining about it or abusing it.

Sure, they can deny and limit what they want.

As long as they provide a refund for the service denied, when you pay for something you have the rights, not the company.

You have the rights set forth by the company. If they deem something needs to stop, then they can stop it, and it would be your choice to stop paying for it.

[bryonhowley]

You gotta remember It's not all native English people using the Live service.

So my uncle with lacking English skills, who is taking everything very serious sees a name with the word "Gay" in it whilst playing Uno, he would definitely be cross and report the guy :laugh:

Then it is your uncle with the problem not the person with the game tag.

[gigapixels Veteran]

Then it is your uncle with the problem not the person with the game tag.

I agree, but if the majority of your demographic are idiots you unfortunately have to cater to that.

[utdarkviper]

And microsoft allow representations of guns within their games. Do they not allow representations of homosexuality within their Gamertags?

Guns = OK

Homosexuality = BAD

?

The way you are relating them is quite different than that which I was saying. If someone were to talk to another member on live about how they got a new gun in their gun collection, all would be fine. Although if they say they are going to use a gun offensively in any way in real life then that is a no-no.

Also, if someone were to say that their game character looks gay (which is heard often in voice chat), then that is completely different than calling the actual real-life person gay.

[Smashing Pumpkin]

lol, my name is Richard Longstaff and I get Dicky Long Fellow sometimes :p

Also if you read my name surname then forename it's Long Stiff Dick :p