Identifying Yourself As A Lesbian Gets You Banned On XBOX Live

[WelshBluebird]

It's no different for an older male to talk about having sex with a female in a room full of 13 year olds he'll get banned too. It's a place for gaming not politics or opinions or battlefronts on sensitive social topics such as public acceptance of a sexual orientation.

disagree.

Saying you prefer guys, or prefer girls is totally different to talking about having sex.

Kids know about sexuality from quite a young age (despite what some people will have you believe). It doesn't take much for them to understand people like different things (in this case, things are genders).

I do think that it was a bit stupid to put it in her profile (I mean the rest of us don't see the need to put our sexuality in it), but banning her for it? Surely MS could have just removed it themselves, or just tell her to remove it herself?.

[bob_c_b]

I wish people could leave their real life rubbish off of Live. I don't care what color you are, where you are from, who you worship or who you like to play slap-n-tickle with. Just please turn your flashlight off when you hear the witch.

[Olemus]

I wish people could leave their real life rubbish off of Live. I don't care what color you are, where you are from, who you worship or who you like to play slap-n-tickle with. Just please turn your flashlight off when you hear the witch.

Thats the issue I have, they all want to be treated no different to any of us but there the ones who have to make a big deal out of it.

[-Hiroshi-]

Oh, boohoo. Can't take the heat? Get a PS3. Nobody has a mic because it works like crap in the games.

:laugh: What? Can't take the heat, get a PS3? Somebody a troll/fanboy/*******?

[Kushan]

Can't take the heat of the RROD!

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

why does one feel the need to put their sexual orientation on XBL anyway?

[HawkMan]

Because they're gay, and everyone(and I mean everyone) must know they're gay, otherwise they're not gay enough.

[Lels]

I have to agree with the actions xbox took here. There is no need to put that in your profile. Your sexual orientation matters none on xbox live. However, i would hope but probably not..that they would do the same thing if a heterosexual put their sexual orientation in their profile as well..there is no need for it either way and there are children on xbox live.

[C_Guy]

Because they're gay, and everyone(and I mean everyone) must know they're gay, otherwise they're not gay enough.

Actually, most gay people feel the need to broadcast their preference as much as straight people do.

Nice to see you know what you're talking about though.

[HawkMan]

I don't see to many straight people holding "coming out of the closet" speaches.

There's people who host tv programs and have the job for the sole reason that they are gay. Sometimes I wonder if when they audition people for tv programs that include any form of design, if the main criteria is to be a gay man. Even more important that actually being a good designer.

Yeah sure there are gay people who don't have the "shout out that I'm gay" syndrome, but it's a comparatively low number, when compared to straight people in percentages. Of course the obviously hetero guys, with the open shirt showing their chest rug and their fake tan is just as bad but.

[scaramonga]

I'd love to be part of the 'licky licky' club :rolleyes:

[0sit0]

Yeah sure there are gay people who don't have the "shout out that I'm gay" syndrome, but it's a comparatively low number, when compared to straight people in percentages. Of course the obviously hetero guys, with the open shirt showing their chest rug and their fake tan is just as bad but.

Really? How do you know its a low number if they don't shout it? You have gaydar? Please... you have no idea what you are talking about. There are people who shout it and people who don't. What's the problem with it? None! Just like I see people on XBL who shout they are black. And the kids excuse is so stupid, kids shouldn't be online in the first place. I've heard people commenting more sexual stuff than just the sexual orientation. People knowing the girls playing are under 18, and they still don't care and talk about it!

[Yusuf M. Veteran]

I came into this thread expecting to read about a female member becoming a lesbian. The very first line startled me. I read it as "I'm sure you've all heard by now that I'm a girl". I was like, no way. Kushan cannot be a girl. :wacko:

[ScottKin]

Yeah and they also don't seem to care about the individuals with offensive images on their Halo 3 bungie upload thing either, or the kids playing M rated games, or the idiots who spam chat, sexually harass women players, racial slurs, and so on, witnessed all this myself, I heard horror stories about Xbox Live, unfortunately, all of them were true. lol

I'm pretty sure that there has been at least one person on XBL that has been banned for having an image for their gamertag that breaks the TOS.

A little reminder to those who didn't start into the thread by going all the way back to the OP:

XBox Live is a private service, not public. As such, when you originally started using XBL you selected a little button that said "Agree" - which makes you legally liable for your own actions and will cause you to be removed from XBL for violating the TOS...PERIOD. You have no legal remedy because you willfully violated the rules you agreed to, and the last time I checked a private place or service has the ultimate right to remove anyone from their place or service for any reason they deem reasonable. When you joined Neowin, you agreed to a similar TOS, which in the eyes of the law is legally binding. It follows the "We reserve the right to deny service or access to our place of business for any reason we deem reasonable" - just like the "No Shirt, No Shoes - No Service" sign on the front of many places of business such as Restauraunts.

For example: people get banned all the time here on Neowin for spamming - yet, if the spamming might be considered free or protected speech or content outside of the context of a private place, the right of the owners and their agents (Mods, etc) trumps the free / protected speech protections because it is a (here it comes again) private place, and as we joined Neowin and have agreed to be bound by the rules here we can be willfully and lawfully banned from Neowin with no legal remedy or recourse.

Of course, IANAL ;)

--ScottKin

[Fascisten]

ScottKin said it..

I so tired of homosexuals nowadays.

[PurplePeopleEater]

I find its unfair she was banned for stating her beliefs (Act 1 Constitution) but under contract the right can be with held like in public school. However it was stupid of her to say that in such a pointless place almost like she was using XBL as a dating service or something. If there is someone thats knows her enough them they know that about her. Its like giving your address to strangers.

[0sit0]

ScottKin said it..

I so tired of homosexuals nowadays.

Glad you are tired... less of bigoted people to worry about. I do agree that if the TOS states that you shouldn't talk about sexuality or sex then fine, but banning her account when she probably didn't know was a bit harsh. A warning would have been nice.

Edited February 26, 2009 by 0sm3l

[ToneKnee]

I'll become a lesbian and participate in any Lesbian orgy's. :shiftyninja: :uberhump:

[ScottKin]

ScottKin said it..

I so tired of homosexuals nowadays.

To be fair, I must state that I do have many friends over the years that are part of the GLBT population - and I respect their choices...regardless of how I feel about their lifestyle.

On the other hand, you don't see me marching in Downtown Seattle "celebrating" my Heterosexuality. I wonder what kind of reception a "Straight Pride Parade" would have here in Seattle, or in SanFran?

--ScottKin

[Lels]

On the other hand, you don't see me marching in Downtown Seattle "celebrating" my Heterosexuality. I wonder what kind of reception a "Straight Pride Parade" would have here in Seattle, or in SanFran?

--ScottKin

I have to sort of agree here. I think Gay/Lesbian people have the same rights to get married and what not as heterosexual people. However, there is no need for a gay pride parade. Now a march for equal rights? Go right ahead. But heterosexual people dont have heterosexual parades, so maybe if they wanted to be treated as equals then they shouldnt have the parades for starters

[ScottKin]

Glad you are tired... less of bigoted people to worry about. I do agree that if the TOS states that you shouldn't talk about sexuality or sex then fine, but banning her account when she probably didn't know was a bit harsh. A warning would have been nice.

Wow! It's ok for you to feel that way, when it's not ok for someone to feel contrary to how you feel?

In regards to TOS verbage: It's not XBL's responsibility to make sure that you know what you're agreeing to - it's the duty of everyone who enters such an agreement to read the entire TOS...just like it's everyone's duty to read every contract that they sign.

Since we only have the the info presented in the OP and the off-site article, we have absolutely no idea what ensued in the entire course of events - whether Microsoft XBL staff just off-handedly booted her or whether this has been on-going. I'm of the tendency to believe that since she was banned that Microsoft tried repeatedly to work with the girl in question, and that she did not choose to cooperate and follow the TOS - just like the users here on Neowin get "warnings" from the Neowin Staff & Mods for various violations of the TOS here.

--ScottKin

[BajiRav]

Glad you are tired... less of bigoted people to worry about. I do agree that if the TOS states that you shouldn't talk about sexuality or sex then fine, but banning her account when she probably didn't know was a bit harsh. A warning would have been nice.

So he is homophobic just because he's tired of hearing about gays? Aren'y you just as bad as him them?

[dead.cell]

Gay pride, bitches, gay pride!!

[Fascisten]

Dead.cell.... god loves the homosexuals?

1. There is no god.

2. 'God' hates homosexuals, which is why the priests also hate them.

I like the old days, where homosexuals were keeping it quiet like it should be. No offense, but thats just how i look at the whole thing.

[micro]

she wouldn't be a lesbian anymore if she got with me.. :cool:

:devil: