Microsoft apologizes for banning gamer from Fort Gay, W.Va

[Shayla]

Mark this up as a classic Microsoft gaffe. The software giant apologized today to a 26-year-old gamer who was banned temporarily from Xbox Live after he noted in a public profile that he hailed from "Fort Gay." The only problem with Microsoft's decision -- which had apparently violated the gaming service's code of conduct -- is that Fort Gay is an actual place in West Virginia and the gamer had chosen the name as a tribute to his hometown, according to the Associated Press.

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[rajputwarrior]

honestly, all microsoft is doing is saving them from the ridicule from the 16 year olds(*cough*munky*cough* ;) ) on halo...

[Quillz]

So, it's against the rules to be gay or something?

[Elliott]

So, it's against the rules to be gay or something?

Apparently, Microsoft has a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. :p

[rageagainstmachine]

So, it's against the rules to be gay or something?

im with you!... seems a bit wrong!!

[seta-san]

i'm sure that it was an anti-discrimination/harrassment rule

[Xoligy]

Wonder if anyone has the nick Gaylord? And if they can be banned for having that nick?

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

So, it's against the rules to be gay or something?

None of you remember the stories a few years ago where someone with a profile such as "ManLover" was banned, or whatever?

[Growled Member]

Someone needs to point out to Microsoft that it is wrong to be anti-gay these days.

[DDStriker]

Someone needs to point out to Microsoft that it is wrong to be anti-gay these days.

It's not microsoft's problem it's the users, you pick a username that would give the idea that you're gay and people will harass you it's happened before and Microsoft had to take action and this is it. besides no one should have to know what your sexual preference is when playing games and i have no idea why people would want to advertise it in their name.

[BoredBozirini]

So its not ok to have the word gay in the gamertag, but its ok to yell "I'm going to rape you 'till the end of time!" through the headset?

Nice logic Micro$oft.

[guru]

So its not ok to have the word gay in the gamertag, but its ok to yell "I'm going to rape you 'till the end of time!" through the headset?

Nice logic Micro$oft.

they have no sexual preference in their guidelines. it isn't limited to gays.

Microsoft has recently come under some criticism for its attitude to homosexuality and Xbox Live. Users may not use the string "gay" in a gamertag (even in a non-homosexual context, for example as part of a surname), or refer to homosexuality in their profile (including self-identifying as such), as the company considers this "content of a sexual nature" or "offensive" to other users and therefore unsuitable for the service.[61][62][63] After banning 'Teresa', a lesbian gamer who had been harassed by other users for being a homosexual, this policy gained wide condemnation. A senior Xbox Live team member, Stephen Toulouse, has clarified the policy, stating that "Expression of any sexual orientation [...] is not allowed in gamertags" but that they are "examining how we can provide it in a way that wont [sic] get misused".[64][65] GLAAD weighed in on the controversy as well, supporting the steps that Microsoft has taken over the years to engage the LGBT community.[66]

[Eddo89]

I'm sure if they have an effective way to monitor chat they won't allow that.

But really, whether you ban "gay", either way there will be problems. You can't just claim MS is anti-gay because they ban the use of it, not with the sort of community the online world is. If they ignore anti-gay names, then you have a point. You just have to see how people react when a girl comes on/make herself known, is more than normal chatter.

And on a publicity point, using the don't tell rule is less of a hit than flirting gone wrong through the Xbox Live service. While with this sort of news, we probably get a few chuckles from.