Gen Con Takes Stand For Inclusiveness

This rather breaks all my rules, in that I'm reporting on politics, and regional politics at that. That said, Gen Con, the hobby's largest American convention, intersects with this particular example, so it's hard to ignore; and this is an RPG news blog, after all. Plus, I agree with the sentiment, even if I'm doubtful about its actual effectiveness given the current contract. Gen Con has written to the local politician in its home city of Indianapolis, USA, threatening (kind of - they're contracted to stay there for five more years whether they like it or not) to consider moving elsewhere if a local law relating to businesses being able to refuse custom to same-sex couples is passed.

With multiple recent articles in just the last week (Monte Cook Games & Thunderplains, Green Ronin's Blue Rose), the subject of inclusiveness is not one that anybody can afford to ignore. However, the vitriolic comments these topics give rise to make discussion on them difficult at best.

Here's the letter they wrote.

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[jimmifett]

So is your solution to force transgender people to identify as the sex as which they were biologically born? I find that incredibly offensive, and it's been shown to be far more psychologically damaging to those individuals to have to do so than it is for you to tolerate their gender identification.

Congratulations on being offended, it's fun to be offended! Everyone should be offended at something in thier life at least once, builds character.

I fail to see that I've offered a "solution" of any sort.

I'm not "forcing" transgender people to identify as their biological sex. They can continue to do so all they want. It's the hip thing to do these days apparently. I'm just not going to be forced to accept that the irrational is rational, that A = B when clearly A != B, and while I can accept that some people may want to cling onto their fantasies, I fully expect to not be forced into accepting those fantasies as reality by goose stepping thought and speech police or to be labeled "intolerant" or "bigoted" for not subscribing to what is in my opinion (and I quite enjoy being able to have a opinion as a free thinking homosapien even if others do not agree with my opinion), lunacy.

The psychological well being of people other than my family is not my concern. I personally find the grasping of a fantasy as reality to be more psychologically damaging in the long run, but thats the choice that individual makes. I'm not forcing them to keep it or not, only that I don't have to accept it myself.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, we're done. Since I went out, it descended into name-calling. Thread closed.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Most of the discussion I see tends to involve stores. You go into a store and get asked to leave. That's not the only businesses people frequent.
Imagine if a plumber comes to your house, sees something they don't like, and leaves. Or the cable guy. Or the electrician. That's a HUGE hassle. You waited for them, likely all day. If you called a plumber, something is wrong at your house, and them leaving seriously inconveniences you. And they're in your house, so it's easy for them to see stuff they disapprove of.

We've seen that, and not just on religious grounds. I believe it was Urban Meyers- had coach for one of the big college football programs- who fired a contractor for wearing the shirt of a school rival.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I would love it if one of these cases went to court, and the judge said, "Just so you know, it is against my religion to allow discrimination against people on religious grounds."

Folks seem to have disregarded something mentioned earlier. In a diverse nation, religious freedom *cannot* be absolute. We cannot allow, "My religion says you must die," for example. Just as a practical matter, we *must* restrict some religious practice when that practice involves non-practitioners.

The only question is where we draw the lines.

I kid you not, there is a lawyer in California asking for the state to adopt the biblical punishment of stoning to death for homosexuals. There have been signatures in support of the proposal. The state's AG has turned to the courts to get declarative relief so that the proposal won't end up on the ballot.

Which, for anyone who thinks the AG is acting unconstitutionally, she isn't. That's a valid procedure.

 

[Morrus]

We've seen that, and not just on religious grounds. I believe it was Urban Meyers- had coach for one of the big college football programs- who fired a contractor for wearing the shirt of a school rival.

Danny, the thread's closed. Did you not notice you were the only one posting?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Nope- I had a bunch of "Reply" tabs open while at the garage, getting my car repaired. Sorry!