Spirit Day, EN World, and d20monkey.com

[Balsamic Dragon]

Today is Spirit Day. For those who don't know what this means, you can go here and check it out: GLAAD - Wear Purple on Oct. 20 for Spirit Day #SpiritDay

Briefly, Spirit Day is a day where we reach out to support LGBT kids who are being bullied in schools and, in some tragic examples, driven to suicide. We say: we hear you, we understand you, we support you.

So to any of those kids who are gamers and clicked on a link from the front page of EN World today, expecting to find a webcomic about Giant Space Hamsters, and instead found this: d20monkey -, a webcomic that uses prejudice and hate for humorous effect, I'd just like to say that I, like you, felt it like a kick to the stomach.

This post is for you. From a person who mostly lurks here on EN World. But felt that today was a good day to speak out.

For those of you who think: it's just a webcomic, it was a funny joke, why do people have to complain about these kind of things, it wasn't meant to hurt anyone, I'd like to say: Consider yourself lucky that you can read stuff like that and not be hurt by it. Not all of us are.

 

[jaerdaph]

No child should ever be bullied and driven to suicide because of their sexual preference or choice of gender identification ever again.

 

[slwoyach]

How about you keep your politics out of gaming forums?

 

[jonesy]

d20monkey - His Wisdom Knows No Bounds

You know, I keep re-reading the strip, but I just don't get what it's trying to say.

If I say "a good looking straight guy is still a straight guy", well, what does that mean?

What's the point? That pops doesn't like transvestites? How is that funny? Or even meaningful?

How about you keep your politics out of gaming forums?

It's a bit late when it's on the front page.
http://www.enworld.org/forum/news/295783-d-d-rpg-news-wednesday-20-october-2010-a.html

And it does say that it's supposed to be about Giant Space Hamsters.

"A good looking giant space hamster is still a giant space hamster"? Huh?

 

[jaerdaph]

Making fun of people for who they are or not wanting to see kids bullied to the point of suicide isn't really politics.

Edit: This thread should probably be in the Off Topic forum though, not General.

 

[wedgeski]

No child should ever be bullied and driven to suicide because of their sexual preference or choice of gender identification ever again.

No child should be bullied into suicide for *anything*.

 

[Umbran]

Making fun of people for who they are or not wanting to see kids bullied to the point of suicide isn't really politics.

Wheaton's Law is beyond politics. So long as it is kept to that level, it's fine.

Moved to OT, as this isn't really about gaming.

 

[slwoyach]

Making fun of people for who they are or not wanting to see kids bullied to the point of suicide isn't really politics.

Edit: This thread should probably be in the Off Topic forum though, not General.

GLAAD is absolutely a political organization. I would say the same thing to anyone bringing right-wing religious poilitics here. There are plenty of forums where these subjects should be debated, and I debate those subjects there. I come here for gaming discussions, and only gaming discussions.

If you bring religion and/or politics into a forum you're begging for a flame war to start.

 

[jaerdaph]

GLAAD is absolutely a political organization. I would say the same thing to anyone bringing right-wing religious poilitics here. There are plenty of forums where these subjects should be debated, and I debate those subjects there. I come here for gaming discussions, and only gaming discussions.

If you bring religion and/or politics into a forum you're begging for a flame war to start.

That's cool - and I see your point. Personally, I just don't want to see *any* child bullied to the point they even consider suicide ever again. I think (hope) everyone can agree with that. I say that only as a parent and an uncle, not for any other reason, political or otherwise.

I was never bullied in school (and certainly wasn't a bully), but I've heard lots of stories on these very boards about fellow gamers who were. My personal experience with the gaming community during high school was that it attracted so many diverse people who might not otherwise interact (straight, gay & lesbian, "nerds", a few jocks, punks etc.) I think that was due to the nature of the beast - tabletop gaming is a social experience and teaches valuable social skills. It's not the only activity that does that (theater club I'm looking at you!), but I think it is one that does it strongly and does it well.

And if any student gamer here at EN World ever feels they are being bullied, please speak up and tell an adult you trust - a parent, guardian, teacher, whoever - and if they don't help you speak to another one.

 

[jaerdaph]

Wheaton's Law is beyond politics. So long as it is kept to that level, it's fine.

Wheaton's Law: I don't know what's worse - that we have to be reminded at all, or that we have to be reminded at all by Wesley Crusher!