TSR TSR3 Blames Widespread Pushback On WotC

In an unexpected turn of events, the primary individuals behind TSR3 have claimed the pushback they've received on social media and elsewhere was orchestrated by .... D&D publisher Wizards of the Coast (a company which has thus far remained completely silent on recent events).

TSR3 is run by Justin LaNasa, Stephen Dinehart, and Ernie Gygax. The controversy has been raging for over a week, since TSR3 announced itself with a press release.

TSR - Companies & Freelancers Distance Themselves From The New TSR

The new TSR (which I refer to as TSR3 to avoid confusion) has doubled down on its stance--which has been widely condemned online--via an ongoing series of tweets and replies from its TSR Games, Giantlands, and Dungeon Hobby Museum social media accounts (possibly operated by Justin LaNasa) in an...

www.enworld.org

Stephen Dinehart and Ernie Gygax have since deactivated their Twitter accounts; Justin LaNasa doesn't appear to have one, but it is believed he is the person operating TSR3's Twitter account. A couple of days ago, Ernie Gygax posted about recent events on Facebook (note that he edited the post, but the original can be seen here).

I wish to state in the strongest terms that I never meant to hurt anyone of any race, creed or color. My video From the Bunker caused some to feel that they would not be welcome or would be looked down upon. That was never the intent, I was reacting to focus of modern role play into a more background and Role Play rather than the wargame that so made so many lives happy over 40 years ago.

As a gamer it meant that most of us were not worthy of any attention from others of our own age. We were Nerds. We were brainy-acks and others would snicker. Older classmen would ask to "borrow" something of ours to then pass back and forth a game of keep away. I used to receive some special attention from about 4 Juniors in my Freshman year. I played the Violin and often I began to wish that I had Super Powers, perhaps become a Giant.. I was far to shy and then embarrassed as attractive ladies would just lower the eyes while the jocks or other socially vibrant fellows had some fun at another geeky nerds expense. Thank goodness I grew 4 inches my junior year.

The only real comfort zone we all could share was a table in the lunch room. At least the fledgling TSR found fertile minds in those who had only those like us - gamers. Rather than have to risk embarrassing myself, since Phy Ed was going to force us to dance with those wonderful and yet scary girls. Well to get my Diploma I had to slave for a month to Mr. Gerber the head of the Phy Ed department. Fortunately I knew all about janitorial work as before D&D and TSR dad only made $5,000 as a Cobbler (five children) and we had food stamps and even free school lunches. Yes you had to go to the councilors office every week to collect your free lunch passes. Obviously you could feel all the eyes on you and the talk about....

Everyone has been welcome at my gaming table and multitudes of new friends have been created by the time spent playing the games we Love. Look at pictures of gaming on my site or anywhere I run games. Everyone is welcome, just like a Boot Hill game leave your guns at the bar until you leave town. If you come to the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum Jeff R. Leason will show you courtesy and a smile and you will see that gaming with elder gamers is a safe and entertaining environment.

TSR - Ernie Gygax on New TSR, WotC Beefs, Trademarks, Licensees, 5E, & More

A YouTube channel, 'Live From the Bunker', interviewed Ernie Gygax about the new TSR. I've watched and decided to try to transcribe the most relevant parts of it, but the full hour-long video is below if you want to see the whole interview and full context. Ernie Gygax is one of D&D...

www.enworld.org

 

[the Jester]

To my surprise, the public seems to care more about what clothing people wear than who is having sex with who.

People often fear what they perceive as different, and seeing what they perceive as a man dressed as a woman or vice-verse, is pretty far out of a lot of peoples' comfort zone. Then when you try to correct them ("no, she's a trans woman"), that pushes the "this person is REALLY different" button, and their reaction gets worse.

What I don't get is, why? Who cares if I'm in a tutu or a tux?

It reminds me of how people a few generations back often responded to tattoos or body piercings. "Whoa, that person is a weirdo and therefore bad!" Which, in turn, gives me hope that we'll continue to see a societal evolution towards acceptance of trans people, much as tattoos and piercings have gone pretty mainstream now.

 

[WayneLigon]

I have the impression that drag queens differ from transgenders. Maybe one is about an archetype, being larger than life. (Which the traditional public can appreciate on a stage for entertainment.) The other is a normal self-identity.

The first time I consciously thought someone was transgender was in college. There was a guy who was member of an LGBTQ group, who I assumed was gay. But on Halloween, for a party, he dressed as a female nurse. It struck me, there was no sense of theatrics or playfulness in a costume. "He" was simply a calmly feminine person in a nurse uniform. Oh, shes a woman.

They can be very, very different. Or exactly the same. Both of these terms cover such a broad range of behaviors that entire shelves of books can and have been written on exploring that nuances.

These are vastly over-simplified message-board-chat-level distinctions:

Drag (Queens )(and Drag Kings, women who adopt a male stage personality) covers a wide range of things, all the way from Madea to gay men using it as a way to explore femininity and/or break down gender limitations. Drag performers can be of any gender or orientation. Most Drag performers are just, that, performers. They adopt a female name and pronoun much as an actor might, while they are on stage. Their drag persona is generally not an integral part of their being like gender identification is.

Transgender individuals are people who identify with a gender that is different from the one they were assigned at birth (usually on the basis of their purely physical bits and parts). This is not 'mere' dressing up or a casual decision, but a very deeply felt disconnect from the bits-and-parts level of their sexuality. Some might begin a physical transformation, using drugs, surgery, etc, and some may not. They also cover the entire range of orientations, as well.

 

[the Jester]

my point is that bigots don’t distinguish.

I suppose in a way bigotry is all about distinguishing.

 

[the Jester]

They can be very, very different. Or exactly the same. Both of these terms cover such a broad range of behaviors that entire shelves of books can and have been written on exploring that nuances.

These are vastly over-simplified message-board-chat-level distinctions:

Drag (Queens )(and Drag Kings, women who adopt a male stage personality) covers a wide range of things, all the way from Madea to gay men using it as a way to explore femininity and/or break down gender limitations. Drag performers can be of any gender or orientation. Most Drag performers are just, that, performers. They adopt a female name and pronoun much as an actor might, while they are on stage. Their drag persona is generally not an integral part of their being like gender identification is.

Transgender individuals are people who identify with a gender that is different from the one they were assigned at birth (usually on the basis of their purely physical bits and parts). This is not 'mere' dressing up or a casual decision, but a very deeply felt disconnect from the bits-and-parts level of their sexuality. Some might begin a physical transformation, using drugs, surgery, etc, and some may not. They also cover the entire range of orientations, as well.

Thank you- that was educational.

 

[Umbran]

Ernie was an idiot for using social media ...

Mod Note:
Interesting. You, yourself, are using social media RIGHT NOW, because message boards are social media, too. So, maybe stop throwing stones.

There's a bunch of folks here who do creative gaming work, and who use social media as a way to communicate - you just insulted all of them. So please stop with the broad insults, thanks.

 

[Umbran]

Ernie is literally the Donald Trump of RPGs, he's delusional.

Mod Note:
While we recognize there are linkages, please leave the politics for another site. Thanks.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Drag (Queens )(and Drag Kings, women who adopt a male stage personality) covers a wide range of things, all the way from Madea to gay men using it as a way to explore femininity and/or break down gender limitations. Drag performers can be of any gender or orientation. Most Drag performers are just, that, performers. They adopt a female name and pronoun much as an actor might, while they are on stage. Their drag persona is generally not an integral part of their being like gender identification is.

Transgender individuals are people who identify with a gender that is different from the one they were assigned at birth (usually on the basis of their purely physical bits and parts). This is not 'mere' dressing up or a casual decision, but a very deeply felt disconnect from the bits-and-parts level of their sexuality. Some might begin a physical transformation, using drugs, surgery, etc, and some may not. They also cover the entire range of orientations, as well.

To add to this, a transgender person is not also automatically gay, which is a common misconception among the masses. A biological male, who knows she was born with the wrong body, may still be attracted to, and fall in love with, biological males, but because she is mentally and emotionally female, and may someday be physically female too, she would be considered hetero and not gay. And the same with a biological female who knows he should have been born a boy.

And the big thing we somehow have to make the masses making the knee-jerk reactions understand is that the vast majority of boys who know they should have been girls, are not pretending to be female just to get into the restrooms and dressing rooms, etc of the biological girls, in order to sexually assault them or molest them. But since nothing is ever 100%, all it will take is a couple of cases of this happening for real, to give the phobics and haters an example/strawman to base all their protests on. Unfortunately, this is where the ignorance that breeds fear, and the fear that breeds hate, comes into play. I can't tell what stage Ernie is on, but LaNasa and others do seem to be into the full-on hate stage.

 

[mykediemart]

Ernie is literally the Donald Trump of RPGs, he's de

Mod Note:
While we recognize there are linkages, please leave the politics for another site.

 

[Psikosis]

Conspiracy theories? The last excuse of the guilty for why their stated bigotry isn't really their fault.

 

[This Effin’ GM]

I think we should respect the mods no politics reminder