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<blockquote data-quote="Bill Zebub" data-source="post: 8853172" data-attributes="member: 7031982">So because you see things that way (and I don’t know your ethnicity) what is the implication when other people see it differently, and say it makes them feel unwelcome in the hobby, or worse? Do you not believe them? Think they are overreacting? Ignore them?I’m kind of with you in that I never, in decades of gaming, saw “orcs as stand-ins for real races.”&nbsp; (And, if you’ve at all been paying attention, you would understand that it’s a mischaracterization of the problem.). But more recently I’ve become&nbsp; aware that the language and depictions we use to dehumanize orcs is the same language that has been used to justify dehumanization (read: enslavement) of other people. And apparently people from those ethnicities find that hurtful.I’m not going to doubt them. Literally the least effort I can make to address terrible societal disparities is to say, “Ok, sure, I will believe you. If this bothers you, I’m ok with making some changes to my game of make believe elves and dragons.”To refuse to do that, to kick up a fuss and cry and scream and make angry forum posts, or even to simply try to undermine the effort by saying things like “orcs aren’t black people”, is pathetic.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Bill Zebub, post: 8853172, member: 7031982"] So because you see things that way (and I don’t know your ethnicity) what is the implication when other people see it differently, and say it makes them feel unwelcome in the hobby, or worse? Do you not believe them? Think they are overreacting? Ignore them? I’m kind of with you in that I never, in decades of gaming, saw “orcs as stand-ins for real races.” (And, if you’ve at all been paying attention, you would understand that it’s a mischaracterization of the problem.). But more recently I’ve become aware that the language and depictions we use to dehumanize orcs is the same language that has been used to justify dehumanization (read: enslavement) of other people. And apparently people from those ethnicities find that hurtful. I’m not going to doubt them. Literally the least effort I can make to address terrible societal disparities is to say, “Ok, sure, I will believe you. If this bothers you, I’m ok with making some changes to my game of make believe elves and dragons.” To refuse to do that, to kick up a fuss and cry and scream and make angry forum posts, or even to simply try to undermine the effort by saying things like “orcs aren’t black people”, is pathetic. [/QUOTE]

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