NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Clint_L" data-source="post: 8945435" data-attributes="member: 7035894">I point out that censorship of art is always framed as being done to protect vulnerable people, especially youth. When D&D was heavily challenged in the 1980s, it was under the guise of protecting young people from its pernicious, indeed devilish influence.What makes me uncomfortable about all of these movements is that they tend to gather a momentum and soon all nuance is lost. Any kind of divergence is seen as a problem, so artists, and businesses distributing art, become increasingly cautious about anything that might cause controversy. This is not to say that we shouldn't be mindful of negative stereotypes or hurtful representations in what we speak or publish; of course we should. But we cannot become so paralyzed by fear of making someone uncomfortable that our art becomes anodyne.At my school, D&D Club and Pride Club are almost the same thing; there is huge overlap in membership. I think this is because D&D allows players to inhabit different perspectives and express themselves freely. And those students are very aware of what is happening around them and more than capable of making assessments and choices for themselves. Trust me, they have no shortage of opinions!If you are wondering, I definitely skew liberal. I mean, I'm a teacher at a liberal arts prep school in arguably the most liberal city in  in a notably liberal country. I totally agree that this particular material uses historically problematic stereotypes and assumptions. I don't want to buy it, and I would not recommend it. I'm still not interested in the petition.Edit: I want to emphasize that this is not to say that anyone in this discussion is the same as those calling for the ban on D&D in the 1980s. That was just being used as an example of how these movements can gather steam and become about moral righteousness in a way that shuts down dialogue. And if you disagree with everything I wrote, that is fine. I might be wrong. It happens a lot.</blockquote>

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