#1ReasonWhy and Sexism in the Gaming Industry
I’m sure this is already been talked about to death, but for the few who missed it:
Women in the video game industry are using the hashtag #1ReasonWhy to give first hand accounts of the sexist bullshit they deal with as writers, programmers, etc. in the industry. It is a really interesting read, especially with a few Tweets here and there by offended gamer bros who are using the hashtag mockingly, and basically proving our point.
Between this and the somewhat recent discussion on the sexism behind nerd/geek culture in general, I’m just really glad this is really getting more attention.
I mean, obviously this kind of bullshit is not just limited to the gaming industry, but its definitely one that isn’t talked about as much as it should. Video games aren’t just for men (I think the estimate of female gamers is not between 30-50%? Something like that) and the whole industry needs to evolve to reflect that (see also: issues regarding PoCs and queer people representation in games, which also need to be addressed at this scale).
And of course, this also extends into gaming itself (let’s be real, hands up if you’ve been kicked off of an online server of a game because the other players found out you were a girl. I know I have) and there’s also a lot of Tweets reflecting that as well.
Basically, take a look. It’s a good read.
Not in the gaming industry, just been following this hashtag with great interest today.