Earlier this year, radicalbytes (aka Jonathan McIntosh, Feminist Frequency producer) wrote a piece for Polygon about some of the invisible benefits males enjoy while gaming — especially online. I interviewed McIntosh back then about the piece for NPR’s All Tech Considered blog. He said then that this is an issue everyone in the gaming community should be thinking about.
“The issue is often framed as a women’s issue, but sexual harassment, sexism and misogyny in gaming is not a women’s issue — it’s a gaming community issue.”
Today, Feminist Frequency released a video version of that piece, featuring a slew of men reading through the list. If you didn’t read the piece before it is worth checking out the video, if anything to give you some perspective on your own gaming experiences, as well as those of others.
In the accompanying blog post, they are quick to point out, however that:
This list is not meant to suggest that male gamers are always treated well. Sometimes we are bullied or subjected to online nastiness, but it is not based on or because of our gender.
In order to make change first we need to acknowledge the problem, and then we must take responsibility for it as a community, so we can actively work together, with people of all genders, to dismantle the parts of gaming culture that perpetuate these imbalances.
Check it out. And remember, you can disagree with the opinion or perspective, but that doesn’t open the door to attacks. Also, just because you yourself have not experienced something — be it personal attacks, harassment or climbing Mt. Everest — it does not mean it doesn’t exist.
(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)