I don't like Lightning Tracer

General Discussion
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Before I get into the reasons why I don’t like the overall design, allow me to put down some ground rules and “warnings” for this post.

  1. I’m just expressing my personal opinion and distaste, I mean no offence what so ever to the people who enjoy the skin.
  2. One of my main reasons relates to the fact Tracer is Gay and a part of the LGBT community, so be aware this topic will deal with that.
  3. Anyone getting hateful in regards to LGBT topics because of the themes, or found to be going off topic and not talking about Tracer and the skin and are just here to complain and start a discussion about LGBT themes will be reported. Please stay on topic, this is mostly about the skin.
  4. Mods have full rights to shut down this topic if things get out of hand and too many people step out of line. I understand.
  5. To restate - this is mostly about the skin which just happens to have one issue i have with it relating to LGBT themes and is not my personal opinion on LGBT community or people. I do this with intentions of feedback on the skin.

Okay now that the warnings and stuff are out of the way (I know LGBT can be a touchy subject so I just wanted to clear things up before I touch on it.) let me explain in details why I dislike this skin…

The first and main reason that jumped out at me is that this skin, with mainly its hair, makes Tracer look stereotypically gay, or as some may apply a term “butch lesbian.” I don’t like this because I feel that if Blizzard is giving into stereotypes like this, they have just completely destroyed any progress they have made by Tracer existing and being canonically gay in the first place. One of the things I liked about how they handled Tracer was that they did it realistically - we got confirmed she was LGBT by simply being shown a panel in a comic that was meant to show her every day life, where she gets a kiss from her girlfriend. Nothing was focused on directly it was just naturally done, no different than a straight couple would interact, etc, that was handling it right.

Now while Tracer already had a sorta boyish look to her, it wasn’t extremely so, and she didn’t play into stereotypes because she also could of been seen as straight before we had been confirmed she wasn’t. This suites her and a Tomboyish personality is something many girls have, LGBT or not. It also helped support that girls don’t have to be pretty in dresses all the time, but also actually helps with the stereotypes of gay people looking extremely flamboyant, because she wasn’t flamboyant. This new skin with that hair though? It is extremely flamboyant and it plays into stereotypes hard.

Now I know looks aren’t everything and can be deceiving, but given the fact we do know Tracer is Gay, giving her this hair style purposely just says to me that it was made to purposely enforce stereotypes and be flamboyant about how she is gay. I mean no offence to people who look like her, you can be LGBT or not and look like that but the general popularity is that its a type of hair style and look that gay people, “butch lesbians” sport, and that’s my whole point - it’s a very clear stereotype.

You can give another female in the game the same type of hairstyle but since no one else’s sexuality are confirmed, it would either work without a second thought or you’d still have some users going “wow, lesbian skin” but it wouldn’t of been done with the intention to make ppl assume it’s a stereotype is my point. Putting it on a confirmed gay character specifically is what makes it support the stereotypes.

So that’s my main issue and my opinion on it and why I don’t like it. Also not that it should matter but some people seem to care and listen a bit more when it comes to users actually involved in the community, I’m just gonna point out this opinion IS coming from someone who is the LGBT community. If I heard a straight user say this same opinion though I personally would agree for the same reasons I listed here myself. That’s just me though and I don’t wanna go any more into that because I don’t want to go off topic as this is about the skin and the character.

In addition to the major issue above, I just don’t think the hair looks good on tracer at all? Like if we forget everything I said, just looking at her, I just don’t like how she looks with the hair and the skin, maybe a change of color would make it look a bit better but overall it just doesn’t suit her, it makes her face feel foreign, etc. Also as I said, not a fan of the color, I get it’s yellow because lightning but whatever suit pattern + hair with the yellow color is just not looking good to me.

And there you have it, my opinion on the skin. The main issue is obviously more important than the colors, so I expect discussion will flare up because of that opinion. That’s fine, and I’m open for discussion and conversation, but I end this off asking that you keep your arguments focused around the skin and the character as I have tried to do, and of course be friendly and nice. Even if you don’t agree with me, its okay to say that and express why, as long as you’re nice about it!

Remember to keep up a good community and environment when engaging on these forms especially with topics like this! I look forward to have nice conversations with you guys on this subject, and of course feel free to state if you like the skin, or any other reasons you don’t like it, etc. :slight_smile:

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Tracer has always used very classic soft butch aesthetics.

They’re really not playing into any new stereotypes here, it’s a legitimate real world style and it’s one Tracer already has.

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Yes but that what I mean though she’s always been on the softer side and I know its a thing people actually do look like in the real world, but coincidentally its a stereotyped look, which is why I think it’s bad and a wrong move on Blizzards part because as I stated above, it feels like they are enforcing stereotypes.

I didn’t say anything about NEW stereotype, I just expressed it was a sterotype that exists, and it feels like they are playing into it, because she already had the softer sterotype, but said look is also known as tomboy, and is something that doesn’t always institute “you must be gay bc you look gay” sterotypes.

This current look though feels to me its pushing a harder stereotype, which in term seems like they are trying to prove she’s gay or something, which isn’t needed, and hence why I say destroys any previous progress they made with her because she was introduced as gay so naturally and correctly.

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I don’t mean soft in a “not very” sense, I mean soft as in the term is just “soft butch”.

In terms of writing and design she has always followed the soft butch lesbian design to its fully extent. People knew she was written as gay wayyyyyy before it was revealed. This skin may be a bit more easily recognisable in that regard, but it’s not done to a greater extent.

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Cough real lesbians have hair and style it however they want, some like it short, or even in mohawks like what tracer has in her new skin, just because it’s deemed part of a stereotype doesn’t that no lesbian can ever have their hair like that lest they be setting gay rights back 100 years Cough

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Im a lesbian, and I thihnk its great that they introduced her in a comic, not really playing it up, not making a big deal of it.
BUT I do also love how theyre letting theyre character embrace it, whether it be stereotypical or not.
I mean, I have quite a few friends with mohawks and theyre straight as a ruler.
She already breaks stereotypes of a lesbian relationship having a “Manly” girl, and a girly girl, though she has always been softly butch, I think thats just how they want their character to be

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I’m not good with words but a friend of mine just sort of gave me an example to better express what I mean with this - I feel like Blizzard is using Tracer for attention and browine points, so thats why I feel making her look more excessively gay is problematic and knocks down any progress they had with her previously - like instead of giving her a skin to make sure people can tell she looks gay now, how about scoring brownie points in other characters by finally telling us which others are LGBT like theyve hinted and teased for awhile now.

Also another point is that I still think its enforcing sterotypes and I just personally think that’s bad, if you don’t mind it that’s fine, but I also view that as we wouldn’t have people who “look gay” in the first place if there wasn’t an established gay look, and i guess that just stunts the progress in trying to normalize lgbt people. Like now we have someone could be butch lesbian, or they could be tomboy, so the next step up is the style this skin has, that still says “gay.” and I feel by blizzard enforcing this sterotyped look, we’re not making progress towards normalizing lgbt because i dont think its right that one should ever be able to LOOK a certain sexuality.

I say this with intentions it also helps in the opposite way too if you remove the gay look, bc I’ve also seen some LGBT ppl be mean to others in the community or some comments along the lines of “you don’t look gay”, so thats why i think stereotypes are a problem.

I’m not saying they can’t have the hair style im just saying it’s a very clearly established look and if a straight woman were to wear that hair people would assume shes gay, hence why its a sterotype and why i think support stereotypes is a problem. My issue isn’t about those who do have this look irl, because people have a right, my issue is with blizzard enforcing the sterotype of that look, especially since tracer was already established with the soft lesbian look, as i said above it also feels like they are trying to draw more browine points where they don’t have to.

I think its great how they did it in the comic as well, and maybe we have different examples and sources but the butch “manly” girl and the pretty girly girl is a common setup for lesbian relationships, or at least from what I’ve seen.

My point with this is talking about stereotyping and how it can be harmful, and how i feel it personally doesn’t help the LGBT community, but your friends with mowawks, if they are done like tracers is or similar, a lot of people LGBT and not LGBT, will assume they are gay or part of the LGBT community because its a stereotyped look. Even tho they are straight. The problem isn’t exactly the hairstyle itself or who wears it, but how people view that hairstyle, and as I said it feels like Blizzard is just enforcing the look that this MUST be a gay look always, by applying it to tracer specifically. I just don’t think it was that smart of a choice.

Also I appreciate you guys taking the time out to discuss and talk about this, I’m interested in further discussion and sharing of opinions. :slight_smile:

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Ok, I think I understand your side here and where you’re coming from, and I get what you’re saying about the trying to score points thing.

Personally, I’m very happy to see a skin in game that’ll have people look and say “She looks like a lesbian” because I want it to be addressed in game more. I know plenty of LGBT people want subtle representation, the “I’m gay but not in a, in your face way” and they’re after normalisation over representation, but I personally want more of the “in your face” kind of rep, i want skins with rainbows, and Tracer talking about her GF in spawn, I wanna hear McCree complain about his binder, and Soldier to bemoan what has become of his lost love Gabe, because while being “normalised” would be great… it’s never gonna happen, we’re always going to be othered and told we’re different, so until being gay or trans is seen as 100% normal, I want representation that is loud, and in everyone’s faces, i want rainbow flag icons and tracer with “a lesbian haircut”. Because if Tracer having short hair is gonna make some straight gamer dudes angry, then Tracer should have short hair.

P.s. I’m in two minds about the skin as a whole, I rather like the hair and i love design on her trousers, but I’m not keen on the super bright yellow, I’ll probably wear it for the event, then go back to graffiti :smile:

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I’m glad you understand my side, that’s a relief actually because a lot of the time I get attacked a lot for being like homophobic or something just because I didn’t express my point clearly so thank you for letting me know I’ve achieved that for once, it means a lot! :smiley:

Personally myself I find the in your face stuff to be annoying and a bit much, and its why people are turned off from LGBT people, or at least the most common reason, and I feel that if we toned that back a bit, we could actually reach normalization of LGBT people, because well I feel being overly in your face like that simply isn’t normal. If it was straight people would be doing the same, but they don’t do that unless their being homophobic. (now don’t get me wrong, gay pride is completely different than this in your face attitude, I’m personally all for expressing your pride and being proud of who you are.)

Of course if that’s how you like things I’m not one to judge or to police on you what you can and can’t do for the community, I don’t think it will help, but if you think it will then we shall both carry on in our own ways, since we both share the intention of benefiting the community.

Also, if we’re talking about making homophobic gamers angry, then by all means sign me up for a rainbow jumpsuit because that’s on a whole other level than what I’m arguing about tracers skin. I like in your face stuff for making homophobic people angry, i just don’t want to annoy the potential allies or people who aren’t homophobic in the process of punishing the homophobic people.

The LGBT related reasons with the skin, mainly the hair, aside, I too don’t like the bright yellow color, and as I said, the hairstyle regardless of its meaning, doesn’t suit her face and makes it look foreign to me.

Graffiti skin best skin. :+1:

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I’m not gonna lie… I didn’t read your entire post.
For a good reason.
It’s one skin. Just one. It’s not essay worthy, whether good or bad, that’s too much drama for one skin.

I’m not trying to be mean. If you don’t like it, don’t use it.
Problem solved.

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i respect your opinion, but…if you dont like it, dont get it, i mean, how do you think us zarya players have felt

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That’s fair, but I also get the feeling you went back and read the rest of my post and then realized what I was getting at? Not all Essays on the ONE skin on this thread just go into nonsense, some of us have actual reasons we like to discuss and talk about :slight_smile:

I’m not trying to start drama over this either, as I stated in my little ground rules for the post, I’m just sharing my opinion on it.

No hard feelings, I know you’re not trying to be mean. I don’t intend to be mean either. Don’t like it don’t use it is a fair conclusion, and in no means did I go into this with the intention of convincing an uprising for Blizzard to change the skin, I was just expressing my opinion on it and why I don’t like it.

I fully plan on the fact I will not be using it because I do not like it. :slight_smile:

I’m sorry for you Zarya players, I’m sure I understand how you feel though. :frowning:

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looks at extremely long post about a single vanity skin for OW

laughs

Leaves thread.

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See now, the thing is that there are a lot of “allies” who say things like “I support gay rights, though i do wish they wouldn’t be so in your face about it”, and at first you think, well I guess I know what they mean, I wouldn’t like a straight person walking around saying they’re straight on loop.

But then you realise what they mean by “in your face” is just… people being gay. I wouldn’t consider myself an “in your face” gay guy, but I don’t hide the fact that I’m gay, and a lot of people think that’s “too much”. If I say I find a guy attractive twice in a night, I’m being “too” gay, I dye my hair, “too” gay (I’ve even had it just for bleaching my hair), Just because someone knew I was gay they told me I was shoving it in their face by having my top shirt button undone. This all from people who proudly say “I support gay rights”, and funnily enough punctuate their speech with “I’m not gay”'s and “Not to sound gay”'s.

The fact of the matter is, if a “potential ally” is turned off by gay people… being gay, then they’re not really a potential ally at all, so much as someone that “Doesn’t like the word homophobe”.

Like I said I understand the argument of trying to normalise being gay by keeping it as low key as possible, but straight people aren’t exactly quiet about being straight either, and if the only way for being gay to become “acceptable” is to keep your appearance stereotypically straight and to not talking about being gay too loudly, then I don’t think that’s really being accepted at all.

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The skin itself is fine, it’s just her haircut makes her look like jacksfilms with her long caveman forehead. Her other skins didn’t have that problem because of her bang covering her forehead.

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I actually agree with you 100% on this and when I say potential allies I mean the people who actually are legit and not these fake allies, because actual in your face behavior is and can be annoying, but what you’ve just described is actually what I’m talking about when I’m talking about LGBT people being normal.

No you shouldn’t have to hide the fact you’re gay and everything you did is normal if a straight person did it, so it’s normal. Also given that you’re actually not a literal “in your face” I’m gonna assume what you said previously was just an example for sarcasm, yeah? Cause I mean that kind of in your face is what most ppl find annoying, even LGBT people y’know lol, but again if some people are actually like that, no judgement I just don’t think it helps very much but to each their own.

Actually that’s why I bring up stereotypes about tracers hair cut enforcing it, because as you said, just dying your hair was “too gay” for these homophobes, because dying hair is now associated as a stereotype for gay ppl, which is why I don’t want to encourage gay stereotyping, so people can dye hair and not be “too gay” or “look gay”, its just someone with cool hair dye.

I agree anyone who finds that kinda normal behavior “in your face” and speaks with “i’m not gay and not to sound gay” should not be trusted, or at least sat down and educated a bit. (I don’t believe in fully writing people off unless they refuse to change and cannot be taught/learn how to behave and be a good person, but that’s just me.)

Actually if straight ppl are being in your face about being straight im gonna poke fun and call them out too lol, its just less likely to happen and as I said is done in response to gay ppl to be homophobic towards them. when I point out the sterotypes with Tracer I feel it is supporting the actual in your face gay, and not the normal stuff like you’ve described.

When I say normalize, i mean it so it actually is normalize, you can say how attractive you think a guy is more than once and just get “omg ur so in love lol” instead of “ugh ur so gay,” bc if that was a girl swooning over a guy or vise versa they would get the “omg ur so in love” response, so the normalizing goal is that gay ppl also get that response, bc its normal. :slight_smile:

Now that you pointed that out I can see she does actually have a rather large forhead we don’t normally see and part of me wonders if thats a modeling mistake (sometimes they elongate the head to give effects to hair.) or intentional, but just not noticed where she had longer hair.

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Personally, I just thought the combination of the color scheme and the hair was just outright ugly and trashy looking on tracer. It did not fit her at all and was too “punk” looking for the goody two shoes Tracer who is always upbeat and happy.

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That’s fair, I don’t like the color either and that’s a good way of putting it.

Even her actual punk skins are more peppy and happy than this lightning blur. It’s just not a nice skin overall.

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The girl has two upper ear piercings and two literal punk skins my good friend, I think punk fits her just fine. Like I’m not disagreeing on the colour scheme, that’s a mess, but Tracer too punk? nah

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To be fair her literal punk skins are very colorful and upbeat, even tho they are “punk”. I think they meant punk as is a bit more dark/mean looking for her personality, which I agree.

Her actual Punk skins are not at all on the same level as this skin.