Homophobia is now non-cannon

Wyrmrest Accord
111

Here’s the problem: that’s idiotic.

It would be valid and great for Blizzard to do some deep and meaningful activism through the game. There’s also a lot of room for Blizzard to handle it incorrectly, or even correctly but not super well. What you propose, outright canonizing homophobia and then having another character shoot it down can easily be just as performative and weightless as saying homophobia doesn’t exist in this universe, only it takes a good deal more effort and gets us nowhere.

I don’t know you, I don’t know what your actual beliefs are, I only know that the arguments that you make would be perfectly in line with concern trolling. Perhaps that’s what you’re doing, or perhaps you genuinely believe your argument is good, useful. All I can tell you is that it isn’t.

5 Likes
112

Here’s a take, and I’m not sure if it’s hot or just … weird.

I have racism in my Tabletop Games. Sexism, slavery, the works.

Thing is, my players know when a character or group who has one of these ‘flags’ attached to them, that’s pretty much my cue to them that “Hey, this thing is worth XP. Go get it.”

I talk to these people. They are my friends. We have a few standing rules such as ‘safety words’ at the D&D table so that if something is putting them off or they’re feeling uncomfortable, we stop, huddle up or they can take me to another room and talk about it.

They also have carte blanche to crease my skull with their dice.

And we have a blast.

But … you can’t really have this in an online setting. So much information, body language, the tone in somebody’s voice, eye contact, none of that is transferred via the text. You also are highly unlikely to know if the person(s) on the other end, or even just people walking by, are going to be upset, hurt or angered by what is going on.

So with ‘trigger’ situations like homophobia, sexual assault and the like, it is better to err on the side of caution and empathy and just go “Yeah, this doesn’t happen. Ever. At all.” and just keep on keeping on.

Kudos to Blizzard, even if it wasn’t for the right reasons, to step up and slap this excuse down hard.

8 Likes
113

i’ve always been of the belief that homophobia, transphobia, sexism, etc had no real basis to exist in the world of warcraft universe from any front – and it’s genuinely great to see that finally get confirmed. i’m incredibly happy with it, and it is good ammunition to level at bigots IC/OOC because as i always figured, they are trying to shove something that isn’t there into the lore.

i’ve also never really seen a good reason to roleplay homophobia/etc but if there ever is one, the only people who have any claim to it are LGBT+ folk

straight cis people can honestly get tf out if they want to roleplay trauma fetishizing things like that and subject everyone else who’s actually experienced it to it, especially

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114

Relatedly unrelated, I specifically ran a “revenge catharsis” subplot against a merchant prince in one of my campaigns who did all the most unspeakable things you could imagine including something that had occurred to a friend of mine.

She absolutely loved it, she continues to love when characters like that are put in the party’s crosshairs, she has confided in me that it has helped her through some dark moments.

So here we have it, an example of how something terrible can be wielded positively but here’s my big ol honking asterisk. It was privately asked for when we were talking about “dark fantasy” elements. It was consented to. It wasn’t just there, shoehorned into a table I knew had some sexual assault survivors because “Oh man they’re going to love this and it will in no way backfire at all.”

Because that’s the way you should handle sensitive subject matter in entertainment. You’re not a !@#$ing hero for making your RP antagonist homophobic, sexist, or an abuser so that someone will rise against you, challenge you, win, and reflect on how great it is that we can defeat things like this. Because for everyone but your dazzling protagonist you’re just a beacon of negative energy that they’re probably trying to get the !@#$ away from when they log into WoW.

LIke… no. That shouldn’t have to be said.

5 Likes
115

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all media/advertisement exists to pander to someone.

Admittedly some pandering will be better than others. Some takes won’t be as impactful, well written or well received as others. This is true. So it stands to reason that the thing you want to see won’t be as well done in one place as another.

The issue that I take with the current argument surrounding homophobia here and in other media is that gay people in media that are front and center without being a series of poorly aged tropes and stereotypes.

We simply put have had so little gay representation that we can’t even make an average since none exists. The Pandering argument is pointless by A.) Virtue of the nature of capitalism and B.) A scarcity that renders every instance out of the norm anyway.

Would I like a meaningful story about homophobia and how it impacts people? Sure why not? But Blizzard has decided that they DON’T want to tell a story about overcoming homophobia. They want a story about angry banshees tearing holes into space and time. I can respect that much given that it’s never been an issue before.

Also as a personal note. I don’t think one’s response to seeing gay people in media should be “Needs more homophobia.”

7 Likes
116

after 26 years of franchise, for canon in universe homophobia to only exists after characters with screen time are gay sounds pretty suspicious to me.

the prehistory of this momentous occasion is queer coded raid bosses, one off ‘ahah blood elf man is gay/a woman/its a tr*p’ jokes, “that night elf wiggled her eyebrows, lesbians detected”, a Steamy Romance Novel and non-canon ships. “Nooonononono, Chromie isn’t trans, she just has a boy name! /sweats”

so

To expect less than nothing from Blizzard save for two or three posts on their social media profiles from June 1 to June 30 is a pretty safe bet. Overall, I think this is a positive thing but kinda like leaving a penny in a charity jar level of positivity.

1 Like
117

Yeah it’s literally about consent. I like writing in dystopian settings. I like writing dark and grisly stories. I like the catharsis about experiencing dark and unsettling things in a safe environment, on my own terms. Like I have a trans woman drow from a traditional Llolth cult and her story is about saving people like her from Llolth cults and showing them that it doesn’t have to be this way.

Someone coming up to my character in Orgrimmar and calling me homophobic slurs is not cathartic or consensual, mate. It’s not even interesting RP. I’m just gonna emote breaking your character’s jaw and then putting u on mute lmao.

4 Likes
118

If you want to play something that is based in very real harm and evil, leave.

Get out. You are awful.

119

I’ma be real fams. if anyone here is argueing in FAVOR of added homophobia. You should probably take a step back and rethink before you post again. This ain’t it.

5 Likes
120

I don’t want to see your hatred. I fight it every day, I don’t want it in my comfort zone. I’ll take you out, too.

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121

I see some of the LGBT + folks here and in GD thread equally bigot, hypocrite, and intolerant as the other folks. They start indulging in insulting just as the other side.

They equally get outraged when a person has different view just as they complain about the outrage for their views.

They try to be a pushover just as they complain about getting pushed.

Both sides of people are no better than another.

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122

Get out of here.

123

Bigots: You deserve to be oppressed
LGBT People: Shut Up Stinky
Carltond: These are the same.

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124

Taking a wild guess. The lvl 10 undead got called cis. Smh. Sad.

125

Imagine posting on a low level alt

126

yes, i am intolerant to people who think i should not exist and regularly attempt to have me erased from media. not even considering the worse parts of homophobia. are you surprised at this?

tolerance of intolerance is stupidity

7 Likes
127

Is it wrong for me to fight people for hating me for my very existence? If you think so, I’ll show you the door. Don’t let my boot hit you on the way out.

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128

There’s actual lynchings happening right now because of people’s skin color, sexual preference, nationality or religion. In developed countries that should good god damn know better so no I’m really sorry that LGBTQ+ people are using mean words in conversation lately.

It must

be

a w f u l

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129

This “both sides!!!” argument is stupid, because one side is advocating for oppression and violence and the other is fighting for human rights. The side of violence and oppression does not deserve an ear. They deserve to be ridiculed for horrible beliefs.

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130

Who even cares about stuff like this?
Im more mad at Sylvannas beating the Lich King than LGBT+ representation in WoW.