thats vile, and im a huge xbox fan

total joke. id sue if i were her.

I think private companies have all the right to keep or not keep whom they will for whatever reason (barring a contractual agreement), and moreso if a person violates a rule the company holds (which this person may well have, if the given MS clause can encompass sexual orientation). Finally, I do not think evidence has been shown to support the idea the MS is picking on homosexuals.

Now that the mod queue is finally clear (for now)!

I think it is pretty silly for them to make an issue over this very very minor sexual reference. If they are going to be sticklers on the rule they should at least be consistent and from my admittedly limited knowledge this is far from the worst of what can be found out there.

With that said MS is not required to apply its rules fairly and they can legally do whatever the hell they want in this case....but they ultimately pay the PR price and the consumers will dictate their policy in the end. Some of you seem very sure of what that policy is or should be but I think it is far from clear. Understanding that most adults see gaming as a child's activity I think you will find that while some apply the rules of the adult social world to the case many ignorant of what XBL is will apply the social rules of a childs world where most see involving any level of sexual related words or content at all is a big "no-no". You can disagree with them all day on it and I actually do to an extent myself but it is in fact an area where you can have legitimate and honest disagreement without someone being a bigot.

Teresa tells the Consumerist "I was harassed by several players, 'chased' to different maps/games to get away from their harassment. They followed me into the games and told all the other players to turn me in because they didn't want to see that crap or their kids to see that crap."

And that's why MS has that policy. You just make yourself a target for harrasment.

Well, reporting one's sexuality *is* sexual in nature (as several have said here).

In fact, it's just as sexual in nature as reporting one's... sex.

So, in fairness, Microsoft should root out anyone who mentions that they're male or female.

But they don't act in fairness--not at all.  Self-proclaimed lesbians are obviously going to receive a "special" treatment that won't happen to those who are clear about being heterosexual.

And that's what makes it discriminatory.  Not that it isn't generally covered in the contracts, but that they selectively enforce these provisions.

And finally, I'm sure that MS isn't "anti-gay" or anything like it.  But if the goal was to somehow minimize controversy... well... it just seems like a flawed strategy.

I love lesbians as long as their HOT!!

Sqrl is smart. I think those comments summed up the topic nicely.


But now I want to shout out the loud funny words:

MS is kind of screwed either way with this.

If they allow people to post words alluding to their sexual preference in their usernames, then some uninformed parent/person/rabble-rouser is going to give them a bunch of bad PR, claiming that video games brainwash children to have sex orgies.

If they don't allow it, then some uniformed parent/person/rabble-rouser is going to give them a bunch of bad PR, claiming that video games promote bigotry and homophobia.


Personally, I think they should just allow you to put whatever you want into your username because I'd rather be brainwashed to have a sex orgy than to be a bigot.

Well, I think it's a little bit ridiculous that she gets treated like that, but come on, does she REALLY have to say it in her profile? What the hell does it have to do with Xbox Live? Why do you want a bunch of strangers to know that you are a lesbian?

She should have been encouraged to take it off, because there ARE homophobes in this world, and she should know this, but not suspended!

As a practising lesbian, I feel incredibly offended.

It goes beyond that, sqrl.

XBL can and is used by minors so Microsoft has to do some things to avoid liabilities (AKA parents sueing them). It's equally forbidden to be open about your gay sexuality as it is forbidden to be open about your hetero sexuality. The problem comes because XBL is sort-of self-regulated, in the sense that supervisors don't listen to every chat, don't read every profile, etc. It relies on user-reporting and since the majority of vocal/involved users are hetero, hetero sexual references are ignored while any homosexuality does get reported.

It's not the first time it has happened and it won't be the last.

Anyways, who cares about the issue at hand. This thread was just flamebait and it worked well at that. Hoo-ray for axe-grinding and agenda-driven posting.