"Electronic Arts is committed to making our games and experiences fun, fair and safe for everyone. We use various tools to achieve this, including tools to filter inappropriate user-generated content in areas like in-game chat and EA Account, player and team names." I know, EA Mako, this is exactly the PROBLEM. You are saying that the way you fight people who hate on Trans and Gay people is to banish the words Trans and Gay from sight. I am here, spending my limited time and emotional energy, to tell you and anyone willing to listen that this is not a helpful practice; this is an exclusory practice; exclusion does not solve the problem of intolerance; exclusion actually HEIGHTENS intolerance by making the victims seem less common/prevalent/tangible than they really are; representation MATTERS.
The very start of the EA Positive Play Charter reads:
"At EA, we believe in the power of positive play. Being part of a gaming community should be positive, fun, fair, and safe for all."
I, too, believe in the power of positive play. Being part of a gaming community is what I want, very much. I'd love to be able to be who and what I am and have it always be a positive, fun, fair, and safe experience. That actually sounds like heaven.
"Like with most communities, we have positive play guidelines to help make sure our games and services are an enjoyable experience for all players."
Guidelines are good - they give you a place to start from, a place to come back to. But guidelines can't be perfect, I know this, which is why I'm sharing my experience in the way that I have, hopefully to illustrate exactly why it hasn't been an enjoyable experience for this Rainbow. You mentioned that you passed my feedback along; thank you for that. This is really all I can hope for. I don't actually expect Trans and Gay to be taken off of your banned list, because the world doesn't work like that. Justice is never just handed to you, you have to fight and scrabble and campaign and bleed for it. So here I am, fighting. Hopefully not fighting in vain.
"Whether you’re new to gaming or have been an active player for years, we need your help to make this a community we all want to be part of."
I agree, this is why I am here. I wanted to be a part, but I wasn't allowed to be; a part that looks like me isn't allowed in the community. If I want to be a part of the community I have to hide what I am, and I am too tired and too sad to be able to do anything BUT celebrate what I am. TransPride is not offensive. TransPride is not an insult or an attack. Please, do what you can - all of you who have a free hour in your day to put toward something - to help make this community one that allows Trans and Gay people to be included the way we are.
Community Manager
