Nieko, I don't know you personally, but I have known Messenger since he used to be good friends with several people from my old LS. He and a few others helped many of us with LB1 and other rank missions. Knowing you are friends w/ Messenger tells me loads about you, since I believe Mess to be a great person. Incidentally, I also have a couple of friends in Avatar as well. I've never claimed you were a homophobe. Most people who say "that's gay" aren't homophobes and have gay friends. That does not change that by saying something is "gay", they are calling it "stupid/retarded/etc.", which means that even if not intentional, they are still equating being gay with those things. I consider this to be incredibly offensive to me and all other gay people. Maybe some of my "family" will say oh well and ignore it as part of daily life, but it is so plain and obvious to me that the language is derragatory, and I choose not to lie down about it.
As I've already said, I can't stop it completely or erase it from common use, but it remains disheartening to hear it day in and day out from people in certain LSes, in parties, in shouts, in tells, in says, in emotes, ..... And it is worse when many of these people are those I otherwise like and enjoy spending time in game with. I have no desire to b-list everyone; I'd rather try to get them to understand why the language upsets me and save the b-list for the true asshats.
By speaking out, SOME people may wise up and realize what they are doing because they are good people and considerate of others. Some people don't give a damn because they are only concerned with themselves, and some people are blatantly trying to offend others for whatever childish reasons they have. Not everyone understands that society is more than a mass of individuals doing their own thing, or that freedom and privilege also begets responsibilities; but some people do know the true meaning of what a community is supposed to be.
I posted on Alla to try to reach multiple people at a time. If I took the time out to talk to every single person individually in tells or PMs, I would have no time left in my life to do anything else. I was actually originally going to PM this to you, but I also felt maybe it would be worthwhile for others to hear. I know I have reached some people, and for that I am glad and can count them among my friends, or at least as people I can go through the game with cordially. For the others who continue to be blatantly offensive, I know to b-list them and move on.
The fact that this post remains near the top of the board or that I may respond to certain posts has nothing to do with trying to seek attention for myself. Tired of reading about it? Then don't read it. And certainly if you'd rather this post go away then don't keep bumping it. I certainly don't feel I have to have the last word, so others can freely post after me and I may not necessarily respond. There have been several posts in this thread I didn't respond to and was quite content to leave it be (if you noticed, Papawarlock had the last word the first time around). But if I happen to think I have something worthwhile to add or clarify or respond to, then I'll continue to post. If you "get it", then great; I'll just wait for this to die or the next flamer to come along. To the extent I've already addressed what is to follow in one of my other posts, I won't re-iterate my argument.
Edited, Thu Oct 20 23:55:52 2005 by lawtechguy