Current Events > Fandom's Statement on Transphobia

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/6-gamefaqs-announcements/80747423

Glad they finally spoke. There was a lot of it going on around the Hogwarts Legacy release which was in Feb 2023 over a year ago causing some users to close their accounts. Maybe worse things happened if Fandom had to include the suicide hotline.

First time in a while (maybe ever admittedly) with fandom in charge I've actually applauded them for something, the system boards in general are really revolting with this (and I expect it to even get worse around the time the TTYD remake releases)

The timing of this was definitely intentional.

is it just me or is that statement just a bunch of nothing

i highly doubt the rules changes are going to change very much of anything, counteracting the [pretty much every user on the site misgendering trans people] sounds like a hell of a task and outside of that i'm not sure what there is to change that isn't already against the rules

Rosstin316 posted...

The timing of this was definitely intentional.

Yeah right?

Rosstin316 posted...

The timing of this was definitely intentional.

Better late than never.

This is like the one good thing the Fandom overlords have done.

Darkfire12 posted...

is it just me or is that statement just a bunch of nothing

i highly doubt the rules changes are going to change very much of anything, counteracting the [pretty much every user on the site misgendering trans people] sounds like a hell of a task and outside of that i'm not sure what there is to change that isn't already against the rules

They still allow transvestigator type of topics too, we just had one on CE recently and the mods didnt do shit about it

Like saying Michelle Obama is secretly a monkey and/or transgender, its just bigotry and disinformation from transphobic conservatrolls

I dont know what theyre trying to do with this announcement.

It was a topic about Taylor Swift is secretly a MAN with pictures that looked like she has a penis, mods never locked or closed the topic and just let it go on

This is a good thing.

Transphobia was plaguing CE and this site as a whole.

CSCA33 posted...

They still allow transvestigator type of topics too, we just had one on CE recently and the mods didnt do shit about it

These absolutely wouldn't be allowed and I haven't seen any so I'd like more information so I can relay to the rest of the mods. Do you happen to remember the topic title?

We understand that discussions about gender identity can sometimes lead to heated debates, but these discussions must remain civil and respectful. Discrimination or harassment against individuals based on their gender identity will not be tolerated.

We encourage our users to engage in constructive dialogue, to educate themselves on issues surrounding gender identity, and to approach discussions with empathy and understanding.

Why does this sound like he's both-sides'ing this? What fucking "debates" about people's genders are there to be had?

CountCorvinus posted...

Why does this sound like he's both-sides'ing this? What fucking "debates" about people's genders are there to be had?

Because you had ridiculous ones like paper Mario with Vivian where some insisted that Vivian was a transgender woman in Japanese and that the US version was transphobic and made Vivian a woman, when the only version that is explicit about it is the Italian version. And to clarify, most versions just hammer that Vivian is a male in general. US / Italian is the only one that makes Vivian a she.

Some people were particularly nasty and it made me not even want to post from my state of lurking.

CountCorvinus posted...

Why does this sound like he's both-sides'ing this? What fucking "debates" about people's genders are there to be had?

Gotta be inclusive to the biggest possible audience to drive profits. Even the ones with ideologies that got trans people put in gas chambers in 1940's Germany

MC_BatCommander posted...

These absolutely wouldn't be allowed and I haven't seen any so I'd like more information so I can relay to the rest of the mods. Do you happen to remember the topic title?

I dont remember the exact title but it had something to do with Taylor Swift being a man, with images of her wearing a one piece swimsuit and a visible mons pubis.

I believe wackyteen made the thread roughly a few months ago

@wackyteen

CSCA33 posted...

I dont remember the exact title but it had something to do with Taylor Swift being a man, with images of her wearing a one piece swimsuit and a visible mons pubis.

I believe wackyteen made the thread roughly a few months ago

@wackyteen

Oh, yeah. I was dunking on some chronically on twitter clown.

the topic title was hyperbolic to draw attention.

I personally have nothing but love for trans people.

Now should we spotlight clowns like that? Idk, I think exposing these people makes more people aware of what kind of nonsensical rhetoric is going around and may make the uninitiated/uniformed more aware of how insane the anti-trans crowd is.

Raising awareness about transphobia is a good thing, but that wasnt made entirely clear as the purpose of the topic or focus to kick off discussion at the time, and served moreso as a vehicle for shock value. Taylor swift is a MAN followed by pics of her with a bulge in her swimsuit was the highlight of the topic, not transvestigators spreading harmful misinformation and promoting bigotry.

There were even some people defending or downplaying transphobia in the thread, which is a common occurrence in such topics

I thought we could talk politics?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Thats a damn good point and no doubt partly behind the push to shut down any talk whatsoever they deem to be political

Foppe posted...

I thought we could talk politics?

Trans people existing and being allowed to exist isn't political.

So why was the closure of CE considered worthy of a front-page announcement for all to see but not their condemnation of transphobia, which has to be sought out on its own

Foppe posted...

I thought we could talk politics?

Transphobia and anti-trans sentiments aren't political, they're just hate

While I applaud the statement, this is very much a "we made an unpopular choice, let's change the conversation by shielding ourselves with righteousness" move.

Doesn't make it a bad stance or statement, just basic tier corporatism.

I hate that my existence has to be so much of a political statement to some people. It rubs salt in the wound caused by my family's disapproval of my lifestyle.

Coming out here was a great way of relieving stress and I don't want to keep these emotions buried inside me.

It's fine to talk about trans issues on any non-topical social board. It's fine to talk about trans issues on game boards if they're topical. We don't treat basic human existence as political, even if it is, sadly.

Talking about a country's political position on a topic is political. There's some leeway if it comes up in the course of natural discussion, even on game boards.

Baphometa posted...

We don't treat basic human existence as political, even if it is, sadly.

Talking about a country's political position on a topic is political.

This sounds like a roundabout way of saying you're going to treat all LGBT discussion as political and moderate it, because every country has a political position on it.

So, if somebody asks why a game is banned in a country like Saudi Arabia, are all the replies meant to be just "Oh, you know" without offering an actual explanation? How are we meant to answer somebody's question about that without bringing up their political stance?

What about discussing a news article about a game receiving criticism from right-wing groups for having an LGBT character in it? Are those going to be considered "political" because the bigotry comes from a political party, even though they're actually talking about basic human existence?

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Only in Italy. That's the Italian arc. Which is better no doubt, but the rest, aside from the US, treat Vivian as a joke.

TMOG posted...

So, if somebody asks why a game is banned in a country like Saudi Arabia, are all the replies meant to be just "Oh, you know" without offering an actual explanation? How are we meant to answer somebody's question about that without bringing up their political stance?

What about discussing a news article about a game receiving criticism from right-wing groups for having an LGBT character in it? Are those going to be considered "political" because the bigotry comes from a political party, even though they're actually talking about basic human existence?

Yeah, this definitely falls in a weird spot.

I agree. This reeks of the don't ask don't tell mentality, and not talking about things is not the correct answer. Discourse is the only way to communicate. What needed to happen is that trolls should have been better handled.

Or the tou should have been maintained better with no pretending that the questions are innocent when you can see posting habits.

pazzy posted...

Yeah, this definitely falls in a weird spot.

I agree. This reeks of the don't ask don't tell mentality, and not talking about things is not the correct answer. Discourse is the only way to communicate. What needed to happen is that trolls should have been better handled.

Or the tou should have been maintained better with no pretending that the questions are innocent when you can see posting habits.

Absolutely we should be able to talk about this stuff, nor should my very existence on boards outside of CE be a moddable offense.

The problem is these new crackdowns on politics are trickling down from the top, where it has been made known fandom is owned by a right wing hedge fund out of Texas.

CSCA33 posted...

Absolutely we should be able to talk about this stuff, nor should my very existence on boards outside of CE be a moddable offense.

The problem is these new crackdowns on politics are trickling down from the top, where it has been made known fandom is owned by a right wing hedge fund out of Texas.

Sexuality shouldn't be political full stop. An adjective that describes your appearance or gender shouldn't be either. That shit is ridiculous.

Which is probably true. I don't doubt it for a second.

The only people who possibly stand to benefit from stifling political discussion are monied interests, particularly conservatives.

It has nothing to do with making this place better or improved

DementedDurian posted...

I hate that my existence has to be so much of a political statement to some people. It rubs salt in the wound caused by my family's disapproval of my lifestyle.

Coming out here was a great way of relieving stress and I don't want to keep these emotions buried inside me.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/0/0f8bb2e0.jpg

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Trust me. The dialogue has Vivian say "we're the siren sisters." It's meant to be a joke. They are going with an otonoko joke. It doesn't translate here and can be taken as offensive because of cultural differences. Sometimes changes are good for localization, and I think future revisions should use Italian translation or the US one. Moving on.

CSCA33 posted...

The only people who possibly stand to benefit from stifling political discussion are monied interests, particularly conservatives.

It has nothing to do with making this place better or improved

Even doing that still doesn't accomplish what these people think. There's a reason when people do stuff like this, people end up leaving or losing advertising.

It could make it improved... If the definition of what is political was cleaned up. Because as far as I'm concerned, that means that any utterance of "woke" should be met with the same gusto.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

That's not the joke. The joke is that... Vivian is a pretty boy that gets mistaken for a girl. Like Lucius from blazing sword for instance, or Libra from awakening. It's a joke that's always been kinda bad. Otonoko falls in the same "queer" identify (I really detest saying it this way) in the same vein that crossdressing does. It's not necessarily transgender, it's not necessarily drag, but it can be. Bisexuality was not something that was said as "homosexual" so much as how you'd describe the relationship the person is in. I'm not sure what you mean on the last bit, as bisexual has been a word coined for over 100 years.

I'll be real, I'd rather not have Vivian considered transgender because they misspoke. Because that means everyone is awful to her then in every language but Italian.

Youre making a distinction without a difference in a highly transphobic context, or as you said earlier cultural differences.

So they turned us into 261 LUE against our will and we still cant talk about the Saudi Arabian Rainbow Road because it is "too political"?
Bloody bollocks!

CSCA33 posted...

The only people who possibly stand to benefit from stifling political discussion are monied interests, particularly conservatives.

How did you come to this conclusion? Most major media platforms, including Fandom, lean left.

It is absolutely fucked and doomed to fail, because you cannot implement that sort of policy without oppressing vulnerable and marginalized minority groups. You cant have your cake and eat it, too.

CSCA33 posted...

It is absolutely fucked and doomed to fail, because you cannot implement that sort of policy without oppressing vulnerable and marginalized minority groups. You cant have your cake and eat it, too.

Yes. You can. Because minority groups aren't the only political group. The problem is that people know it won't be fair.
[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

They were "awful" because the joke can be summed up as "dude looks like a lady." The issue I have with this while situation is that first people accused the US version of "censorship" and complained how the game was inaccurate, and then when it was revealed why the potentially offensive thing was changed, suddenly people jumped on another camp to try to complain. Localization changes things all the time when it doesn't make sense to other cultures.
CSCA33 posted...

Youre making a distinction without a difference in a highly transphobic context, or as you said earlier cultural differences.

Um. What? Seriously, why are people pushing so hard for it to be a transphobic handling rather than a joke that is a swing and a miss? The joke made sense to me. It's not funny, but it's not hard to grasp. Again, I even explained that it's a joke that IS has done multiple times from different games.

I mean Vivian's story makes sense as a lesson about acceptance. Her family by uh birth(Are the Siren Sisters literal family or are they 'sisters' like a witch coven)? Well they don't accept Vivian for who she is, where the family by choice (Mario and friends) do.