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Google Plus lets you define your own gender
Facebook gave its gender non-conforming users a better way to express themselves early in the year, and now it's Google's turn. An update to Google+ rolling out over the next few days will let you type in a custom gender for your social networking profile instead of having to settle for "other" -- you won't have to constantly explain yourself just because you don't fit into the male/female binary. You can also choose a pronoun, and it's still possible to limit who sees your gender. This is a small tweak to the code, but it should make a big difference if you haven't been comfortable with your G+ identity so far.
EA once again earns perfect score in LGBT workplace equality
Eight months after losing the dubious title of 'Worst Company in America' for the first time in three years, Human Rights Campaign has recognized EA for its commitment to promoting LGBT equality by awarding the publisher a 100 percent score in its latest Corporate Equality Index. This marks the third consecutive year in which EA has earned a perfect score. EA cites an expanded presence at numerous Pride Parades throughout the past year as well as its long-running commitment to barring any sort of discrimination from its offices as key to being recognized by the HRC for a third straight year. "We are very honored to be recognized again as a 'Best Place to Work'," said EA's head of diversity and inclusion Andre Chambers. "We believe that fostering an inclusive environment helps us to create great games, and represent our diverse set of players and I'm proud to work at a company that has strong employee values." [Image: EA]
OKCupid test lets you choose nearly any sexual identity
If you don't conform to historical definitions of gender or sexual orientation, online dating can be tough. You frequently have to shoehorn yourself into a category where you aren't comfortable, and you'll probably get many unwelcome advances. OKCupid should soon have a fix, however: it's testing an update that dramatically expands the range of identities you can associate with your dating profile. You can declare yourself as gender non-conforming or pansexual, for example, rather than having to choose from binary options like male/female or heterosexual/gay. The site is only showing the new options to a subset of its users and hasn't said if or when they'll be available to everyone, but it might not be long before you'll have an easier time finding partners that accept who you are. [Image credit: Alamy]
Tim Cook says he's 'proud to be gay'
Tim Cook has long topped lists as the "most powerful" gay person in the world, and today he's publicly addressed his sexuality for the first time. "Throughout my professional life, I've tried to maintain a basic level of privacy," the Apple CEO says in a letter published by Bloomberg Businessweek. "While I have never denied my sexuality, I haven't publicly acknowledged it either, until now. So let me be clear: I'm proud to be gay, and I consider being gay among the greatest gifts God has given me."
Tim Cook speaks out about Alabama's slow progress on LGBT rights
Over the last year Apple CEO Tim Cook has been ramping up his personal activism for LGBT causes, both in private and with the company. The trend continued today in a speech in Alabama, at the state capital during the Alabama Academy of Honor event. Cook called for his home state to learn from the civil rights movement when thinking of LGBT issues. I could never understand why some within our state and nation resisted basic principles of human dignity that were so opposite to the values I had learned growing up in Robertsdale, Alabama in a family that was rich in love and respect. Cook pointed out Alabama's slow acceptance of civil rights for African-American citizens, and begged them not to follow the same path with regards to civil rights for the LGBT community. We were too slow on equality on African-Americans. We were too slow on interracial marriage. And we are still too slow on equality for the LBGT community. Cook then pointed out that beyond Alabama's stance on marriage equality, the state is one of the few left in the nation where someone can be fired simply for their sexual orientation. Currently there are only 18 states without marriage equality for citizens. The speech went onto address the importance of access to education for all children, regardless of economic background, referencing education as a fundamental human right. In the past year Apple has pledged to donate US$750 million worth of iPads, computers, and other technology to President Obama's ConnectedED education program. The initiative aims to bring high-speed broadband to 99% of the schools across the United States. You can read about where Apple's money is going here, including which 114 schools across 29 states will benefit from the funds. Here's the video of Cook's remarks:
Facebook apologizes for spurning drag queens, might do something about it
Facebook's real name policy has caused quite a stir recently, especially among the drag queen community. Several performers found themselves on the receiving end of merciless deletion because they used their stage names, rather than their legal names for their profiles. When those accounts were reported as fake (apparently by a single individual with a vendetta against drag queens) they got swept up into Facebook's system and removed along with the bullies, impersonators and trolls. Now the company's chief product officer, Chris Cox, has issued an apology, though one that makes it clear the policy will not be changing.
What you need to know about Facebook's battle with drag queens (update)
Maybe you've seen RuPaul's Drag Race, the flagship show on Logo TV, where men (dressed as women) compete to become America's next drag superstar. At the end of each show, the lowest-scoring competitors "lip sync for their life" in order to stay on the show another week. Now, some drag queens are fighting for their social media lives.
Atari's betting its future on gays and gamblers
"If I had a hole in New Mexico, maybe that one [the Project Runway game] would have made it there." Todd Shallbetter, Atari's chief operating officer, is just joking of course. He's referencing the company's infamous 1983 move to bury countless amounts of unsold gaming hardware and E.T. game cartridges under a slab of cement in the desert. Shallbetter doesn't deny his company's rocky legacy. On the contrary, he embraces it, using its failures as a counterpoint for a new version of Atari he's helping to build. To push the company past the €31.7 million (about $42 million) in revenues it earned in the 2011-2012 fiscal year (PDF), Shallbetter is targeting markets that most companies would rather ignore; markets that represent hundreds of billions of dollars. Atari is going after gays and gamblers.
Apple shares video detailing participation in San Francisco Pride Parade
On June 29, the city of San Francisco held its 44th annual Pride parade, a cultural gathering of civilians and businesses showing their support for the LGBT community. Among those companies was Apple, who had thousands of employees -- including CEO Tim Cook -- show up to march in the festivities. Employees gave out free iTunes gift cards and wore special t-shirts to signify their support. Apple has posted a new video, set to Coldplay's "Sky Full of Stars" showing an overview of the company's experience during the Pride parade, from preparation to marching. In keeping with Apple's esthetics the clip is beautifully shot and edited. Here's the company's description of the video. On June 29, thousands of Apple employees and their families marched in the San Francisco Pride Parade. They came from around the world -- from cities as far as Munich, Paris, and Hong Kong -- to celebrate Apple's unwavering commitment to equality and diversity. Because we believe that inclusion inspires innovation. During the event Tim Cook tweeted out the following. Congrats to 5000 Apple employees/families who attended today's Pride parade.Inclusion inspires innovation.#applepride pic.twitter.com/4DncX8F6fO - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 29, 2014 Tim Cook has been a public supporter of LGBT equality cause, penning an editorial for the Wall Street Journal in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act last year. You can view Apple's Pride video below.
Tim Cook and Lisa Jackson help Apple celebrate LGBT Pride Parade in San Francisco
Apple has long been a supporter of LGBT equality and the company was out in force yesterday at the 44th annual Pride parade in San Francisco. Over 5,000 employees are estimated to have taken part in the parade, including CEO Tim Cook and Lisa Jackson, the company's recently hired environmental chief. On Sunday, Tim Cook tweeted out the following: Congrats to 5000 Apple employees/families who attended today's Pride parade.Inclusion inspires innovation.#applepride pic.twitter.com/4DncX8F6fO - Tim Cook (@tim_cook) June 29, 2014 At the parade, Apple employees handed out iTunes gift cards good for one free song download. The tweet below is from Jackee Chang, an employee on Apple's Final Cut Pro software team. Look what #applepride will passing out!!! #sfpride pic.twitter.com/Y8GSgPpBfn - jackee chang (@jackeechang) June 29, 2014 Also getting in on the action was Apple VP of Environmental Initiatives Lisa Jackson, who helped carry Apple's banner during the parade. Here we go. Honored to be a banner carrier Thanks #applepride pic.twitter.com/Jtmb7Mj9KO - Lisa P. Jackson (@lisapjackson) June 29, 2014 For a full recap of Apple's participation in the parade, make sure to peruse Twitter for the hashtag #ApplePride.
Facebook now lets UK users choose from over 70 gender options
Four months after it did so in the US, Facebook is now letting UK users choose new gender options. After working with two UK organisations, Press For Change and Gendered Intelligence, the social network added over 70 new terms, allowing you to select one of the new custom genders or add your own. Users can also choose a preferred pronoun: male (he/his), female (she/her) or neutral (they/their), which is reflected in birthday notifications and suchlike. As with all profile information, Facebook lets you hide anything you're not comfortable with sharing and says it will not disclose gender selections to advertisers. To update your profile, click the 'About' tab, then hit "Edit" next to the "Gender" option in the "Contact and Basic Information" section.
Talk show's 'Nintendo Gay Marriage' video pairs up Mario, Link
Last Week Tonight discussed the ten-year anniversary of Massachusetts' legalization of same-sex marriage by poking fun at Nintendo's apology for not including same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Steamier than the average fan-fiction, the talk show played match-maker with Nintendo's characters.
Nintendo apologizes for Tomodachi Life's lack of same-sex relationships
Tomodachi Life, an upcoming 3DS game that places the Miis of a player and their acquaintances in various scenarios, has drawn criticism from fans over its lack of support for same-sex relationships. Nintendo of America recently explained that the company "never intended to make any form of social commentary" with Tomodachi Life, but the bungling response only upset people further. With fans amassing awareness for the issue through the Miiquality hashtag, Nintendo has now issued an apology for "disappointing many people by failing to include same-sex relationships." "Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to change this game's design, and such a significant development change can't be accomplished with a post-ship patch," the statement continues. "We are committed to advancing our longtime company values of fun and entertainment for everyone. We pledge that if we create a next installment in the Tomodachi series, we will strive to design a game-play experience from the ground up that is more inclusive, and better represents all players." It's nice of Nintendo of America to play damage control, but since the response is from the company's American division, we wonder if the strive to be more inclusive would only be evident in Western versions of the next game. Of course, that's assuming that another Tomodachi game will be made in the first place. [Image: Nintendo]
Nintendo promises 'more inclusive' games in wake of #Miiquality campaign
When Nintendo designed Tomodachi Life, a bizarre life-sim that puts the company's Mii avatars in an exaggerated parody of reality, it probably didn't expect to provoke a marriage equality campaign. Community cries for 'Miiquality' petitioned Nintendo to add same-sex relationships to the title, but the company's initial response was sterile and dismissive. "Tomodachi Life was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game," Nintendo said. "We were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary." Intentional or not, the lack of same-sex relationships caused a stir. Now, Nintendo is apologizing officially.
Nintendo responds to marriage equality campaign for its bizarre life-sim
Nintendo has no problem with its Mii-based Tomodachi Life being off-kilter, but when it comes to the handheld game's same-sex avatars being able to wed, well, that's a different story. Tomodachi Life is all about the interactions and relationships between an island full of Miis, and as two characters' dating progresses they'll eventually walk down the aisle, unlock a bigger home and have children -- so long as one is, say, Mario and the other is Princess Peach. A fan called the gaming giant on this, urging the internet to use the "#Miiquality" hashtag across social media when requesting that the company change its stance. Nintendo's response? It told the Associated Press that it "never intended to make any form of social commentary" with the 3DS game's launch. "The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that 'Tomodachi Life' was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary."
Nintendo: Tomodachi Life is here, is straight, get used to it
Nintendo responded to an outpouring of fan requests for LGBT representation in its upcoming Nintendo 3DS game Tomodachi Life, denying the possibility of same-sex relationships among the game's Mii denizens. The upcoming Tomodachi Life features Mii characters based on a player's real-world acquaintances, pairing them up in an ongoing series of unlikely situations. Though Tomodachi Life allows male characters to go on dates and marry female characters, the game does not grant the same opportunities for same-sex couples. "Nintendo never intended to make any form of social commentary with the launch of Tomodachi Life," a Nintendo of America representative said in a statement to the Associated Press. "The relationship options in the game represent a playful alternate world rather than a real-life simulation. We hope that all of our fans will see that Tomodachi Life was intended to be a whimsical and quirky game, and that we were absolutely not trying to provide social commentary." Though North American players will never see same-sex relationships within the world of Tomodachi Life, the Japanese version of the game shipped with a glitch last year that allowed same-sex coupling among male characters. The bug has since been patched out and removed from subsequent retail releases. Tomodachi Life will launch in North America next month. [Update: Nintendo's Bill Trinen clarified the glitch present in last year's Japanese release, explaining that supposed same-sex relationships were the result of user manipulation of character data. "Essentially [players] would create a male version of a Mii character and assign their gender as female, and that was how the two males were able to have a baby," he said.] [Image: Nintendo / Tiny Cartridge / NintenDaan]
Pay what you want for LGBT documentary Gaming In Color
Gaming In Color, the documentary about the LGBT community and gaming, is now available for purchase. While the suggested price for the hour-long exploration of intersecting cultures is $15, those so inclined can pay as much or as little as they want, provided said payment is at least $1. Gaming In Color was successfully Kickstarted in May of last year, and is being published by the same group behind the soon-to-be-closed GaymerX convention. [Image: Gaming In Color]
Joystiq Weekly: Nintendo foibles, LGBT gaming cons and crash-prone dirtbikes
Welcome to the Joystiq Weekly wrap-up where we present some of the best stories and biggest gaming news from our sister-publication.
GaymerX president on LGBT convention closing: 'We're still here'
LGBT-focused gaming convention GaymerX will be no more after this year's GaymerX2, being held July 11-13 at the InterContinental San Francisco hotel. But Toni Rocca, president of GaymerX and organizer of the con, isn't sad. Rocca told Joystiq she and the GaymerX organization did something new, something no one was doing two years ago, when the con was first announced. She's proud of what the GaymerX convention accomplished, and what's more, GaymerX as an organization will continue forward. This isn't the end of GaymerX, but a new beginning.
GaymerX2 will be final year for LGBTQ-focused con
A tweet from the official GaymerX Twitter account has announced that this year's GaymerX2, scheduled to take place in July of this year, will be the final year for the convention. The convention, which began just last year, was an event primarily focused on LGBTQ issues in gaming. "Based on feedback that we've gotten, the new focus towards diversity in the industry and budget, GaymerX2 will be the final year for the con," the GaymerX account posted. It appears that the latter of those may be one of the biggest contributing factors; the account also tweeted that, "the size of our event and the amount of money we were losing to put it on became too much of a burden to keep at this pace." Not all is dead and gone, however. The GaymerX account wrote, "we may one day do other, smaller events and we don't want to say gaymerX is forever gone." Joystiq has reached out to the GaymerX organizers for further comment and clarification. We will update if we hear back. [Image: GaymerX]
