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Bioware will address more 'Mass Effect: Andromeda' issues soon
Mass Effect: Andromeda launched in rough shape, with issues affecting everything from character creation to in-game animations and facial expressions. In April Bioware laid out some of the issues it planned to fix and while some have already been addressed via updates, the next patch will also attempt to untangle some stickier problems like LGBT representation. According to the changelog, v1.08 will update the game so that a male Ryder player will have a same-sex romance option available within the squad. Beyond making Jaal available as a companion, it also means that someone using Scott Ryder can earn the game's achievement for completing three romances while sticking to same-sex partners.
YouTube pledges to 'fix' Restricted Mode's LGBTQ+ censorship
After a post by Rowan Ellis, many people recently noticed that YouTube's Restricted Mode filter consistently blocked videos containing LGBTQ+ related content. Despite tweeting that it is supposed to only filter mature content, users tracked down selections like this Tegan & Sara video that were blocked despite being incredibly tame. In a blog post tonight, YouTube VP Johanna Wright stated that "we must and will do a better job."
YouTube responds to allegations it censored LGBTQ+ videos
YouTube has found itself accused of effectively censoring LGBTQ+ content, and its creators, thanks to its restricted mode. YouTuber Rowan Ellis discovered that the site has been marking videos concerning gender and sexuality as inappropriate content. As such, those clips are hidden if the user is viewing the service through its restricted mode.
GDC opens up its arms to the trans community
Two weeks ago, the Trump administration rolled back federal protection for transgender students who wish to use the restroom that aligns with their gender identity. The act has drawn criticism for not just discriminating against transgendered people, but also putting them in harm's way. Several Silicon Valley companies have also come forward to decry the rollback, proclaiming their commitment to LGBT rights. At the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco last week, it was clear that the gaming industry shares the sentiment too.
Apple speaks out against regressive transgender policies
Apple spoke out against the Trump administration yesterday, criticizing its stance on transgender rights in schools. While the previous administration offered inclusive guidance to schools on transgender rights, the government yesterday revoked a federal law that allowed transgender children access to the bathroom of the gender that they identify with.
'Overwatch' comic unavailable in Russia because of homophobic law
Overwatch's comic series, which attempts to add more backstory to the swathe of characters inside the team shooter, has just published its Christmas special. Alongside festive cheer, present-giving and the rest, the issue reveals that Tracer is gay. She shares a kiss with her partner after sharing presents, and that's about it. While Overwatch has insinuated that the game's cast may have more than one LGBT character, this is the first time it's been pointed out explicitly. It's all too explicit for Russia, and the country has banned the comic.
LGBTQ site AfterEllen struck down by cruel modern media climate
The website AfterEllen went live in 2002, producing content for and written by lesbian and bisexual women. Since then, other sites like Autostraddle launched aimed at a similar audience and mainstream sites like The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed and NBC have all launched LGBT verticals. But earlier this week, AfterEllen editor-in-chief Trish Bendix posted that she was getting laid off and the site would be effectively shut down today after 14 years of publishing because it wasn't profitable. So goes another independent voice in a media landscape desperate for the digital advertising dollars Google and Facebook are scooping up in massive portions.
Indonesian government may ban over 80 LGBT apps and websites
While homosexuality isn't technically illegal in Indonesia, it's extremely frowned upon in society. That extends to the digital realm, like when the country's Information and Communications Ministry pressured social app Line to remove LGBT themes and stickers back in February. While that and other government statements reportedly stoked anti-gay sentiment through the spring, they began drafting a bill to ban pro-LGBT sites in March. Yesterday, officials from multiple agencies exited a closed-door meeting at the Communications Ministry ready to block over 80 apps and websites in the country in an unprecedented crackdown.
Apple and Microsoft address Orlando, avoid gay community
Early Sunday morning, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., became the home of the deadliest mass shooting in US history. The following morning Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft's Phil Spencer took the stage at separate, preplanned press conferences to offer support from "the Apple community" and "the gaming community," respectively, before launching into their regularly scheduled hyperbolic outpourings of consumer enthusiasm. In doing so, they not only undermined the tragedy, they ignored the community it most affected.
Porn site bans all North Carolina users over anti-LGBT law
Since Monday, porn site XHamster.com has refused access to any user with a North Carolina IP address. The site says the block will stay in place until the state repeals House Bill 2, which prevents cities and counties passing rules that protect LGBT rights. "We have spent the last 50 years fighting for equality for everyone and these laws are discriminatory which XHamster.com does not tolerate," said the company's spokesman in official statement sent to The Huffington Post.
PayPal nixes North Carolina ops center following anti-LGBT law
The passing of HB2, a law that denies protections for people who are gay or transgender, is proving to be very expensive for Governor Pat McCrory and the state of North Carolina. In the weeks following Governor McCrory signing the anti-LGBT bill into law, a number of companies, production studios and even the federal government have spoken out against the legislation. Some are pulling money and business ventures from the state, and one of the most recent is PayPal. The financial transaction company announced plans to build a new operations center in Charlotte just before HB2 passed. Today, the company killed those plans, withdrawing the project that would've brought 400 new jobs to the area.
Panasonic pushes same-sex equality in Japan
Panasonic has revealed that it will recognize its employees' same-sex relationships from the start of April. The announcement was timed to coincide with the news that a third Japanese municipality will do the same -- it's the first area outside of Tokyo. You may be wondering why Panasonic's decision is newsworthy, but it's a groundbreaking move in Japan's socially conservative society. The firm is a large and respected player in the business community, and its decision could cause other tech outfits to follow suit.
Grindr sells majority stake to a Chinese gaming company
The majority stake of gay dating app Grindr is now in the hands of Beijing Kunlun, a Chinese gaming firm. The company will pick up 60 percent of the app, which it valued at $155 million. "We have users in every country in the world, but in order to get to the next phase of our business and grow faster, we needed a partner," Carter McJunkin, chief operating officer of Grindr. Mr. McJunkin told the NYT the pairing made sense for Grindr because the gaming company agreed to let the app's founders continue its current structure and keep the existing team. The gay dating app is available across 196 countries and has become one of leading gay dating apps. However, Grindr consistently scores low in user reviews. Many users cite issues with spam bots and persistent bugs — problems that Beijing Kunlun's "digital expertise" might help solve.
Facebook makes it harder to abuse its 'real name' policy
Facebook may not be dropping its "real name" policy in the strictest sense, but it's definitely taking steps to prevent abuse of that guideline. It's testing fake name reporting tools that require you to explain why you believe someone is acting shady, whether it's identity theft or something less sinister. In theory, this prevents hatemongers from easily giving the boot to transgender people, stalking victims and others for whom a name change is practically vital. In short, it won't be possible to simply hit the report button and walk away.
More and more people are coming out on Facebook
Timed to coincide with Spirit Day, Facebook's Research and Data Science division has published a report outlining how increasing numbers of US users that identify as lesbian, gay, bi or transexual have come out on the social network this year. "Not only has the total number of Americans who have come out on Facebook risen dramatically, but so has the number coming out each day." Given the sheer heft of 1 Hacker Way's user population, the findings offer a huge data sample to delve into. The Facebook team noted a particular spike in the number of users that came out follow the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage decision in late June. The number of people coming out per day on Facebook is now on track to be three times what it was in 2014. (The researchers defined coming out as: "updating one's profile to express a same-gender attraction or specifying a custom gender.") While many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender users are coming out online, the company faces a continued battle to repair its image with many in the LGBT community following its "real name" policy.
Samsung and Google censor LGBT apps in South Korea
Samsung is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea, in the hub of an exceedingly connected country: South Korea boasts the fastest internet connection speed in the world and is second globally in smartphone penetration. It's in this environment that both Samsung and Google have banned popular gay social networking apps from their online stores, Buzzfeed News reports. Samsung rejected the gay hookup app Hornet from its South Korean store in 2013, citing local values and laws that disallow LGBT content. Hornet is available in the US and other countries, though it remains banned in Argentina, Iceland, Syria and South Korea, the report says. Samsung confirmed to the site that it blocks LGBT apps on a country-by-country basis, though it's notable that Argentina and Iceland both legalized same-sex marriage in 2010.
Apple's Tim Cook calls state discrimination laws 'dangerous'
A number of tech executives have decried state laws that promote discrimination against the LGBT community by allowing companies to refuse service on religious grounds, but Apple CEO Tim Cook is taking his opposition to the next level. The executive has written an editorial for the Washington Post that says it's "dangerous" to enact these laws, which include Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act and Arkansas' tentative HB1228. To him, these measures not only "rationalize injustice" against fellow human beings (including himself), but are "bad for business" -- they could stifle employment and corporate growth.
Masquerada's gay characters are defined by humanity, not sexuality
In Masquerada: Songs and Shadows, the city of Ombre resembles a fantastical, medieval Venice: elegant stone towers are lined with heavy wood furniture and the people dress in lush fabrics, wielding swords and spears. But Ombre is not Venice; it's an entirely secular society whose citizens put no stock in the idea of an afterlife, and it's a land where powerful magic stems from a collection of rare masks. The Inspettore, Cicero Gavar, returns from exile to investigate an earth-shattering kidnapping, with the help of spells, weapons and his team -- including Kalden Azrus, a man the city considers a "deviant." "While having the main character be gay and allowing a romance, as BioWare does, is very empowering to a gay player, we hope to serve them in another way -- to show our audience the beauty and humanity of a gay character and how it would translate to real world situations," lead developer Ian Gregory says.
Facebook lets you specify any gender you want
Facebook already has a range of gender options for those who don't fit neatly into male/female categories, but it just took that accommodation one step further. Much like Google, Facebook now lets you specify any gender you want -- you're not limited to the social network's definitions. As before, you can choose who sees that sexuality in case some of your visitors are less tolerant than others. The move won't please those upset with Facebook's real name policy, which sometimes makes people use names that are out of sync with their sexual identities, but it's at least a step in the right direction. [Image credit: Facebook]
GX3 takes place in San Jose next December, tickets on sale
GX3 - or "The Convention Formerly Known As GaymerX" - will be held December 11-13 at the San Jose Marriott, located in (good guess!) San Jose, California, according to an update on the event's Kickstarter page. Those looking to secure their place at the convention can purchase tickets at an Early Bird discount via the GX3 Eventbrite page; prices range from $70 to $595, depending on how much swag and extra access you'd like to go with your three-day pass. Founded in 2013 as GaymerX, a convention aimed at creating a safe space for LGBT gamers, the event has since shifted its message to inclusivity of all (though non-LGBT people were never barred from attendance). Hence the new title and subtitle for the 2015 convention: "GX3: Everyone Games." The 2015 event seemed unlikely after issues arose concerning a donation, but that dispute was quickly settled. At the same time, other companies such as Devolver Digital chipped in, helping the organizers secure funding. Joystiq attended GaymerX2 in July - did you come out and see us? [Image: GaymerX]
