Well, there hasn't been a good ol' ignorant backlash at the Penny Arcade guys in a while, and I thought I was safe. Fuck if I didn't see another one coming.
This should be clear to anyone not going into news about PAX expecting that they're all trans hating rapists, but the point of this place is actually not to segregate minorities!
It's (pretty clearly) just to give room on the show floor to booths about diversity. In almost every PAX, there have been panels about Women in gaming, Trans people in gaming, Disabled gamers, etc. This Roll for Diversity Hub & Lounge (terrible name) will just be a place for those panels, or any other similarly themed groups, to have actual representation in the convention itself.
I'd say, and I think people decrying the idea here would actually agree, that it's pretty cool.
@milkman said:
@zolroyce: They're describing this lounge as a "safe space" for "women, LBGTQ, people of color and disabled people." Shouldn't, conceivably, the entire show be that? Doesn't saying "hey, if you're different, go here" seem a little counter intuitive? Wouldn't it be a smarter idea to try and mix all these people into one healthy environment?
Well, no, they're really not describing it as that. Okay, the reactionary screaming masses are saying that they're saying that, so I understand the confusion, but here's the actual quote from the document:
In an effort to continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment, PAX is introducing the Roll for Diversity Hub & Lounge. This place will exist as a resource for PAX Attendees to find information related to issues surrounding women, LGBTQ, people of color, disabled people, and mental health issues in gaming.
People are making this out to be, "Hey lesbian, your game doesn't belong on the show floor. Get in the Diversity Lounge!". This is obviously not that. People of all creeds and kinds and whatever can have their games anywhere. That goes without saying. This is uniquely a space for non-specificly game related info surrounding diversity issues. They've had tabletop game lounges, handheld lounges, and lots of other interest specific places in all PAXes around the world. This'll be just another special-interest area so interested people can go to one spot to get all of the info. And maybe people who aren't interested will check it out anyway... and learn something!
It really saddens me how folks (Alex Navarro) are blowing up at their misinformed impulse reaction to this announcement, not the reality itself. PAX as a convention, since day one, has gone out of its way to be by far the most progressive and inclusive major gaming convention in the world. From their (still sadly revolutionary) no booth babe policy, to letting individuals host panels on an infinite range of whatever's important to them in gaming. But because of twitter mob mentality, they're nothing but consummate villains. That is why we can't have nice things.
See y'all at the lounge!
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