#OccupyGamergate

Greetings fellow gamers. (You see how I used the term gamer right off the bat so you'd know which side of Gamergate I'm on? clever, right?...no? ok). "Hey, what is this asshole on about?" you ask. Well like many of us, I've been following Gamergate pretty closely for a while now. The thing is, this controversy has been of particular interest to me; you see, I used to identify as a feminist for a little over ten years (that's probably why everything I write comes off as so insufferably pretentious, and by all means, rip me a new one for that), but after an awakening of sorts, which I won't go into here, I came to what I hope is a place of true rationality - where there is no room for dogma (except Dragon's Dogma! Mystic Knight all day, son!) and where I hope I will always be open to new ideas and criticism.

"Get to the part where you talk about Gamergate, you piece of shit! You're what's wrong with gaming journalism today!" you say? I know, I know. It's coming right up, it's just important to know where I'm coming from is all.

I'm worried that Gamergate is going to end up like Occupy wallstreet. Like I said, I've been following it for a while, and one thing I notice among the strongest voices is a lack of any cohesive narrative - a problem that led #occupy to become a disorganized mess that just pissed people off in the long run and fizzled into nothing.

It's not that any of the different perspectives are wrong (besides those imagined by the opposition), it's just that when there is a lack of a unified front, it is easier for the opposition to push their propaganda on the uninitiated. I know as gamers we are used to figuring things out for ourselves, and expect others to do the same. Anyone who's ever asked for help on how to setup a controller profile on a PC gamer forum knows what I'm talking about. But we cannot expect the general public to engage in something at that level that doesn't concern them directly. And we can't afford to shrug and say who cares what they think - because public opinion affects our everyday lives, like it or not.

I know I'm just some scumbag spouting his stupid opinion on a gaming site, and probably no one will give a shit, but it needs to be said anyhow.

So, I believe we need a clearly defined definition, and we need a leader(s) to broadcast that message as loudly as possible.

First and foremost, I believe the most important issue here is not journalistic integrity (that is very important of course) but that the free marketplace of ideas remains open. We must be able to question and critique people and ideas in a constructive way without being blocked, banned, dismissed, compared to terrorism, or accused of bigotry. All ideas and statements should and must pass the test in the free marketplace of ideas.

As a former feminist, I can tell you first hand that when I read an article or watched a video opposing feminism, the moment said content creator made any salient points I immediately accused them of misogyny and disengaged. This was because I was so completely convinced of the truth of feminism that I believed the only way someone could make an argument against it that was logically coherent was if they were lying and making shit up to forward their evil agenda.

Secondly, is integrity in journalism. I don't know why more people haven't brought this up, but I remember a very well in many many forums across many many gaming sites, several years ago, people were complaining about the lack of integrity in gaming journalism. It had nothing to do with sex, but it was still about nepotism. People would accuse journalists of essentially getting bribed by publishers with swag and whatnot for good press. These allegations were often dismissed by others as paranoia or simply whining, but whether or not the allegations were true isn't all that relevant, what is important is that this has been a concern for gamers for years, long before discussion about sexism and misogyny ever got involved.

Finally, there is the gamer identity. We all know how inclusive we actually are. Yeah we talk alot of shit, but we talk shit equal opportunity. The YouTube gamer community donates a ton of money to charity all the time, and despite our competitive nature, most of us are actually pretty damned decent people in real life. This is self evident to us, but it's not to others, apparently. And again, I know alot of you don't give a fuck what others think, but when those people collective have the potential power to censor you, censor your games, and turn you into a scapegoat for societies ills, you have quite a large stake in what these people think of you.

Now as far as a leader goes, I'm not completely sure. Personally I like Thunderf00t. He has a relatively large following, he has credibility as a scientist and a person who makes excellent arguments, and I think his priorities are more or less in line with what I have suggested. It's funny that I would recommend him, being that I used to hate the guy when I was a feminist...man I was closed-minded.

Anyway, there are others besides thunderf00t. I propose that you find whoever you think represents us with these principles in mind, and share their content as much as possible, and convince your friends to do the same. Positively defend the term gamer, and calmly explain Gamergate to anyone who asks. Do not resort to ad hominems unless your opponent has done so repeatedly in the face of your calm and rational arguments. And educate yourself. If you don't know all the facts, do your research. Don't go into an argument unprepared. That is their weakness and our strength. No one knows more about research than a gamer (besides, you know, people who do research professionally, but we've all been stuck somewhere at some point in Darksouls, right?).

Thanks for reading. This is my first blog, I just had to weigh in on this issue. Full disclosure for anyone looking to criticize, I'm a white cis-gendered bisexual male.