As a triple minority I appreciate that there are many ways to express my sexuality, race, and income in a lore-friendly way, in a safe, welcoming environment. So I applaud the Final Fantasy XIV team for being the first MMO to allow gay marriages and inter-racial marriages. These are small steps but they represent a great step forward for equality. I also want to thank the community for being the friendliest and most diverse community in any MMO today. You cannot say the same for WoW.
That being said I wish there were more LGBT characters in the game. It's 2020 and developers are starting to realize that diversity is not just something to use to appeal to progressives. They can also increase efficiency. In the case of storylines, having diverse characters make the story more interesting and nuanced. So to have mostly straight characters in the storyline takes away the possibility of nuance, diversity, and representation in one dimension.
Some people may feel that representation is unimportant but LGBT children often grow up confused about their sexuality and don't feel represented in media formats that they consume. Giving them a good role model in video games will help cultivate a positive self image and let them feel that they're part of this lively world.
Square Enix, it is time to take the next step and break new ground in terms of diversity and inclusion.
Continue reading...
That being said I wish there were more LGBT characters in the game. It's 2020 and developers are starting to realize that diversity is not just something to use to appeal to progressives. They can also increase efficiency. In the case of storylines, having diverse characters make the story more interesting and nuanced. So to have mostly straight characters in the storyline takes away the possibility of nuance, diversity, and representation in one dimension.
Some people may feel that representation is unimportant but LGBT children often grow up confused about their sexuality and don't feel represented in media formats that they consume. Giving them a good role model in video games will help cultivate a positive self image and let them feel that they're part of this lively world.
Square Enix, it is time to take the next step and break new ground in terms of diversity and inclusion.
Continue reading...