Race and the Digital: Racial Formation and 21st Century Technologies

Game Over

Great ending to a great blog. I like your last statement where you said that the time where gamers are simply thought of as men has to end. I completely agree; it is fascinating that a person's traits are used to categorize them into cliques, per se, as seen in Reginald's point that being goth is synonymous with being a white person, and your point where you say that gamers are synonymous with being males. I do not feel equipped and suited to stand up for women gamers, and to extent women gamers of color, because I do not play video games where there are online communities (the only ones I play are the vintage kind - Pac-Man, Pole Position, Galaxian, Duck Hunt, Centipede - mostly Atari games that came out in the eighties). Nonetheless, as a Chicana who has experienced racism and sexism, (in science academic organizations like MESA) I feel that I can be an ally to help stop this. So in regards to your last question, perhaps since the topic of women/women of color gamers being discriminated in online networks like XBOX Live is barely receiving the opportunity to be brought to light, my opinion is that clan membership may ease the tension and racist and sexist experiences women face on these gaming platforms. There is power in numbers, and when people join forces to confront a bully, changes may happen, for nothing will change if those affected do not do anything. I thought Gray used too strong of a word to describe joining forces; it is not imperative to do that, for women are able to play the video games regardless of being part of a clan. But, again as suggested before, the online world mirrors the offline world, so definitely, the clans mentioned in the article are a form of cyberfeminism. First women must support one another regardless of their skin complexion and their racial identity; once this happens and allies chime into the conversation to stop the injustice, then it is game over for these male chauvinists, and game over for their disgusting behavior.

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