Twitterverse - Let's LOLsob at this.

There were a series of tweets that I came about 1/4 of the way into that turned into something that was full of head-desking fun-ness. I'm copying the tweets over so you can see the timeline. This would be ridiculous if it wasn't SO FREAKING TRUE!

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends gaming cannot be apolitical if you consider that the personal is political and you are donning the mantle of another person

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends feminism: it's at your d&d table

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay Yep, that's pretty much it exactly.

GeekyLyndsay
Chompy and I are on the way to dnd! Oh also my husband.

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay Have fun, Lyndsay and Chompy!

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends the husband got us into a big combat, we may all die

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay YAY party wipe in big combat! That'll teach you to let your husband do anything in the game.

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends I know right

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay this is why you have to think carefully before allowing men at the gaming table, they're very disruptive to the game

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends they make bad decisions based on emotion, rather than logic. Tsk

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay Exactly! Plus they are distracting at the game table and try to ply their masculine wiles against other gamers.

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends they're only at the table because they want attention, they aren't serious about the hobby like us women.

firestormink
@GeekyLyndsay @dazedsaveends Hey, I'm not like that! I mean, I'm just one of the gals, right?

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay Yeah, really. And they're all "so and so's husband" or "so and so's boyfriend" -- WORST when they're the DM's boyfriend!

GeekyLyndsay
@firestormink @dazedsaveends you're a special credit to your gender but you will never truly be one of us. Keep trying though.

dazedsaveends
#dnd tip: Ladies, having a hard time getting your boy to play a girly game like D&D? Get him a manly @dragonchow dice bag - boys like gifts

dazedsaveends
Women, check out http://bit.ly/fR1LGl - a great "gateway" gift for your non-gaming boyfriend! Boys are attracted by bright colors & letters.

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends and then they play a crappy fighter because it's easy and they don't have to care about it. men bring down the game.

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay I'm not saying all boys are bad gamers; I knew a few who could keep up with the women, but it just isn't natural for them.

firestormink
@GeekyLyndsay @dazedsaveends I usually get asked to play Healers. When I ask why I get told it's because my gender is nurturing and stuff.

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay Oh dear, is your tag-along husband playing a fighter? I give the boys a simple class like that so they don't get confused.

dazedsaveends
@firestormink @GeekyLyndsay Someone has to play the Healer, & you can use your fatherly instincts. Just don't bring your kid to the table!

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends and I mean, if men want to get into a hobby like this don't get all insulted by my sexual comments and advances

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends it's a compliment. Men need to get used to it, it's part of the hobby.

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay Yeah, it's not fair for the women to have to change the way we play just because some boys want to join in too.

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay There's a certain culture to gaming, and it's decidedly feminine. Boys are welcome as long as they don't upset things.

GeekyLyndsay
@firestormink @dazedsaveends look play a healer but don't get all fatherly on my tough fighter. She's not emotional like that.

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay One boy I played with got upset at all the chainmail codpiece jokes, but it's just gaming culture. We like guys! They're hot!!

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay Mmm, chainmail codpieces. That reminds me, know any artwork of sexy but still powerful male characters? So hard to find :(

firestormink
@GeekyLyndsay @dazedsaveends Totally. What's wrong with those dicks? I can take a joke. What me show off my approval of your actions!

dazedsaveends
There's nothing misandrist about liking chainmail codpieces. Male bodies are meant to be sexy! We can't help what we like, we're women.

dazedsaveends
I only like the tastefully done chainmail codpiece artwork, of course, not huge bulges. more than a handful/mouthful is a waste!!

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends I know, I love seeing sexy make characters but they cover up so much. Don't be a prude!

dazedsaveends
@firestormink @GeekyLyndsay I'm glad we have boys like you into gaming who can take a joke! also I bet you have a pretty penis.

dazedsaveends
There's nothing wrong with sexy chainmail codpieces. sure they're not realistic, but this is FANTASY gaming, right?

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay I'm going to write a book mocking all the sexist women gamers who ostricize boys. It'll be called "The Quintessential Boytoy."

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay My clever plan to mock misandric women will be to repeat sexist stereotypes about boy gamers & characters. WHAT A RIOT

GeekyLyndsay
@firestormink dick pics or get out, I know @dazedsaveends will back me on this LOL!!

dazedsaveends
@therobotviking It started when @GeekyLyndsay insisted on bringing her husband along to gaming. boys just usually don't fit in at RPG tables

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay @firestormink Let's think about this productively... how can we get more boys into gaming? without changing gaming of course.

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay The hard part of course is that gaming just doesn't appeal to boys. we can try anyway--maybe give them chocolate on crithits?

GeekyLyndsay
@dazedsaveends men change the dynamic of the table and don't get my sense of humor. It's just not how I game. This can't be my fault at all.

dazedsaveends
#dnd tip: Try to think about how to make your campaign appeal to boys too, not just women gamers. Maybe add more horses?

dazedsaveends
I guess when it comes down to it, gaming just doesn't offer anything for boys, being so women-centric. So why bother trying?

firestormink
@dazedsaveends @GeekyLyndsay Maybe we could, I don't know, maybe let me have a say in what's going on? Maybe offer an opinion? Ideas?

dazedsaveends
#dnd tip: Don't make all your male NPCs into shallow caricatures defined primarily by gender; they can be as interesting as the women NPCs!

dazedsaveends
@firestormink ... haha that's cute, but @GeekyLyndsay and I are trying to work this out. Don't you have to make me a sandwich or something?

dazedsaveends
Maybe we need more examples of strong male characters in chainmail codpieces. With long, broad swords. Mmmm. That'll get boys into gaming.

dazedsaveends
#dnd tip: Throw in roleplaying opportunities for male players, who usually aren't into the tactical combat as much as women gamers are.

firestormink
@dazedsaveends @GeekyLyndsay OT can I copy this down and post it on that blog thing I does?

dazedsaveends
@firestormink How cute, you have a little blog? Is it about boys in gaming?

dazedsaveends
@GeekyLyndsay I usually don't allow more than one boy at the table, because whenever you have two, they start catfighting for attention.

dazedsaveends
I do like that they hired @mikemearls to write his "Confessions of a Boy Gamer" column so that Dragon magazine isn't just a big beaver-fest.

firestormink
@dazedsaveends @GeekyLyndsay I do have a blog. I write about games and designing and writing. I talk about men and games all the time!

dazedsaveends
@firestormink It's such a good thing you're doing by being a boy gamer. Haha I keep getting you confused with the other boy gamer who blogs!

dazedsaveends
@firestormink I bet you get hit on all the time by the women you play with, haha

Guest Post over at Geek Feminism - Ableism in RPGs

I've got a guest post over at the Geek Feminism blog.

It's all about ableism in RPGs. You can access it directly here.

Pet Peeves

This normally isn't a space that I use to soap box too often on. Maybe that's a lie. It might be more accurate to say that I haven't used it as a soap box lately. I figure I've earned enough credit with actual content to be able to take a minute and vent about something, something that bothers me in RPGs. That's when guys think it would be just awesome to play, "The Hot Chick."

You know what I mean. They decide that they want to play a female character, which is problematic but I do think doable as long as with anything else that could be appropriative you march forward with a respect and understanding, but don't really want to play a female character. What they want to do is "be cute," or "sexy," or "get what they want by being female." You know, all that crap that the media puts out as the "benefits" to being a woman?

Now that's not to say that playing a female character in an RPG is impossible if you're a guy. You just have to understand that it's the same as if you write about any oppressed group, you have to do so with a spirit of understanding and respect. You have to understand that playing all the stereotypes, and playing them badly, doesn't make the game better. It makes it a toxic environment for an actual woman to enter and try to play. I'm sure that there are enough horror stories out there to fill a book or two.

Honestly.

Ableism in RPGs

What is Ableism you wonder?

That's fine I can give you a quick run down on it. Basically, much like the -isms it follows, ableism is the act of discriminating against someone because of a disability. This disability may be physical, it may be mental but it is not what is treated as "normal."

Why do a post on this you ask?

Well, it just hit me when I was reading the description of a free RPG on the free rpg blog. It was titled "Glorious Multiple Personality Disorder with Joe in Ten Persons." Now, the game itself has nothing to do with DID (the actual correct way to say what was called in the 80s MPD but is still alive and kicking thanks to television and movies) and it looks pretty cool. However, the tag line got me thinking of all the crap that's been put into roleplaying games when dealing with mental disability it's not even funny.

Much like sexism and racism and all those -isms that try to shock us out of our privilege, able-ism is right up there. We have to understand that when making a game that there are people who are going to be playing in it. People who may, just may, have the disorders that are listed as "character flaws" in a game. If we want to be inclusive then maybe taking that crap out is worth looking at, even when we review things.

This isn't really a huge in depth post in regards to something. Just something that set me off on a late night working on other projects.

Convention

There are two things that I think need to post here because they need to be widely disseminated.

The first is the Back Up - The Open Source Women Back Each Other Up Project and of course, the Gentlemen's Auxiliary. Basically, it can be boiled down into the following pledge:

f your situation looks dangerous enough I can't help on my own, I will call over friends or, if it's a situation in which I think the cops would be on your side, I will call the cops. If you're being harassed by a guy, you can say so to me, even if you don't know me. I pledge I will distract him so you can get away, or I will tell him that he needs to leave, or whatever I can do to the best of my ability. I pledge that yes, actually, because you are a woman I will give you the benefit of the doubt. If you tell me that a guy just did something shitty to you I will not refuse to look at any evidence and tell you that I know him and he's a great guy and you must have been imagining things. I have great loyalty to my male friends but I will not allow that to blind me to the fact that none of us are saints and even my best friends can screw up and may need to be called on it. I pledge that I will walk you to your car if you don't feel safe walking alone at night, and then you can drive me to mine. Yes, even at Wiscon. I pledge that even if I don't know you, if there is a creepy guy following you around, you can say so, and I will not say to you go hide in your room; I will say to him go find another party, or if necessary, go home. I will come with you if you need to talk to the con organizers. I will not make you feel like your right to control over your own body is not a big deal.

The second one is the Con Anti-Harassment Project which I have yet to follow up on but probably will tonight during the wilds of my work. Conventions should be fun for everyone, not just the creep dude getting off on trying to "get with the ladies."

So keep this stuff in mind when you head out for Gen Con soon. I know I'm going to try my best to do what I can for the auxillary!