Don't Be a Girl if You Want To Play Games- Advice from a cis gendered (half) white male.

       I’ve had my share of experiences with tabletop games and MMORPGs, and I can honestly say that they’re some of the most enjoyable and rewarding game experiences that I’ve ever had. Dungeons and Dragons especially is fun as shit and rewarding. However, I’ve noticed that there are some inherently misogynistic ideas and characters in games like this, as well as the converse.

For example, to start off on a good note, a D&D campaign that I know about from a friend because I was totally, definitely not a part of it took place in the Underdark, a vast system of caves below the surface which is home to many evil or otherwise unsavory characters. Many of these denizens are drow elves, who are essentially the dominant race in the Underdark. The drow society is divided into houses, which are essentially bloodlines who hold power. The leaders of these houses are always women, making the drow society matriarchal. In fact, there was one instance where a character named Kokswob, a serial murderer and public masturbator, attempted to kidnap a drow woman for whatever twisted purpose, but was unable to due to getting his ass whooped.

Before I go into this next part, I should mention that I have less experience with MMO’s but, enough to know a bit about what I’m talking about.

In the 8^th grade, I made a female character in Runescape. Not for any particular reason, except because I thought the name GingerHumps was funny as shit. I noticed immediately the number of desperate dudes who I assume were my age and younger willing to shower me in free shit. There were also some who would ask me to be their “gf,” and when I’d refuse I’d receive barrages of “sloot,” or “hore,” a couple of “bitxh” here and there, and even a couple “kunt,” but perhaps my favorite was “****.”

I also played this one poorly made MMO called Defiance, which was free on Xbox, I named my obviously male character, “Dairy Queen,” mostly due to the fact that I had recently eaten a delicious and satisfying meal at Dairy Queen and felt it appropriate to give them free advertising space in my username.

People assumed I was a female and anytime I did anything wrong, or said anything mildly irritating, I would receive an assload of people who would call me a “bitch” or an “attention whore” because they thought I was a woman. I honestly found it hilarious, but it makes me feel a little sorry for any woman who dares to get into a verbal altercation with anybody in a free, poorly made MMO like Defiance. It’s clear that games like that aren’t tailored toward women, but they are not accepting of them either, which is sad.