[Kobi]

Originally Posted by InfiniteFemme

Kobi - hopefully you will have rested, eaten and prepared a meal of your brain by the time you read.

I am not sure what generation you are (actually should not matter). BUT - I have lived, participated and fought for this community for 30 years - I have seen my friends raped and even murdered based on the fact they were LGBTQ. I was a gay teen and I attempted suicide in 1977. I was 15 years old. I have been raped based on who I am. I can still hear the laughter in their voices.

Today, we are seeing so many of our youth killing themselves - because really as simple as the concept is.

IGNORANCE breeds HATE
Hate KILLS!

IF,

I'm going to presume you meant make a meal FOR not OF my brain I did and lets hope my fed brain makes sense.

I am of the same generation as you. Have done the fighting, the paving of the way, breaking down barriers as both a woman and a lesbian. The scars run deep. Then again so do the survival skills.

I understand your concern for the well being of our youth. It is a tragedy for suicide to be the only option one feels they have available to them. And, I agree, the community needs to advocate against those things which breed and accentuate hate in any form.

I am also a realist. I'm not exactly sure where the concept of and manifestations of hatred come from, but I know it is a reality of life. Regardless of who we are and what we stand for, someone somewhere will find something not to like about us. And they will behave in unpleasant ways including developing silly games (btw I agree, he is a geek and he seems latent to me).

Part of our "job" as the more senior and experienced members of a community is to bolster our youth, help them during the difficult time of identity formation, help them learn to negotiate life on their terms as who and what they are, to help them develop and maintain self esteem, pride, acceptance of self.

Another part of our "job" is to teach them the realities of life, picking battles wisely, developing a thicker skin, dealing with the hatred without losing the sense of self as a worthy and worthwhile person. We need to help them learn to survive the hatred they might encounter and thrive in spite of it. And I think it is an invaluable thing to learn.

I'm thinking a game like this is a good educational tool. Take something potentially harmful and turn it into something helpful, a starting place for a discussion which needs to be had with our youth.

This doesnt mean dont write and call and complain. It does mean, in my head, it is a game and like many games for computers and game systems, violence under the guise of entertainment is the norm not the exception. Whether it is running over kids and old ladies in carmegeddon or shooting pigeons in a couple of games, or batting beheaded penguins, war games, dog mutilation - our arcade is not for the faint of heart.

As much as I would like to be there to protect our youth 24/7, it just isnt going to happen. At some point, we have to teach them to take care of themselves and to be ok doing so.