Post script: I have yet to see a single post ridiculing me for having "gamer dad" as an identifying marker in this OP. My being a gamer dad is in no way relevant to this post and adds nothing except I used it as bait. Weird..... I saw something today while browsing the forums and it bothered me….a lot. Bothered me so much and to such a core level that I am making my first OP. When did we as gamers forget who we are and what we were at one time? Does anyone remember the horrible stigma we used to have and still have to a certain degree? When did we as gamers forget that we all had our own identities? Some of us go to college. Some of us work 9-5 or 7-3 or however our schedule is. Some of us are married. Some of us are single. Some of us are black. Some of us are Hispanic or Asian or Native American or Indian or Middle Eastern or whatever. Some of us are female. Some of us are trans gendered. Some of us are gay/lesbian/bi. Some of us are Atheist/Agnostic/Christian/Catholic/Baptist/Muslim or whatever. Some of us are older. Some of us are younger. Basically we are all different and unique in our own ways. We are all gamers, but we all have our own identities. We all have life experiences and beliefs that make us….different. So when someone identifies themselves with a post (girl gamer, Muslim gamer, black gamer) and we as a COMMUNITY do not embrace the fact that we are different and instead disparage the OP for having an identity other than GAMER, it saddens me. When did we forgot who we are and allow one single identity (GAMER) define us? When did we as gamers forget the BS we have gone through or still go through for being…gamers? How does someone identifying themselves in a post negatively affect your life? Do you not want to see someone else’s views? Did we become so closed off from the world that we have one track thoughts and views? Don’t you remember being young and talking about gaming only for someone to tell you that gaming was worthless? Or better yet, because you were a gamer you’d amount to nothing? I personally enjoy the shit out of hearing other people’s views, especially when they are not in my own demographic. Who they are and what they are is so different than who and what I am that their opinions fascinate me. I may debate with them their views, but I’d never degrade them for who they are. When we as a community call people f.ags or make stupid sexist remarks or call people n.iggers or spics or retards….we are failing. The gaming community should be the one community that is embracing everyone’s differences not disparaging them. If you believe all they are doing is “seeking attention”…..ignore them. No harm will befall you for not replying to something. What you may wind up doing is pushing a fellow gamer that felt comfortable identifying themselves out of the gaming community. Why do that? What purpose does that serve? I’ve asked a lot of questions in this post. That was purposeful. Answer them to yourself….remember what it was like or still is like for you to be identified as ONLY a gamer. How did you feel? Edit: As regarding the OP that this post stemmed from. Whether it was for attention or not is a moot point. The issue is the disrespect and denigrating attitude because the OP identified as female when there is absolutely no difference between her doing that and a gamertag with gender identifying markers. The point is that people felt compelled to quash what the OP said because the OP had the -blam!-ing gall (how dare she, right? Let's put her in her place) to identify as female. Do you not see why that's asinine? [b][/b]You're allowed to be an <insert gamer sub catagory here> as long as you don't overtly advertise which catagory you fall into. We will turn a blind eye to gamertags, but keep your trap shut in the subject and post. Kthanx.[b][/b] That's ridiculous.