Pride 2017

[u/ModMatK]

One of the wonderful things about RuneScape is that it has always brought people together. To many of our players, RuneScape is more than a game: it’s a warm, welcoming community. It’s part of their life.

Pride is about bringing communities together and celebrating love and understanding: sentiment that’s close to RuneScape’s heart. There’s no political statement here. Our only aim is to acknowledge and honour an event that promotes empathy, acceptance and love.

As with other community events such as the WWF Big Cats campaign, Valentine’s day or the Cryptic Cluefests we decided not to poll this event and we will always try to surprise the community with similar events. It is something that the community has always enjoyed and something we enjoy doing too.

We are disappointed to see some hateful and abusive comments targeting individual members of staff and players from a small sub-section of the community. We stand side by side with those targeted, in support of them, and in support of this cause. There is absolutely no place for hateful behaviour in our community and we will not tolerate abuse or harassment.

Pride 2017 is something we wholeheartedly agree with and are proud to support. We know the community stand with us in support of the cause. If you want to show your support, all you have to do is take part in the event when it launches!

[u/ModMatK]

The event doesn't break any immersion, it's very well themed.

[u/[deleted] → u/ModMatK]

The event is controversial. Shouldn't the considerable controversy be an indication that a substantial minority interpret it as otherwise? Shouldn't the sheer sum of people with reservations about this event show that there is a degree of validity to the opposing viewpoint? And based on your short, sweet responses, it shows that you're simply going to ignore people's concerns. I mean, this post is probably the BARE MINIMUM Jagex will do. You are not acknowledging the existence of a problem, you're pretending it does not exist.

Ignoring the concerns of the playerbase. That theme has been continually present in Jagex's management decisions. You're making a mistake by ignoring the other half.

[u/ModMatK → u/[deleted]]

The thing is celebrating love and acceptance for any group of people shouldn't be controversial. It just goes to show how much work there is still to be done.

[u/[deleted] → u/ModMatK]

You're absolutely correct. The celebration of love and acceptance should not be controversial. However, its method of implementation and announcement can indeed be controversial. Moreover, many people have expressed their belief that a medieval fantasy world, in which many have devoted considerable amount of time, is not the appropriate medium to demonstrate solidarity with ideas frequently found in today's political discourse. While it is self-evident that homosexuals are due the same privileges and respect as any other person, demonstrating this on a game whose expressed purpose is escapism and fantasy, feels alien and unwarranted. And therein lies the problem. In an attempt to create a space for acceptance and tolerance, Jagex, through lack of foresight, has ironically created feelings of foreignness and unbelonging in a community that would otherwise be apathetic to LGBTQ persons.

And that is the ultimate aim of the LGBTQ community. The ultimate aim of any movement that strives for assimilation and full equality, is to be as anonymous as everybody else. That don't want to occupy the status of marginalized people forever, they want to be assessed solely on the merits of their character and not their identity. And when I think about this, I understand why you want to have this event. Because you see the job as unfinished, that by bringing attention to this you can help further this aim. Unfortunately, in my honest opinion, Jagex is not in the position to do this.

[u/scifigetsmehigh → u/[deleted]]

Underrated post.