Is it necessary to advertise "LGBTQ+ friendly"

[Sky_Sumisu]

I mean, there's no real reason to overthink it.
I think most people are not even trying to make a point with it, they see everyone doing it and decide to go along.
You could maybe argue about "virtue signaling", but at the same time no one is really getting anything out of it.

[YukinaErde]

I mean, there's no real reason to overthink it.
I think most people are not even trying to make a point with it, they see everyone doing it and decide to go along.
You could maybe argue about "virtue signaling", but at the same time no one is really getting anything out of it.

Honestly theres no virtue signalling whatsoever. For example my FC advertises we are LGBT since a large portion of our members are LGBT, and we want to make sure all potential new members know that. This keeps people who are uncomfortable with LGBT people out of our FC, and allows LGBT players to join knowing they will be welcomed into a positive environment.

[Darthgummibear]

How people choose to advertise their guilds has no effect on me, personally. Having said that---and this is just an observation on my part from seeing thousands of guilds across different games going back to the EQ days---guilds that go out of their way to use this as a selling point more often than not have the most drama. I've even seen members of that community avoid those guilds for that very reason.

[LisSquid]

How people choose to advertise their guilds has no effect on me, personally. Having said that---and this is just an observation on my part from seeing thousands of guilds across different games going back to the EQ days---guilds that go out of their way to use this as a selling point more often than not have the most drama. I've even seen members of that community avoid those guilds for that very reason.

I'd go so far as to say, doubling down on your point, that I have seen more anti-LGBT behavior in communities advertised as such. As people have said, sometimes these groups are completely genuine, but more often than not it's just bad. Something about "haha it's all a joke!" Those that make you tag your alphabet letter are the worst, as you can see clear caste systems form. This is more so for groups that are specifically LGBT, but I've seen it enough to be extremely wary.

[StriderShinryu]

I don't really see any reason not to use the tag if you feel it's appropriate for your guild. It's funny to me that some of the posters here approach it as if LGBTQ+ people are some sort of weird hive mind that all think and act the same. But they're just, well, people. Is there drama in LGBTQ+ flagged guilds? Sure, but there's potential for drama in every guild (goodness knows as someone who has run guilds in other games, I've seen it). Do some LGBTQ+ people like the out and proud and loud form of representation? Sure, and some don't. Do some LGBTQ+ people like the in your face, vulgar humour about their gender/orientation? Sure, and some don't. Do some LGBTQ+ people like to talk about their orientation and/or gender? Sure, but some don't.

All the LGBTQ+ tag does is tell someone that when they're enjoying their hobby, they aren't going to have to deal with as much of the same crap as they may experience in the real world because their gender and orientation won't be an issue. It's not some silver bullet that will automatically remove any and all interpersonal difficulties, and if someone believes that it will it has nothing to do with the tag the guild has chosen to go by.

Personally, my guild doesn't advertise as LGBTQ+ friendly but I wouldn't have any issues at all joining one that did if I was ever on the lookout for a new one.

[Kenky]

In short, no. It's not necessary to advertise a certain LGBT+ community.

But on the other hand, there are some that may prefer to join a group / community that they know (or at least, are lead to believe) that they are tolerant and accepting of people being who they want to be.

There are certainly more malicious groups out there and sadly, there are plenty of LGBT+ communities that make it really hard to accept them at times. I cannot list off the number of times I have been called a this-phobe, or a that-ist because I did something they personally despised.

And those things I did? Those were simply pull at my own pace, instead of wall-to-wall. Or keeping to myself, instead of worshiping the people that "come out" on XIV as if it's some big achievement that only they can get.

If you want to be that way, you shoot for the stars. You dont need a strangers approval to feel validated. Just be you.

[Vav2021]

making jokes out of misgendering trans people and calling them snowflakes for not wanting to be harassed is literally LGBTphobic.

Take a shot every time someone says "Phobic" or "Bigot".

You're talking about how him making jokes about misgendering is bad, him calling folks snowflakes is inaccurate and insensitive... yet here we are. Your reactions are inadvertently proving him right. By reacting as dramatically as you are to his statements rather than saying "Eh, he's a jerk, i'll ignore him" you are showing that misgendering someone or calling someone a snowflake has EXTREME power over them.

[Mosha]

Gayorzea

[Welsper59]

About as necessary as people seem to think qualifying FFXIV as a friendly community is... in other words it doesn't matter. Every game will have friendly people and bad ones. Every single one of them that involves you interacting with random strangers is going to be that way. It's a matter of luck whether or not you come across either, though you'll have a smaller chance of encountering the bad ones simply due to the way the game is moderated.

Bottom line is that if anyone has any issue with someone saying something as benign as it being LGBTQ+ friendly, they're not the brightest of sorts you or anyone should be interacting with. People should just have realistic expectations in with the reality that every community has terrible, neutral, and overly friendly people, as stated above. There is no hive mind utopia of friendliness lol.

[Anvaire]

It isnt redundant because people dont follow "all" the tos rules when it comes to respect. Ive been in fc's where they still thought homophobic jokes were funny, used awful stereotypes to actively mock and when challenged was like "chill its just a joke" and made it my issue.

With my fc i do say it is LGBTQ+ friendly because that is what it is. But beyond that it has zero impact on what we do or do not do besides allowing people to just be themselves. I think that is the point. At some point, in the very distant future we wont need to have these kind of labels. But then i hope we wont also need to "come out" or be assumed to be "straight" until that day, well keep the notice on the door, so that maybe just occasionally we wont need to do the "am i safe to be myself" check