Of the many advances technology has offered people, some of the most
important where in the area of entertainment. Thirty years ago my father played
a videogame called Asteroid; it was
an 8 color monstrosity where abstract geometrical squares attempted to resemble
recognizable shapes. Today I can play games like Call of Duty: Ghosts where the line between what the game renders
and reality is slowly blurring. With the advances in technology, videogame
players also got one important thing, accessibility. Buying videogame consoles
is no longer extremely expensive, and the proliferation of PC games also makes
it easy for anyone to have access to games. With people playing more video
games than in ever came the next step, online gaming. By the year 2000, what
had started as small tournaments with arcade machines became international
leagues with hundred thousand or even million dollar prizes. Traditionally
dominated by men, many women have slowly found their way to the top of this
profession. But one particular case interested me, the case of Sasha Hostyn.
Scarlett, her online persona, is an accomplished gamer who has won many
different World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2 tournaments. But the
Canadian teen is also openly transgendered. Disregarding any question about
choice in the matter, what this essay aims to do is offer an insight into the
difficulties not only women encounter in a male dominated landscape, but also
Sasha’s own journey to the top of the pro charts.
According to Owen Good of Kotaku, the history of professional video
gamers started with the game Spacewar
at Stanford University on the 19th of October, 1972. That day students competed
for the grand prize of a one year subscription to Rolling Stone magazine. The availability of the internet by the
1990’s gave the game Netrek the chance to be the first online PC game to offer
users the chance to play with up to 15 other players. The 2000´s brought some
of the biggest tournaments including the World Cyber Games, Intel Extreme
Masters, and Major League Gaming. There have been some important clans or
groups of video gamers exclusively open to women. One of the groups is team
PMS, which is open to any woman regardless of her video game playing chops. An
interesting aspect encountered during research was that some women admitted to
being acquainted to video games by their husbands or boyfriends, and that the
creation of the group was a response to the male aggression they encountered as
they honed their skills. They have strict rules regarding sexuality, their aim
being not to denigrate the image of women gamers, but to offer the chance to be
a part of a community. This social aspect of gaming is not only important to
women, as many men find it much easier to socialize in this virtual world.
Now an important sector of video game players comes not from North
America, but from Asia. Specifically South Korea, this country has dominated
the professional gamer leagues for years. It was also the first country to have
a 24 hour a day channel dedicated exclusively to video games. Most male
American gamers have been unable to unseat the Asian contingent, so it is
incrediblely interesting that the latest and most notorious challenger to Asian
dominance is a teenage girl from Canada. She also happens to be openly
transgendered. The idea Sasha being the “foreign hope” of online gaming carries
a dual connotation for some observers, who unduly put a strong emphasis on her
gender. But getting to this point for her was not an easy road, she had to face
many difficulties, including cries from other female gamers after Sasha won the
Ironlady tournaments in 2011 and
2012. Many forums started to refer to her in derogatory terms, questioning the
validity of her titles and of her person. The sad part of this controversy is
that no only men questioned her, but she also found that some women were
strongly against her. The wars of words generated by people’s insensitivity
sparked outrage. In her words after the controversy arose, “It is true I am
[male-to-female] transgender, and I kinda expected this reaction. I have never
tried to bring attention to myself for anything other than my play, so I don't
feel like this should be a big deal,” Scarlett wrote. “Most of the girls I know
knew about this already and don’t judge or care. In terms of actual play, there
is (as far as I know) no advantage to being born male or female. But even if
there was, being transgender means you are born with the brain of the opposite
gender; so I would not have that advantage or disadvantage. All I ask is for
people to be respectful and refer to me as ‘she.’” With her statement Scarlett,
that is her video game screen name, shows one of the most important things to
consider when facing the new reality of gender politics. One example that shows
the difficulty of people dealing with these new politics is reflected in the
following quote, “I accept her choice,” writes Wowcookiez. “I think it’s great
as well as the way she plays. You know what, to hell with it. I’ll let the
fanboys find out when they hug her/him.” While the chatter has enough
sensitivity, the closing statement still reeks of lack of acceptance. While the debate about nature versus choice
has no place in this essay, it does necessarily have to refer to the reality
that acceptance starts by heeding this young lady’s words. And while Scarlett
faces not only the difficulties women have to face, but also the reality that
her gender nature is not readily accepted, that has not stopped her from
accruing over $35,000 dollars in winnings in the year 2013.
While the situation of women on the other side of the track,
particularly in video game development, continues to be difficult because the
video game industry still being considered a male driven business, about only
40% of American women admit to playing video games. Many women who work in the
industry speak of the difficulty of working in what is essentially a “boy’s
locker room”. The statistics are clear, only about 11% of game designers and just
3% of programmers are women, and most make on average about $10,000 a year less
than male counterparts. Video game characters continue to over sexualize and
objectify women showing the regard most males in the industry show for the
gender. One encouraging note about the industry can be found in the rallying of
women for game jobs, with websites dedicated to encouraging women into the
profession and also offering help by creating networks of support from
important female figures in the industry.
So in conclusion, one important aspect this essay attempts to impress
upon readers is that while there will always be a discussion about transgender
people, if it is about nature or nurture or just choice, people must come to
accept the ever changing politics of gender. As women fought for and continue
to fight for equality, transgendered also fight for not only tolerance but
understanding and acceptance. While it is well known that Sasha is transgender
in the video game world, it has not made her any less of a victim of personal
attacks to her gender. But it has also shown a different side, with many people
accepting and strongly supporting her through her professional gamer exploits
and her life decisions. And it should be said decision, because it disregards
the idea of nature versus nurture, it just recognizes freedom to pursue what is
best for that person.
Work
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