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Bethesda shows its ass regarding Pride Awareness Month
- Thread starter Noodle
- Start date
I'm all for calling out corporations as not being moral or our friends, but in this case I don't think they're wrong. As has been mentioned, it's illegal in those territories, and worse it could subject their local employees to undue harm. It really sucks, but I understand it.
Corporations are not our friends :)
I think it's nice to see a Pride flag, but at the same time I realise it's just business for many of those companies. At the same time I think many LGBT people or allies are actually working - for example - for Bethesda in more LGBT-friendly regions so some people there really do care.
But it's the same thing like with HK. Corporations did not give a single fuck, cause China.
I think it's nice to see a Pride flag, but at the same time I realise it's just business for many of those companies. At the same time I think many LGBT people or allies are actually working - for example - for Bethesda in more LGBT-friendly regions so some people there really do care.
But it's the same thing like with HK. Corporations did not give a single fuck, cause China.
C'mon, you don't need to make excuses for them. You know damn well it's about profits, not safety.
Aye, it's surprisingly easy to defend a cause where it's already (mostly) accepted! Corporations are the real victims, here! Spineless cowards...
You're speaking as someone who has no idea what it's like to live in those countries and openly support LGBT rights.
You do know how PR works, right? I hope you don't seriously believe every corporation that claims they support what they support.
It's amazing how flippant people in the West countries are about the problems LGBT supporters face in the Middle East and Russia. Publishers aren't your friends, but I don't blame Bethesda here. It would have been far worse if their American headquarters forced their Middle East branch to put on LGBT flag too, drawing hate and problems to people who actually have to live in those countries just for the sake of looking equally pro-LGBT in all countries.
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Seeing their staff could be in danger, seems the right call, as sad and unfortunate as that is.
Still, I would love to see all the platform holders/PC Component companies promote LGBTQ there and actually see whether these countries would actually be willing to not buy any consoles or PCs to take a stance against it.
Still, I would love to see all the platform holders/PC Component companies promote LGBTQ there and actually see whether these countries would actually be willing to not buy any consoles or PCs to take a stance against it.
As a trans person in a country where being trans is barely recognized, I think a lot of you are approaching this issue in a very condescending, western-centric way. I'm sorry.
The same kind of thinking as "we sanction the hell out of these people, make them poor as dirt, so that they'll rise up against their oppressors", fucking harmful as heck
The same kind of thinking as "we sanction the hell out of these people, make them poor as dirt, so that they'll rise up against their oppressors", fucking harmful as heck
So why don't they just not have a business in those countries. Simple.
I'm not, I'm Lebanese and I know exactly what those countries are like, please educate yourself.
More like it's easier to support a cause in a country where at least part of the population support said cause, than in a country where almost no one supports said cause, and a large part of the population is actually against said cause.
Companies aren't our friends, but the world is complicated place and even if they only change their logo once a year on a few accounts, that's still some visibility. And I won't give a lecture about how to fight for the LGBT cause in those countries, because I have no freaking idea how it could be done, but what I can safely say in my still freedom of speech supportive country, is that the easy thing is also is to condemn people/entities for not breaking the laws (informal of otherwise) of countries they operate in to support a cause, as righteous as that cause may be, especially when engaging in such support could lead to way more trouble than a simple fine.
User Banned (1 Month): Drive-by inflammatory whataboutism. Account in junior phase.
People acting like they've finally exposed that Bethesda only cares about money and not human rights as they type on a device made in a sweatshop in China.
As others pointed out, Era has a tendency to look at things from a very US/ Western perspective, without always taking the local situation into account. In this case, supporting or promoting LGBT rights is literally illegal/ against the law in these countries (not sure about Turkey, but definitely the case in Russia and many Arab countries). People who do so frequently become victims of violence that the state at best ignores, and at worst supports or defends as righteous.
Are these laws terrible? Obviously, we are after all talking about often denying the most basic human rights to many of their citizens. But for us to sit here in countries where we are free to express our opinions and demanding that companies go break the law in countries where this freedom does not exist, and where doing so can very often have brutal consequences for their employees on the ground seems weird to me.
Are these laws terrible? Obviously, we are after all talking about often denying the most basic human rights to many of their citizens. But for us to sit here in countries where we are free to express our opinions and demanding that companies go break the law in countries where this freedom does not exist, and where doing so can very often have brutal consequences for their employees on the ground seems weird to me.
If Bethesda were to change their profile pic in Russia, they'd break the "anti LGBT propaganda" law. Which means a lot of bad news for them, possibly problems releasing their games etc.
It's sad, but completely understandable
It's sad, but completely understandable
I haven't lived in these countries but from what I've heard over the news: yes. And I don't even mean like risking profits for the company but the very risk of the employee's health. LGBT people seem to be treated like trash in those countries and are subject to many hate crimes.
And if that wasn't shocking enough by itself- those hate crimes are often encouraged or defended by local authorities as "understandable moral outrage", and such.
BethesdaRU, ME, TL PR most likely live in their own region and promoting LGBTQ can result in terrible things for these people and Bethesda can't risk their own employees.
In Russia case they even have a brand new office in the region, you don't want the russian government to storm in and detain all the employees working there.
venturebeat.com
BethesdaME twitter account was opened in January 2020, so they probably have plans in place to expand in the region.
In Russia case they even have a brand new office in the region, you don't want the russian government to storm in and detain all the employees working there.
Bethesda Softworks opens new Russia studio in Moscow
Bethesda Softworks announced today that it has opened a new studio in Moscow, Russia, which will focus on marketing and sales in that region.
venturebeat.com
BethesdaME twitter account was opened in January 2020, so they probably have plans in place to expand in the region.
Yeah. Problem with all this woke brand stuff is that there will generally only ever be support for causes that are clearly seen as net positives for the brand. Any support helps, and it's good to have corporate backing to help tilt the balance, but ultimately corporations are motivated by money.
It could. Honestly, people criticizing this hasn't thought this through. If they were to openly support gay rights in the middle East, they would simply lose presence in the region and possibly have their products banned there. In which case the vacuum might be filled by some company that does not support gay rights at all.
The world is compromise, and change takes time. If you push to hard, you'd just be outright rejected by the region, and you'll be further from any sort of LGBT acceptance. Some people will simply not admit that they world is complicated and grey.
I know the situation isn't simple, and people are at risk, but people are ALREADY at risk. More companies should be supporting, not less.
"Yeah, it's easier to have the LGBT population try to change things by themselves without any help from us", is all I'm reading here. I guess there are easier things to support...
"Yeah, it's easier to have the LGBT population try to change things by themselves without any help from us", is all I'm reading here. I guess there are easier things to support...
So do they deny the public their games, or do they potentially put employees in danger?
It's a lose-lose scenario either way.
It's a lose-lose scenario either way.
User Banned (3 Months): Excusing bigotry.
Middle East is a big games market.
Just because they choose to respect culture and religious values doesn't meant they shouldn't operate there.
Muslims didn't make a fuss when GameStop or Amazon didn't wish Muslims an Eid Mubarak the way they wish Christmas, Easter etc to their Christian customers. Just accept that all cultures don't necessarily have to abide by a blanket policy and move on.
Sometimes, whether we like it or not, some facets of foreign cultures should not be respected, and this is coming from an Arab American.
Its easy to be a internet warrior from 1000km away. You can read up what some people have written who live in those countries. Basically you are risking the life of people who work for those companies.
That's just selfish, i live in North Africa and having one of many people's favorite hobby getting taken away like that would be
really sad. I agree that some arab countries have ridiculous laws, but that doesnt mean that every company should leave those markets.
I know that the customers would be the ones who get trampled underfoot such a decision. But the same can be said about official sanctions from one country to another.
Shit like this is why people need to talk to people from other countries, read, and go somewhere.
It's not always as easy as you think.
It's not always as easy as you think.
No shit? Putting a rainbow logo is a hollow PR move which they will never act towards beyond this designated period where they will pretend they are a progressive entity.
And it's not particularly shocking in regions where they are more likely to get put in active danger for open support of LGBT+ rights than others.
And it's not particularly shocking in regions where they are more likely to get put in active danger for open support of LGBT+ rights than others.
It's not only the customers, the employees would be the ones who will be most affected with such a decision.
Do you seriously think any corporation will stop doing business in places like ME, Russia/CIS, Turkey and China because there are no LGBTQ+ rights ?
They only care about money.
Just a reminder that corporations have only started doing this few years ago in the US, it wasn't so common when I was a kid.
The lives of LGBT people are at risk every day. It's even easier to ignore that from 1000km away.