Austin’s “No Girls Allowed” LAN Party is an embarrassment for men (and humans) everywhere.
So the internet is all abuzz with this LAN party in Austin that has decided to enforce a “No Girls Allowed” policy. The organizers are apparently worried that their particular brand of party might be offensive to women - even unsafe! So, of course, the logical conclusion would be to bar female attendance in the best interests of everybody.
As Lesley at Two Whole Cakes points out, the problem is with a vocal minority of male gamers that want the freedom to act like monsters without being called out on their shit. She’s posted a scathing response which is well worth a read. Though I (cynically) imagine that the men who most need to take her points to heart will be the ones that dismiss them out of hand.
Excerpt:
Why are you protecting the assholes among you, gentlemen? Why do you value their participation so much that it’s worth creating a space so “dangerous” for women that they must be banned from the premises? What do the assholes bring to your experience that is so irreplaceable? Is the game better when you can throw around vicious descriptions of rape and sexual assault? Does winning feel more awesome when you can hammer your opponent with anti-gay slurs? Is your good time dependent on being able to use the word “nigger” without getting your face bashed in?
