After an incident made public last year where an Xbox Live user was banned for self-identifying as a lesbian in her gamertag profile, the terms of service for Microsoft’s online service have come under increased scrutiny by the LGBT community. Microsoft claimed that any expression of sexual preference (including straight) was banned under the TOS, clarifying and stating that it was to prevent potential harassment and hate speech. This claim rang rather hollow with anyone who has actually played the average multiplayer game online, however, since it takes all of about 20 seconds to get called a faggot by some random idiot halfway across the country.

Still, the verbal outcry following the incident apparently caused Microsoft to look into reevaluating their policy, as Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten announced Friday on the Gamerscore Blog that the service’s TOS had been altered, finding ways to include, rather than exclude, LGBT gamers.

The mentioned change reads as follows:

You may use the following terms to express your relationship orientation in your profile or Gamertag:

• Lesbian
• Gay
• Bi
• Transgender
• Straight

Other terms regarding relationship orientation are not allowed. In addition you may not use these terms or any other terms regarding relationship orientation to insult, harass, or any other pejorative use against other users.

Whitten addressed the matter further in his posting:

The Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and Code of Conduct are designed to create a place where people can safely enjoy all of the ways to interact on our service, be it online multiplayer gaming, photo sharing, Netflix parties, or social games such as 1 vs. 100, without fear of discrimination or harassment. As the service evolves and our customers provide us with feedback, these rules evolve to incorporate new features or changes in how people wish to interact.

While we applaud the progressive steps forward that Microsoft and Xbox have taken on the matter, one naturally assumes that this would very likely open up gamers who publicly announce their sexuality to even further ridicule from those who were already doing so. However, Whitten promises that the new TOS change comes “hand-in-hand with increased stringency and enforcement to prevent the misuse of these terms.”

While I doubt there will be an increased army of mods at the ready, policing Modern Warfare 2 games, it would certainly be a welcome change. I understand the sheer volume of games going on Live at any given time makes the idea somewhat unrealistic, but if a few more verbal racists, homophobes and other bigoted types were shown the blunt end of the banhammer we could make some small strides towards making online gaming a more welcoming place for all.

[Via: Gamerscore Blog]