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I’ve never liked the term ‘preferred pronouns’ - in preference to what, being misgendered? It’s a strange term, but like ‘identifies as,’ it encapsulates an unspoken sentiment about trans and non-binary people. That we aren’t who we say we are, we merely claim to be. Nothing sums this up better than people unapologetically misgendering those they don’t like, letting the mask slip as the need for niceties disappears. This is exactly what’s happened with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:De💦stiny 2&r🎃squo;s new non-binary character Nimbus, who just arrived in the Lightfall expansion.
Nimbus’ smug attitude and eccentric humour have drawn backlash for being ‘too much’ as many liken their dialogue to that of an MCU character. But conversations about how annoying Nimbus is are full of misgendering, sparking one Reddit 🐈thread pleading with fans to, at the very least, use their correct pronouns. This was swiftly downvoted and the comments quickly devolved into outright transphobia, unearthing a clear underlying factor in why Nimbus is unpopular—because of their identity.
Conversations around Nimbus are being blown out of proportion, and I doubt this kind of reaction would be so severe if they were a man. They’re smug, but that’s so often a trait people love in male characters—Han Solo, 👍Tony Stark, and Nathan Drake all spring to mind as men who get away with it—while charaไcters like Nimbus are dragged through the mud of wrong pronouns.
There’s an undeniable undertone of bigotry, one that also seeks to rip apart and undermine Nimbus&rs𓄧quo; identity to get the point across of how much people hate them. The only reason their pronouns would matter in this conversation is if it was part of why they’re so hated. It’s not that hard to say, “I don’t really like them”.
Nimbus might be fictiona🐻l, but the response to their inclusion in Destiny 2 only tells non-binary and trans players that they don’t belong. Speaking up will bring you hate, and even something as simple as asking for common decency will be met with vitriol. Nimbus deserves more respect, even if you don’t like them, because the carelessness with which people are discussing them is erecting a barbed-wire-fence around the Destiny 2 fandom with signs plastered on the front reading, ‘You’re not welcome here.’
Those in the LGBTQ+ community may not feel safe enough to speak up or even to celebrate the fact that one of the biggest games right now features a non-binary character. It’s something that, 168澳洲幸运5👍开奖网:regardless of your thoughts on Lightfall, is a huge win for LGBTQ+ representation, as there are so few non-binary characters in mainstream media. Yet, any hope of discussing such a monumental momℱent has been drowned out by a toxic fanba꧂se who find it fun to misgender and belittle.
These discussions imply that we have to earn the right to have our pronouns used, and that if we do anything bad or are in any way annoying or difficult, we don’t deserve that basic decency. Take Ezra Miller, who was arrested for reportedly obstructing a highway, and then again in 2022 for disorderly conduct. In March last year, a Hilo couple filed a restraining order against them after Ezra allegedly threatened to kill the couple. ꦡThis string of behaviour continued for o𝐆ver two years, and in every conversation about Miller’s happenings, even those who claim t🐠o be allies were routinely misgendering them. Some did so on purpose, citing their bad deeds as a reason not to care, but both let t🍬he mask slip.
Such conversations tell non-binary people that our pronouns ar꧋e only used in a bid to be nice, like playing along rather than understanding who we are. It’s belittling and patronising, and seeing it done so casually to a fictional character is alarming. Anyone who wants to speak up in these communities (or anyone who even wants to say something as simple as, ‘It’s♕ neat we have a non-binary character in Destiny’) now has to contend with the fact that a fictional character was enough to incite vicious hate, and that at any moment, it could turn on them.
Nimbus is a milestone for non-binary representation and a sign that gaming is growing to such a place where we can include characters like them. Sadly, the conversation is continually drowned out by a community that perpetuates what so many non-binary people g🌼o through on a daily basis, not only flooding forums and discussions with bigotry, but ripping away a chance of cꦇelebration from LGBTQ+ fans. We should be lauding that more non-binary characters are appearing in the biggest games, but we’re too busy swatting away bigots.