Dear Mr. President Obama and the United States Congress,

 

The past several months have become a tumultuous time for the video game industry. An organization known as Gamergate, one that began with the aims of exposing corruption in the industry, has taken a hostile turn. They have repeatedly made threats, up to and including violence, rape, and murder, to members of both the fan and developer community. It has created a hostile work and internet environment for anybody with the courage to stand up to them, and the results are becoming increasingly hostile as time goes on.

 

This group, and its supporters, have repeatedly fought against minorities, women, and others in the industry, whether due to a difference of opinion or flat out hate. This includes misogyny, racism, sexism, homophopia or transphobia. The group has committed acts as heinous as the worst of hate groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.

 

 

This has included:

Multiple instances of online bullying

Threats of physical or sexual violence

Invasion of internet privacy

Unauthorized releasing of private information such as phone numbers, home addresses, business plans, among others

Stalking, harassment, and other kinds of verbal abuse

 

This has happened to members of the community such as:

Anita Sarkeesian

Zoe Quinn

Brianna Wu

Felicia Day

Among others

 

Multiple members of the game development community have faced backlash and criticism for nothing more than being a woman or minority in the industry. And many of us fear that if it is allowed to go unchecked, one person may just carry out some of the violent threats that have been occurring for the past year. 

We have tried to fight back and reach an understanding, but the threats have not only grown in number but more extreme, to the point where people such as Brianna Wu had to cancel a convention appearance due to fear of hers, and her team's, safety. And many of the media outlets that have actually dared to cover the story have spun the article negatively toward these women, making them seem like emotional, hypocritical, fear-mongers who are only seeking attention to forward their own professional goals. 

So we ask for you, Mr. Obama, and members of Congress, to acknowledge that this type of behavior is intolerable, and get the mass media's attention, so that hopefully something can be done about this hate group. We all just wish to play our video games in peace, but the current state of the industry is preventing many minorities, women, and LGBT from entering the industry either as a hobby or as a career, and that's a sad story to tell.