For those who do not know, June is known to many as PRIDE month. A month where people unite to promote, stand up for and celebrate the rights and history of LGBTQ people. You may wonder what this has to do with Sonic the Hedgehog, so please let me explain.
While the Hedgehog himself does not really apply to any statement of sexuality or gender, his fans do. Unlike some gaming fandoms, I have always found the people who make up the online Sonic Community to be one of the most diverse crowds around. I genuinely believe it can all be tied to a factor that as a hardcore dedicated fan, we have felt judgement. Ever had someone thought it was weird that you owned so much Sonic merchandise? Ever worried about what people think about your cosplay interests? Ever been told you’re “too old” for Sonic? While not everyone can understand the complex nature of being someone who identifies as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender, they can all relate on a base note of being made to feel “different”.
When I was a teen (what feels like a hundred years ago), I found places like The Sonic Stadium as a vital asset in finding acceptance. I remember finding threads on the SSMB from people who were having problems with coming out or dealing with their problems, and so many people were there to help offer advise and support. Without that online community to discover and talk to, who knows how much longer it would have taken me to build the confidence to accept who I was and feel ready to take on the challenges of being out in my real life.
With that in mind, this video invites a variety of people who make up the Sonic Community to talk about their experiences with growing up dealing with LGBT issues in an online world. If anything, if someone who is dealing with concerns of who they are and questions how they are feeling, hopefully they will come across this video to see that the fans who make up this community are a loving and supportive one.
Once you’ve watched the video feel free to listen a more in depth audio version where we chat to the participants for a bit longer.
https://audioboom.com/posts/6048022-opinion-zone-75-being-lgbt-in-the-sonic-gaming-community
We are planning on exploring this video series further to discuss the many different aspects that make up our world of Sonic fans. So hopefully keep an eye out for those!
One day I hope the LGBT community can feel safe and at-one with society as we know it. I do my part, for friends and strangers alike, but I wish others would as well.
I’m glad the Sonic community can provide acceptance as it has, no matter what your walk of life is. This is a nice article to see for people struggling with acceptance. I appreciate it. Thank you.
I realize you put a lot of effort into it but, this video shouldn’t exist. Every one who is on this site is a Sonic fan. And that is all the Stadium should be about. Please don’t bring in such a divisive, unrelated issue. You’re threatening the integrity of the Stadium.
There is nothing divisive about this video, unless you have a problem with LGBT people. And if that’s the case, then you’re only threatening your own integrity, and that is rather sad. And talking about different sides of the Sonic community is incredibly relevant; hardly unrelated to this website’s mission (which is to celebrate the Sonic franchise).
Everyone who visits this site, as you said, are Sonic fans. Behind every Sonic fan is a human being. This video features Sonic fans talking about who they are, which is essentially what everybody does, every single day, on Sonic forums, Twitter, Facebook.
By the way, I decide what the ‘Stadium should be about, not you. Thanks.
Well you are the founder so I can’t really argue with you on what the site should be about. But just like the people in this video, the Stadium has been a safe space for me where I can read, view, and discuss the views and opinions of people who are equally passionate about a video game hedgehog. I’m just afraid that taking a stance, regardless if that stance is right or wrong, will inevitably make certain groups of Sonic fans feel unwelcome.
You are right, everyone is a person, and everyone has opinions and a life beyond Sonic. But I don’t care for those opinions, at least not on here. The only opinions I care about are your favorite Sonic game and why Forces will be an incredible success/ disaster. You as the founder, have the right to say that I am wrong and that the Stadium is actually/also about celebrating the individuals of the Sonic community. But if that’s really the case, then I guess I can look forward to an equally thoughtful video on how Sonic has touched members of community who view LGBT as a sin.
It’s not about whether something is right or wrong. It’s about making people feel welcome and letting them have a sense of belonging. I don’t imagine a video specifically focusing on ‘members of the community who view LGBT as a sin’ would be very welcoming or friendly… And if you just mean ‘members of the community who are straight’, I don’t see a need for that because that already happens, especially on this website.
If you don’t care for certain opinions, you can just ignore the post/topic at hand.
I just assumed that everyone was welcome (except maybe Silver fans). Which is why I can only view this video as unnecessarily polarizing. That being said, this video is definitely more “welcoming” than any LGBT-bashing alternative that I can think of.
It’s true I am being selfish for simply not ignoring the post. This website has spoiled me. Thanks in advance for when I’m selfish again in the future!
I’m sure that you don’t read every single post on this site, so why not just ignore this one too? Every now and again I find some issues too boring to even open the article so I just move on.. I agree with you to some extent (it can be divisive) and I don’t care for opinions on this matter (the last thing I care is who likes what, and it’s sad that anyone gets frustrated over someone else’s sexual preferences) but I just give it a quick look and get over it. As long as it’s not harmful, it’s just one post and it shouldn’t bother you.
I’m quite busy, so I can’t watch the video and podcast right now. However, I really like the concept of it. LGBT+ people do have a long way to go in terms of being treated fairly, but highlighting areas where acceptance was successfully achieved in at least some groups also helps.
Will watch when I can!