An example of a “general” gaming publications pushing away women: in the PC Gamer review of Left 4 Dead, the author laments that someone will be “stuck” playing “the girl.” OH FUCKING NO, NOT THAT! http://whilenotfinished.theirisnetwork.org/2009/03/08/dear-pc-gamer/

And then people come here and try to say this is where the real sexism is? It would be funny if it weren’t so prevalent and damaging.

QFE. Cerise has been getting that kind of BS backlash since the beginning (two reactions in particular annoyed me enough to make a privilege in action post about it).

To quote the relevant part:

Both arguments boil down to: “Your community/magazine doesn’t appeal to men enough, change x, y, or z to make it appeal more.” Both of them miss that, while we welcome privileged participation and want to reach beyond the scope of our group, we are here to give voices to women and women’s issues. Why do we need a gaming magazine “for women”? Precisely because of the assumption that underlies the two arguments being made, that male needs need to be catered anytime and anywhere, those women in the gaming community and the gaming industry (not to mention those who are actually allies who want to try to understand women’s issues rather than assuming they know “what women want”) be damned!

Not my most eloquent writing, but I am notorious for having very little patience for people flaunting their privilege. And anyone who would assert — seriously or in “jest” — that creating a space of any kind for an oppressed group is in any way comparable to the way that oppressed groups are discriminated against is in serious need of a wakeup call.