@murkedymurk posting topics that are created to cause unrest in the community are locked in accordance with the Forum Rules When creating a topic for the Sea of Thieves Forums, please ensure that your topic or posts encourage discussion. Please consider this an official warning.

I would also like to remind everyone of this section in the Forum Rules.

Sexual Orientation

Insulting, using as an insult and promoting hatred of any sexual orientation, through any form of media will result in a permanent ban from the Forums.

We welcome and encourage our community to share constructive feedback and discuss it with the community in a way that is respectful of the Forum Rules and the Pirate Code.

If anyone is still ruffled by the inclusion of a rainbow flag after reading posts like the one I intended to make, but was already more eloquently conveyed by @FishSt1ck & @Mr-Spiderhead, then I just don't know.

When I read the patch notes and saw the flag I was like "Cool." and moved on. Then I started reading all these posts against it and it's convinced me to fly the rainbow.
Anyone who feels compelled to sink me because of it is more than welcome to try.

@pure-rare said in No need to sexually identify:

@mmountain said in No need to sexually identify:

@murkedymurk said in No need to sexually identify:

Good job people. Now I’m going to talk about it. I don’t care that the flag is in the game, however it still doesn’t make any sense. Caving to a group, for zero reason. Is there a way for anyone else to display their sexuality? Nope. There does not need to a way for ANYONE to display it. I do NOT care to know what your sexuality is, just like I’ll never join a group that states “must sexually identify”.

It’s a game what does ANYONES sexuality NEED to be in it?

...or gender, or race, or any sense of identity - let's all be amorphous blobs.

If people want to be a gay male trans asian pirate with a penchant for pink dresses - then let them! What difference does it make to you? #bemorepirate #beanypirate

It doesn't matter you are right but at the same time it doesn't need to be thrown in people's faces. I guarantee those flying that flag will get grieved a lot more in this game because of how most humans think.

I'm straight and will be flying it. Any toxic behaviour will get reported.

Imgur

imgur.com

Discover the magic of the internet at Imgur, a community powered entertainment destination. Lift your spirits with funny jokes, trending memes, entertaining gifs, inspiring stories, viral videos, and so much more from users.

hardly "thrown in peoples faces" - I mean - it's tiny. Get some perspective.

@karmakhazi said in No need to sexually identify:

Whilst I accept and respectfully acknowledge other people's opinions on this topic, can we not at least agree that had the flag not been introduced, we would not be having these kinds of discussions in this and many other threads which have since been locked?

I would agree with that. I've actually started to feel sorry for the Deckhands with all the moderating that they've had to do over the last 24 hours.

@v**a-hombre
Sink them and make them remember your flag!

@murkedymurk said in No need to sexually identify:

Good job people. Now I’m going to talk about it. I don’t care that the flag is in the game, however it still doesn’t make any sense. Caving to a group, for zero reason. Is there a way for anyone else to display their sexuality? Nope. There does not need to a way for ANYONE to display it. I do NOT care to know what your sexuality is, just like I’ll never join a group that states “must sexually identify”.

It’s a game what does ANYONES sexuality NEED to be in it?

...or gender, or race, or any sense of identity - let's all be amorphous blobs.

If people want to be a gay male trans asian pirate with a penchant for pink dresses - then let them! What difference does it make to you? #bemorepirate #beanypirate

Whilst I accept and respectfully acknowledge other people's opinions on this topic, can we not at least agree that had the flag not been introduced, we would not be having these kinds of discussions in this and many other threads which have since been locked?

@ve111a said in No need to sexually identify:

The only reason rare did this was for free publicity in June.

The first post that I've read that's actually cut to the heart of the matter and there was me thinking I'm the only skeptic on the forum. :D

I am very much heterosexual and I will fly the rainbow flag. It in no way depicts the sexuality of the person flying it! You can believe it does, but you wouldn't be right.

@karmakhazi There is no possible way for everyone to be happy and un-offended but the fact is, companies and businesses are allowed to publicly throw their support behind the causes they value and wish to promote, just the same as people are allowed to voice their opinions and support the companies they chose to support.

Its literally impossible to eliminate the possibility for someone to be offended by something, people can get very creative with what they choose offends them.

@karmakhazi

Not in my experience. And as a PL who plays with a non-clothed character, I certainly do not always get treated with respect from either my team or my PVP opponent.

I'm hope it doesn't happen but I'm looking forward to the first person making a remark about my rainbow flag. The best form of learning is someone reminding you, subtly, that you're promoting ignorance rather than good judgement.

Omg.. this post is hilarius..
1st of all, this flag does NOT show your sexuality preferences!
Read the first law in the tavern.. Every gender, colour etc. is welcome!
Having a flag like that means you are probably friendly and hopefully not racist like this post...

2nd What the hell is wrong with you people.. Racism belongs to the past, when people didn't have the brainpower to understand that their own opinion isn't absolute! They were stupid enough to think black people aren't people. It's up to you to decide what you are.. A HomoSapien or a HomoNeaterdal

3rd I'm not a racist myself, but being a HomoNeaterdal makes you a lesser species..

People who are quick to label those against the flag as homophobic or unintelligent are the ones that don't understand. The flag shouldn't be in there for the same reason a Christian flag or Muslim flag or i**s flag or iron Cross shouldn't be in there. No personal agendas just good pirate fun this isn't a real life soap box or a Facebook account this is a game. The only reason rare did this was for free publicity in June. The LGBT community is very active on social media and by doing this rare just got free Press and marketing from everyone talking about how open and understanding they are. in the end it was just a pr move people they got free Press and more people looking at sea of Thieves

@vexed-anemone But why did they feel the need to do this when their game's community were already playing well together? They seem to have provoked discussion where none was needed.

@Karmakhazi

No, some of the community is dropping the ball. Rare are doing something great.

I think that maybe Rare have dropped a bit of a clanger here.

While their intentions were no doubt good, they've stirred up a bit of a hornets nest with this.

Weren't people already playing the game simply as Pirates before all this happened? Already playing without any 'tolerance' issues being present?

Now a 'statement' has been made (however well intentioned) by the Developers about an external issue with the introduction of this flag, which has provoked personal opinions and actually introduced animosity within its player base. This is very sad, as the Developers have always said that their aim was to bring players together in the SoT experience.

So what happens now?

Leaving the flag in will continue to upset some, whilst removing it from the game will no doubt upset others.

Not sure what the answer is, really.

I think most people aren't homophobic or anything like that, it's just that those messages are placed in places where they shouldn't. Its fine that Rare takes this stance, but place a picture on the facebook or twitter or something? or make a npc somewhere in the world. Now I'm forced to look at ships that have a rainbow flag in a pirate game..

Same thing with star wars, people aren't homophobic, but they hate that LGBT stuff is forced inside the franchise and placed everywhere. This also has a reversed effect on where people start hating on LGBT, because there are alot of short minded people who are going to blame this on them, while it's the developers and company's like disney and Rare who make these stupid mistakes.

I'm all for a free and open world where everyone does what they want and be who they want to be, just don't throw it in my face all the time.

In pirate times the rainbow flag was a flag of neutrality.
In modern times it's been a flag for equality.

Step off. It's a fantastic addition.

@a13xa4d3r

Yeah, it's sorta hilarious in a morbid, anarchic kind of way. I was pumped when I first heard about a rainbow flag just cause I like rainbows and the idea of a pirate ship with a rainbow on it's flag struck me as funny.

I always use the yellow flag cause it's description is all about nanners. So people can complain about it and hunt me down and sink me for flying it.

I'll be flying my rainbow flag because...

I LOVE FRICKIN' RAINBOWS!!!

I think the main point should be: How does the game get better by adding a rainbow flag? And sadly I can only see it get worse because of it. It doesn't add diversity, it adds conflict. Were there people hunting other pirates because they identified as LGBT yesterday? No. Will there be people that do that today? Yes. How does that help the cause? You don't educate people by making it better to grief others.

I didn't feel the need for the flag to be added to the game initially, but after seeing the amount of discriminating, hateful and homophobic replies in the Sea of LGBTQ crew topic, the flag suggestion and even on discord, I fully support Rare distancing themselves from that kind of behaviour by adding the flag.

As I said, I didn't feel the need for the flag as it wasn't very piraty but after seeing so much negativity around it I'll be flying my rainbow flag of tolerance tonight!

And here is the problem. This person automatically assumes everyone who opposes this flag is hateful, homophobic or worse when all actuality some of these people come to gaming to escape the negative POS world we live in and now we can't even do because of c**p like this. Gaming is a not the place to make a stand for a cause like this. The T shirt was a great idea. Sell it make money for the cause and enjoy doing so.

The rainbow flag clearly means there's a pot o' gold on that ship. The leprechauns in Rare stowed away on them and we have to catch them fast!