Halo community stands strong against streamer’s anti-trans rant
Oh great, we're having this conversation again. While your average shooter series might seem like a place for macho bros to throw down and do the Predator handshake, we've thankfully come a long way to make people of all genders (hopefully) feel welcome.
Call of Duty is arguably the most famous for having "toxic" lobbies, but with AI now being employed to clamp down on bullies, things are evolving. Others like Overwatch and Apex Legends have never been afraid to celebrate their LGBTQ+ characters, but what about Halo? It isn't exactly the queerest IP around.
Halo players rally around the LGBTQ+ community
Click to enlargeOn September 13, Twitch streamer MagickMoonshot shared a now-deleted tweet that explains how she's building out her Discord servers for ladies scrims, inviting others to join these unranked matches: "I love and value all people, and as a Christian, I believed God created people in His image as male and female (Geneis 5:1- 2),"
She continued, "Therefore, I will not be allowing trans players to participate," and was soon met with a huge backlash. The tweet was deleted and MagickMoonshot has since shared a lengthy thread explaining her thoughts on "biological women." MagickMoonshot has largely doubled down on her views and thanked those who agree with her.
Speaking to Pink News, Halo player and trans advocacy expert Stef Sanjati explained, "I find it frustrating how individuals can say things like this and think they’re coming from a place of neutrality and love, not understanding what they’re doing to people they might call their friends."
There was a huge outpouring of love online, including a reminder that Master Chief voice actor Steve Downes has also supported trans rights. Since posting, several brands have reportedly cut ties with Magick Moonshot, including broadcasting channel LVT Halo, which reiterated that, "Halo is for everyone."
LGBTQ+ representation in Halo
Halo has some LGBTQ+ representation in the form of Felicia Sanderson, while Halo Infinite added AFAB or AMAB (assigned female or male at birth) customisation as well as voice options. Infinite's Spartan customisation also let you give your character a rainbow makeover or cat ears, meaning at least it felt more progressive.
Still, there's plenty of love out there. In a Cameo video, legendary Halo announcer Jeff Steitzer aired his views, saying, "I have to say, I've been around for a while, I'm kind of old, I'm going to be 70 this coming November, and I've seen an awful lot.
"And the struggle of trans people reminds me so much of all the other struggles that I've been witness to over the years that I've been alive." After discussing the Civil Rights movement, gay rights, and rights for Latinos and Asian-Americans, Steitzer concluded, "And so I am happy to say 'Trans Rights!'"
The official Halo account celebrates Pride Month, and while there will always be accusations of virtue signalling, it's clear the views of a vocal minority on Twitter don't represent the wider Halo sphere. If you want to act like that, maybe go back in time to the old Halo 3 lobbies.
