LoL Pro Calls Out Gaming Industry For 'Rampant Sexism And Homophobia'
It's well documented that, despite the gaming community being one of the more inclusive industries around, sexism and homophobia still persist, with internet trolls and even high-profile streamers and personalities hindering the progress made by many others.
Over in League of Legends, Dignitas' Vincent "Biofrost" Wang has lashed out at the industry, after coming out as gay.
The 25-year-old Chinese-Canadian took to Twitter to reveal his sexuality but has implored that the entire scene needs to be educated, having faced rampant sexism and homophobia by teammates and staff throughout his seven-year professional career.
Biofrost Reveals Sexism And Homophobia In League Of Legends
Biofrost came out as gay in a post on social media, celebrating the news by saying, "I'm at a point in my life now where I've accepted who I am, and it's taken me a long time to get there."
However, the four-time LCS champion lashed out at the LoL community, saying he had been 'bombarded with homophobic and sexist remarks' throughout his career, even by teammates. He continued, "On almost every team I've been on, I've heard homophobic comments from either my teammates or staff and felt uncomfortable, even borderline afraid of possibly losing my job if I told the truth".
"The gaming industry is rampant with sexism, prejudice, and homophobia. I don’t believe there’s a quick fix, but it starts with us holding ourselves to a higher standard and treating everyone with dignity. We need to educate people in esports on proper conduct within the workplace," Biofrost continued.
The League of Legends pro called for more awareness regarding the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, which was the real motivation about making the post, rather than simply coming out.
League Of Legends Players Support Biofrost Coming Out As Gay
Throughout the recent years of his career, Biofrost was tagged with the nickname of Biodaddy, thanks to ex-TSM teammate Yiliang "Doublelift" Peng, who was quick to congratulate his close friend's bravery. "You'll always be one of my best friends and I'm so proud of you for posting this," Peng said on Twitter.
More support flocked in from the likes of popular caster and host Frankie Ward, ex-TSM President turned high-profile LoL streamer Leena Xu, and LEC broadcasting queen Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere, who herself has constantly been advocating LGBTQ+ equality within the community.
Riot Games also chimed in to support the player, simply commenting with their signature fist-bump. The developers behind League of Legends only recently settled a sexual harassment lawsuit for $100 million, and have since strived to pioneer equal rights for everyone within their business and the wider community.
Biofrosts' tweet has now surpassed a whopping 150,000 likes on the platform.
