I'm Brianna Wu, and I'm Risking My Life Standing Up to Gamergate (HuffPo)
My name is Brianna Wu. I develop video games for your phone. I lead one of the largest professional game-development teams of women in the field. Sometimes I speak out on women in tech issues. I'm doing everything I can to save my life except be silent.
Amazingly, the field of video games is the most misogynistic area in all of tech. The lead writer of Ubisoft's hit franchise Watch Dogs angrily denied that Gamergate was a hate group, calling such statements a "smear tactic" and an "obvious lie." During the reign of terror of Gamergate, I have had hundreds of conversations with other women. We're exhausted, we're terrified we'll be next, we're all thinking of quitting.
I have a folder on my hard drive with letters from dozens and dozens of women who've abandoned their dream of becoming game developers due to Gamergate, some as young as 12.
You'd hope that the gaming press would provide some sort of check on the unrelenting sexism in the game business, but the truth is, they're complicit in creating our Gamebro culture. One of our largest gaming sites, IGN, has written one single, weak article addressing Gamergate where they don't even mention it by name. I wish I could say I was surprised, but this is the site that advertises itself as "broverload."
Invariably, by speaking up, I'll experience a new round of threats and harassment. The people doing this see themselves as noble warriors, not criminals. I'll probably get more rape and death threats. I'll be told I'm being dramatic.For pointing out the game media's silence, behind closed doors these people will tell themselves what amazing allies to women they feel they are, and nothing will be done.
As a friend recently told me, "It's a very dangerous time to be a woman with an opinion."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bustle/im-brianna-wu-and-im-risking-my-life-standing-up-to-gamergate_b_6661530.html
GD post from Dr. Hobbitstein:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026217437