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submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by themachinestops@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/technology@lemmy.world

Collective Shout, a small but vocal lobby group, has long called for a mandatory internet filter that would prevent access to adult content for everyone in Australia. Its director, Melinda Tankard Reist, was recently appointed to the stakeholder advisory board for the government’s age assurance technology trial before the under-16s social media ban comes into effect in Australia in December.

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[-] FosterMolasses@leminal.space 127 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

While Collective Shout solely targeted games it said violated policies held by payment platforms, Itch.io's move to temporarily remove all NSFW content resulted in games with LGBTQ+ themes being removed.

One petition signer who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community said they were concerned that banning sexual-based games would be the start of cracking down on LGBTQ+ content.

There it is.

[-] Eximius@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago

if the LGBTQ+ games were not sexual in nature (why does it not say?), then that is quite damning and I approve of this conspiracy theory.

If you google Tankard-Reist you'll find it's not a conspiracy theory - she has actively tried to block queer representation at every level in every way for decades

[-] Eximius@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago
[-] chaonaut@lemmy.4d2.org 39 points 1 week ago

It's not all that much of a conspiracy theory as those pushing this line at the payment processoers openly advocate that since LGBTQ+ references sex by way of sexuality and gender, then that is sexual content, and is therefore inappropriate for children. This, of course, completely ignores heterosexuality and cisgender because they consider queer people existing to be harmful to children. And trying to get through to them about how important age-appropriate sexual education is in combating child abuse is an exercise in frustration.

[-] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 30 points 1 week ago

politicians have literally said that the reason for censorship bills about the internet are specifically to go after lgbtq spaces.

[-] Potatar@lemmy.world 4 points 1 week ago

How can you know a game is LGBTQ+ if they don't talk about sex/gender? They look like normal humans to me, which differ in sexual preferences only? Example: How can you say this guy is gay without knowing his sexual preferences?

[-] seralth@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

LGBTQ games love to tag themselves as such even when there's no talk of gender sexuality or relationship.

The number of times iv seen the LGBTQ tag on a game just because the dev is gay or trans or something is absolutely fucking absurdly high.

Honestly it's a huge pet peeve of mine. I don't give a single flying fuck what you are as a dev. I care what's in the god damn game. The tags ARE FOR THE GAME NOT YOU. stop making tags fucking useless by adding worthless tags.

Joke tags can ALSO fuck off.

[-] MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world 13 points 1 week ago

And how is casually referring to heterosexual relationships then not sexual?

[-] Treble 9 points 1 week ago

Cognitive dissonance, naturally.

[-] Potatar@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

It is, did I write something wrong which negates that?

[-] sexybenfranklin@ttrpg.network 10 points 1 week ago

There is a difference between talking about sex and gender and something being sexual. If a shopkeeper mentions his husband, I can extrapolate that he's at least bi, but that doesn't mean the game is sexual.

[-] MBech@feddit.dk 10 points 1 week ago

In some jurisdictions, something being LGBTQ+ is inherently sexual. Places like Florida have a very psychotic view of what makes something sexual, and bans media for containing LGBTQ+ themes.

[-] MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world 7 points 1 week ago

While that makes sense to logical people, there is a rabid right-wing movement in the US that in intent on defining any acknowledgment of LGBTQ+ is inherently "sexual".

[-] MiddleAgesModem@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

I assume it doesn't say because there are games with LGBTQ+ content that is sexual and ones where it is not.

this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2025
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