Microsoft fort gay

Microsoft Corporation and the chief overseer of Xbox Live are extending apologies to a small West Virginia community and a 26-year-old gamer, accused of violating the online gaming platform's code of conduct by publicly declaring his residency in Fort Gay—a name the corporation deemed offensive.

The town's appellation is genuine. However, when Moore attempted to inform the Seattle-based Microsoft and its Xbox Live enforcement team, they refused to accept his assertions. Nor did they search for corroboration online. Or consult the U.S. Postal Service to verify the ZIP code.

Instead, his gaming privileges were temporarily suspended until Moore could convince them that the location in his profile, "fort gay WV," was not a satirical or derogatory remark; rather, it represented an actual community of approximately eight hundred in Wayne County, situated along West Virginia's western border with Kentucky.

"Initially, I mused, 'Someone believes my hometown is the 'gayest' town in West Virginia!' I was incensed. ... This incident evokes the impression that they harbor animosity towards gay individuals," related Moore, a jobless factory worker who plays first-person shooters such as Medal of Honor, Call of Duty, and Ghost Recon, utilizing the gamertag Joshanboo.

"I am not gay myself, and this scenario compels me to believe that they exhibited discriminatory practices," stated Moore, who missed a crucial Search and Destroy competition due to the recent suspension. Consequently, his team suffered a defeat.

Furious and incredulous, Moore contacted customer support.

"I surmised that I would articulate to them, 'Consult my account details. Fort Gay is an authentic location,'" Moore reasoned. However, the representative proved unresponsive, warning Moore that if he re-inserted the town's name into his profile, Xbox Live would terminate his account and forfeit his two-year, $12 monthly membership prepaid.

"I advised him to conduct an online search - 25514!" Moore declared, providing the town's ZIP code. "He responded, 'I cannot assist you.'"

Mayor David Thompson also sought to intervene but experienced limited success. He informed the television station WSAZ, which initially reported the contention, that the city's moniker was irrelevant; the term "gay" was deemed inappropriate in any circumstance.

"It was so unacceptable to them, they would not even articulate the word," Thompson told the AP on Wednesday. "They used an evasive phrase. How can they? It is our town's name! It is quite appalling. It's a major offense."

Stephen Toulouse, director of policy and enforcement for Xbox Live, attributed the issue to a breakdown in communication.

"That is utterly inaccurate" and contrary to Xbox Live's protocols, he clarified.

An irate customer lodged a formal complaint with Xbox Live, which was referred to a support agent for investigation.

"Someone misconstrued the phrase 'fort gay WV,' concluding that the user intended to offend or demean others," Toulouse stated. "Unfortunately, one of my staff members concurred with this assessment. ... Subsequently, upon my intervention, the suspension was lifted."

Complaints, he observes, are forwarded to agents devoid of contextual information, including the suspected offender's identity or gaming habits. The agent merely scrutinizes the language to ascertain its compliance with policy.

The Xbox Live user agreement stipulates that users cannot design gamertags, avatars, or utilize text in other profile fields that may offend fellow users. It explicitly identifies potentially sensitive topics such as drug use, hate speech, and racial, ethnic, or religious slurs.

The Code of Conduct, however, permits users to express their sexual orientations, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender identities, in their profiles or gamertags.

Toulouse maintained that his team rarely makes errors but conceded, "Certainly, an error occurred here, and we are updating our training procedures to address this lapse."

Fort Gay has existed as a community since 1789, when eleven individuals endeavored to establish a settlement at the confluence of the Tug and Big Sandy rivers, opposite what is now Louisa, Kentucky. It was formally incorporated as Cassville in 1875, but the name Fort Gay coexisted until 1932, when town leaders permanently adopted the latter.

Wayne County historian Herb Dawson posited several theories concerning the name change, including the railroad company's requirement that two towns with identical names could not share the same railway line. Another theory cited a similar conflict with the postal service.

Some locals suggested a romantic tale revolving around a Civil War nurse named Gay who captivated the town's heart while tending to wounded soldiers.

Dawson stated that no verifiable evidence corroborates these narratives, and consensus on the true reason remains elusive.

One salient point is that the word "gay" did not initially carry a negative connotation. During both the 1800s and 1930s, the term typically denoted happiness, vivacity, or merriment.

Nor is Fort Gay the sole West Virginia municipality bearing the word "gay" in its designation; other examples exist in Jackson County and Logan County.

Nevertheless, these facts are immaterial to Josh Moore, whose sole desire is for Microsoft and Xbox Live to acknowledge the legitimacy of his hometown and its residents.

Toulouse promised to contact Moore and express regret. He affirmed that proactively monitoring online language for offensiveness represents a constant challenge.

"In this particular instance, an error occurred," he declared, "and we intend to rectify the situation."

The mayor, however, stated that no representatives from Microsoft had reached out to him or any other municipal officials.

"I am outraged by this incident. Fort Gay is our hometown. It is our legacy. Having spent my entire life there, I am proud of my roots," said Thompson, who coaches the high school football team, the Fort Gay Vikings. "A simple apology is insufficient. They offended numerous individuals in our town."