thebirdandthebat:

In my weekly column on Newsarama, Hey, That’s My Cape!, I talk about pretty much anything having to do with comics. This week I had to start my column with the words, “It’s a tough time to be a woman who likes superhero comics.”

I’m fortunate to know a diverse group of people whose eyes are…

One of the most common things I’ve found within the nerd culture, particularly where I live, is that a lot of us have become so encapsulated by our own circumstances and pain, perceived or real, and become very closed off to things around us, even when it’s something happening to someone like us. There is a distinct lack of real, spontaneous, empathy. We only engage with someone else’s pain if we see a personal stake in it for us.

This has led to the propogation of some deep and terrible sexism, amongst other things, in our culture. What’s worse is that we don’t usually see it until someone we know or respect gets passionate about it and we are driven to look deeper in to it.

I had always been mildly aware that there was a sexist streak to comics and games, much in the same way that films and TV are, but I had largely written it off as a symptom of the wider western culture influencing ours. Then, I started to see a few of the female nerds I personally know, know through Facebook (Elizabeth, for instance, who recently published this very good article about it) or whose work I enjoy and respect (Jill being a prime example) start to publish serious, thoughtful, commentary on it and I started to look at myself and my culture with critical eyes.

I hold no illusions on my own influence, so I’m not going to try convince you myself except to say that I’m am deeply ashamed at how blind I was to the sexism in gaming culture and will not be overlooking it any more. Pass by me, on to Liz or Jill, or even just talk to female gamers you know, who can no doubt tell you some stories, and for the love of Zool, check your own behaviour.

(Source: thenerdybird.com)