GamePro, GameStar and MeinMMO shine in rainbow colors from today on. Why this is so and what the PRIDE Month means to us, we explain here.
Hatred, intolerance and violence have no place on our websites, in our lives or in society. These are principles that we advocate for all year round and hold on to.
The PRIDE Month has a special significance for us, which is why this year we want to color our logos again, but also want to talk again about the importance of the values of PRIDE for us and our communities – and what we are doing to stand up for it. Not only in June but at any time.
On June 28, 2023, the Stonewall Riots will celebrate its 54th anniversary. Triggered by Marsha P. Johnson, this date is considered the international kickoff of the civil rights LGBTQAI+ movement, which fights for equal rights worldwide and annually remembers the ongoing struggle for equality for all with the PRIDE marches – regardless of skin color, ethnicity, origin, national origin, social origin, political opinion, religion, sexuality, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental abilities, marital form or any other legally protected constellations. You can learn more about Pride Month here.
Why we color our logos
The message of PRIDE for diversity, openness and respect based on tolerance is as important in 2023 as ever. Perhaps even a little more important, when we look at current world events, such as the extreme rise of anti-trans legislation in the USA, the increasing number of hate crimes against the LGBTQAI+ community or the trenches that are being fought because of J.K. Rowling’s transphobic views around Hogwarts Legacy on social media and in the comment sections.
Not only for this reason, but also because we want to emphasize again that we reject not only discrimination and racism in any form, but also the active or passive exclusion or disadvantaging of fellow human beings.
By hoisting the rainbow flag on our sites, we not only show our solidarity and as part of the PRIDE movement, but we also want to clearly state that values such as tolerance, acceptance and inclusion are non-negotiable for us. We do not show any tolerance towards intolerance. Hate speech has no place with us. That has never been different and will never change, and anyone who does not see it that way is not welcome at Webedia Germany, nor on our pages.
As in previous years, we will also use the so-called Progress Pride Flag in 2023. This was designed in 2018 by Daniel Quasar to be even more inclusive than the previous rainbow flag and to better represent the diversity of the movement and our society. In addition to the traditional rainbow colors, there are also stripes in brown and black as well as in white, pink, and light blue. The latter symbolize the trans and non-binary community, while the former represent people of color. The black stripe also stands for all those who suffer from HIV/AIDS and the stigma of the disease or have lost their lives because of it.
How we try to promote more tolerance every day
Having our logos shine in rainbow colors or making a statement with articles like this is just one part of what we do to advocate for more tolerance.
On our websites, we also repeatedly bring content on topics such as diversity, accessibility, and mental health outside of June – both in the context of theme weeks and in our daily reporting around video games, tech, hardware, and of course those who create and enjoy them.
With disclaimers on controversial people, incidents, or companies, we also try to provide context in addition to dedicated news, columns, reports, podcasts, or streams on these issues. It is particularly important to us not only to inform those who specifically seek out this content but to sustainably and long-term reach those who may be coming to one of our sites for the first time and have had no previous contact with it.
But also behind the scenes, many people work hard to make our websites, channels, and platforms a better and welcoming place for all gamers.
The often exhausting work of our community management and our social media managers and moderators is often invisible from the outside, but that is exactly why it is so important and worth mentioning. Because many of the things they deal with on a daily basis are never seen by most of you.
Without them, it would not be possible to offer things like a forum or comment sections to discuss our favorite games or the most exciting news from the gaming world. Their tireless and hard work to make our communities a better place plays an essential role in our effort to stand up for more tolerance and acceptance in gaming.
Just as important to us is what happens behind the scenes at Webedia itself. Here, too, we are continuously working on our values and to create an even better, more inclusive working environment for all employees.
Whether through special (mental) health offerings, signing the charter of diversity or a diversity committee that works specifically on issues related to diversity and inclusion within Webedia. Not everything we do is meant for the public or our readers, but that does not make these things any less important.
A thank you to our communities
Lastly, we want to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for standing with us against racism, intolerance, and hatred. You have proven this often enough in the past in the comments, and you can be just as proud of that as we are! Keep it up and do not let individual troublemakers distract you.
Of course, not everything is always going smoothly for us either, and there will always be comments that you and we do not want to read on GamePro, GameStar, GameStar Tech, and MeinMMO. We will take action against this together with our community management and our team of moderators, but we are also dependent on your support.
For fighting against racism, hatred, and verbal violence and for a better world, there is only one way to do it: together.
