This week Democrat Congressional (Maine) candidate Colleen Lachowicz was outed by Republicans. Lachowicz is not, as far as we know, gay, but she is a gamer. Lachowicz’s opponents have started their own site, Colleen’s World (You can Google it because I refuse to give them an active link), in an attempt to discredit her as a viable political candidate. They have even gone as far as pulling quotes from online forums where she has written about her gameplay.
(Below is an image of a post that Lachowicz made as her WoW character on an online forum)
Note the highlighting. Why point out the fact that as an Orc in-world she likes to stab things? She is talking specifically about a game. She is not talking about stabbing small children on the picturesque streets of small town main like some maniacal character in a Stephen King novel.
How does this discredit her? The page goes on to quote these (unsupported) statistics about the number of hours that the average player spends in WoW and to suggest that she is posting online about WoW battle tactics. Are they targeting her more because of the time that she spends playing the game or because they believe that there is some deep seated desire within to murder innocents on the streets or that she will also post online about US military strategies? Really?? You can’t make this shit up! Are they disclosing the amount of time that their candidate spends on his leisure activities? How much time does he spend watching television, listen to music, reading books, chatting with friends and family, or whatever else he might be doing?
The site goes back and finds postings that are more than 8 years old and uses them in an attempt to paint Lachowicz as some sort of homicidal maniac that is unfit to serve in public office or as a social worker (which is her current job).
What is even more disturbing about cases like this (and this is not an isolated case) is the fact that it is taken seriously by more than a couple of right wingnuts. When she was interviewed by CNN Lachowicz found herself having to not only defend what she had posted as a WoW player and personal commenter online, but also the very fact that she played games! One of the big questions is, would this have happened if she were a man running for office. Would her perceived aggression have been seen as a negative thing.
(Above is a video of the CNN interview with Lachowicz)
As gamers, scholars, journalist, citizens of the world this is something that we must pay close attention to. At what point does what we do for leisure (or for research) become subject to the ignorant, ill conceived ramblings of our opposition? While we look at this case and think, “Ridiculous! No one could actually believe this!”. There are those of us who work with games and New Media who find ourselves under attack from this kind of prejudice every day. Unwarranted, vicious, and slanderous attack.
It is important that even if we are not gamers or politicians or even New Media theorist that we stand up for the freedoms of everyone to play what they want and say what they want (within the bounds of legality) without having it taken out of context and used against them by someone with an agenda. What do you think folks? Stories to share?
