Laura Kate Dale, a trans woman and journalist, says she was “completely dehumanized” at the Xbox One Event at Eurogamer Expo 2013 when comedian and presenter Fraser Millward allegedly referred to her as “it,” “he,” and “thing” during her panel.
I was “he”, “it”. “Thing” and “this one”. I was on stage and they still insist “we need a woman on stage, any women here”.
— Laura Kate Dale (@LaurakBuzz) September 29, 2013
Hope someone from Microsoft sees this. Your presenter made completely dehumanised me in front of an audience. Ruined my Eurogamer.
— Laura Kate Dale (@LaurakBuzz) September 29, 2013
Millward is an English comedian, and has been identified as the presenter during Dale’s panel. Dale said she did not know Millward was a comedian because his comments were not presented as comedy, she wrote on Twitter.
@LaurakBuzz You are aware that popping hormone pills and wearing girl clothes doesn’t make you a girl, right?
— Maxfield Stanton (@BigTextBT) September 29, 2013
A second round of harassment has begun on Twitter, where Dale is retweeting all the hate tossed her way. The trolls, mostly men, call her “mentally ill” and asking questions like, “Well, what do you have between your legs?”
@LaurakBuzz Well what do you have between your legs?
— Jon Ander Merino (@esejony65) September 29, 2013
According to Kotaku, Eurogamer is investigating the issue. The community’s response, as much as Millward’s alleged behavior, is another smudge on the gaming world’s treatment of women in their industry.
This is why I regularly consider dropping out of this industry.
— Laura Kate Dale (@LaurakBuzz) September 29, 2013
H/T Kotaku / Photo by Roxanne Ready/Flickr
