GamePro, GameStar and MeinMMO shine in rainbow colors from today. Here we explain why that is and what PRIDE Month means to us.
Hate, intolerance and violence have no place on our websites, in our lives or in society. These are principles we advocate for and adhere to throughout the year.
Accordingly, PRIDE Month has a very special meaning for us, which is why we not only want to color our logos again this year, but once again want to talk about the importance of the values of PRIDE for us and our communities – and what we are doing to stand up for them. Not just in June, but anytime.
June 28, 2023 marks the 54th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Initiated by Marsha P. Johnson, this date is considered the international starting signal for the civil rights LGBTQAI+ movement, which fights for equal rights worldwide and reminds us every year of the constant striving for equality for everyone with the PRIDE marches – regardless of skin color, ethnicity, origin, nationality origin, social origin, political opinion, religion, sexuality, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental abilities, type of marriage or other legally protected constellations. You can find out more about Pride Month here.
Why we color our logos
PRIDE’s message of diversity, openness and respect based on tolerance is as important as ever in 2023. Perhaps even a little more important when we look at current world events, such as the extreme rise in anti-trans legislation in the US, the escalating number of hate crimes against the LGBTQAI+ community, or the infighting surrounding JK Rowling’s transphobic views around Hogwarts Legacy on social media and in the comment columns.
Not only, but also for this reason, we want to emphasize once again that we not only reject discrimination and racism of any form, but also the active or passive exclusion or disadvantage of fellow human beings.
By raising the rainbow flag on our website, we not only show our solidarity and are part of the PRIDE movement, but also state very clearly that values such as tolerance, acceptance and inclusion are not up for discussion for us. We show no tolerance for intolerance. Hate speech has no place with us. It was never different and will never change, and anyone who doesn’t see it that way is not welcome at Webedia Germany or on our website.
As in previous years, we will also be using the so-called Progress Pride Flag in 2023. This was designed by Daniel Quasar in 2018 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 represents all those who are suffering or have lost their lives as a result of HIV/AIDS and the stigma surrounding the disease.
How we try to create more tolerance every day
Shining rainbow colors on our logos or making a statement with items like this is just part of what we do to promote tolerance.
We continue to bring diversity, accessibility and mental health content to our websites outside of June – both as part of theme weeks and in our everyday coverage of video games, tech and hardware and, of course, those who create and enjoy them.
With disclaimers about controversial people, incidents or companies, we try to give context to these issues in addition to dedicated news, columns, reports, podcasts or streams. It is particularly important to us not only to inform those who are specifically looking for this content, but also to pick up those who are perhaps coming to one of our pages for the first time and have never had any contact with it in the long term.
But there are also many people working hard in the background to make our websites, channels and platforms a better and more welcoming place for all players.
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 a lot of the things that they deal with on a daily basis, most of you never get to see them.
Without them, it wouldn’t even be possible to have things like a forum or comment sections to discuss our favorite games or the most exciting news in the video game world. Your tireless and hard work to make our communities a better place plays an essential role in our quest for more tolerance and acceptance in gaming.
What is happening behind the scenes at Webedia also plays an equally important role for us. Here, too, we are continuously working on our values and on creating an even better, more inclusive working environment for all employees.
Be it through special (mental) health offers, signing the Diversity Charter or a diversity committee that works specifically on topics related to diversity and inclusion within Webedia. Not everything we do is intended for the public or our readers, but that doesn’t make these things any less important.
Thanks to our communities
Last but not least, we also want to take this opportunity to say thank you. Thank you for standing with us against racism, intolerance and hatred. You’ve proven that often enough in the past in the comments and you can be as proud of that as we are! Keep doing it and don’t let the individual rioters fool you.
Of course, things don’t always run smoothly for us either, and there will always be comments that you and we don’t 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 also need your support.
Because fighting racism, hate and verbal violence and fighting for a better world only works in one way: together.