FOREWARNING: this post contains discussion of topics that are not pg-13, as well as transphobic, homophobic, and sexist rhetoric and concepts. i bring these things up not to break the rules but because they are necessary for what i need to elaborate on since it’s not common knowledge for everyone
so, i wasnt really sure if i should make this post, where i should put it, or how i should go about it, but its pretty late and i feel like getting it off my chest because its something thats extremely personal to me and its a consistent problem.
pmu needs to better enforce its rules on transphobic hate speech, namely jokes about “tr/ps,” and be more vigilant about the use of the word "simp"
TR/P:
you see many people say the word tr/p when discussing “feminine” pokemon or characters who are actually guys and whatnot or related topics like that. many people dont know what it means. unfortunately people who make these jokes are doing it with transphobic intent.
the word tr/p (not referring to dungeon tiles) refer to “men” who decieve men into relationships under the guise of being a woman by dressing up in a way that makes them appear like one. these “men” are implied to be predators who try to trick men into being with men. so, they are “tr/ps” that you would fall for. not only is this very homophobic, but it is transphobic. many people or characters people call tr/ps are either trans women who already face claims that they are predators, or are mocked for “looking like a girl” by claiming these individuals have sinister intent, and not just dressing the way they like
i see this word get repeatedly used in global, and it is almost NEVER enforced. i feel like this word should be treated with the same gravity as ANY slur. the fact that pmu claims to be LGBT-friendly yet i repeatedly see people use this slur with NO repurcussions or just being told not to say those things. that ISNT ENOUGH. the people who say it know what they are saying. if you look up the word on slang websites you will see how people use the word. i dont reccomend doing so however because it is hateful language and not sfw, but if you need proof it is easily fact checked.
SIMP:
simp used to mean a shortened form of the word “simpleton” which means stupid. however in recent days it has come to mean something extremely harmful to women. the word is abbreviated to “suckers idolizing mediocre [redacted]” wherein the last word refers to girls in a demeaning way that is not sfw. not only does this violate the pmu nsfw rule as it exposes children who may be playing to gross concepts if they decide to google what it means, but it is also very disgusting to say that.
it basically refers to men who idolize women they are attracted to who are “mediocre,” so the men are “suckers” because they are giving women who dont care about them attention. referring to yourself as one is bad because it demeans someone down to their body rather than their personality and is incredibly awful, and sometimes the word is even used to refer to people who are simply just nice to a woman the individual saying the word does not like. it is very uncomfortable to hear this word because it is so demeaning to the subject of idolization and is not safe for work on a game that is supposed to be.
language evolves rapidly and new harmful words come out every day. maybe these words will fade out of relevance soon but in the meantime they are hateful rhetoric that should be enforced against the same way other slurs or harmful language are. this isnt because im a prude about “swears” or im “triggered” or something, but these words enforce hateful ideas about groups of people for a quick laugh and break PMU’s rules. PMU cannot claim to be a safe space while allowing these types of things
i apologize if i was too forward about this content. i am trying to be as civil and as sfw as i can but it is difficult because of the subject matter. i also took this to the public forums because many people dont know what these words mean either, or are just repeating them because they heard them from internet memes and i feel it is important to inform people as to why it is a problem.
this isnt really meant to be voted on. i wasnt really sure where to put this on the forums since i dont want to direct this at specific users and its more of a policy thing than a game mechanic suggestion. idk.
thanks for reading. please be kind to others