By Juan Ibarra/multimedia editor
Historically, women have a tough time being taken seriously in any male-dominated hobby or industry. So, when it comes to video games, comics and other nerd culture industries, women are often seen as “fakers,” and this needs to stop.
Gatekeeping is when someone takes it upon themselves to decide who has access to a community or identity. If someone says they love “Star Wars,” then someone who is gatekeeping would then criticize that fan for not reading every “Star Wars” book ever written.
When it comes to women in comics or video games, it’s too common that I have heard someone question a girl for wearing a Batman shirt or for saying they like playing games.
Far too many times have I heard men berate a woman with quotes like “I bet you only ever saw the ‘Batman’ movies,” or “Let me guess: Your favorite video game is ‘Mario Kart?’”
Women already have a difficult time enjoying games or comics without someone calling them out for only liking something “because it is popular” or “because their boyfriend likes it.”
Although nerd culture has grown in popularity due to comic book movies, a subsection of that community carries the negative stereotypes of being bitter and unwelcoming.
This only helps to reinforce negative stereotypes and can even push a woman from being interested in something that they care about.
The last two decades have seen a huge shift in the way society talks about women in STEM career fields. What was once mainly a boys’ club has become more open to everyone and inclusive.
If young girls see a successful woman in the STEM field, it helps create new generations of successful women in those industries, and representation matters. And the same can be said for people who enjoy different hobbies.
A woman won’t want to join a group of territorial, abrasive boys in a similar hobby if they treat her like a second-rate citizen, so people need to be more welcoming.
Women already have a difficult time in career fields, and they shouldn’t have as much trouble with their hobbies.
