Gamer Shame has prevented Females from identifying as Gamers

http://www.polygon.com/2015/11/4/9669110/pew-research-center-female-gamers-statistics

Just keeping it real guys:)

This article hints at an issue I am always talking about with girl gamers,

“42 percent of the study's respondents who had game systems — such as "Xboxes and PlayStations," the report says —identified as female. A slightly lower number of men claimed to have their own consoles — 37 percent.”

But…..

"The ESA's survey showed a gender disparity skewing toward men, with 59 percent of its male respondents calling themselves gamers as opposed to 41 percent of women polled. "

I know TONS of women who play games, but will/do not identify as gamers. Few reasons I have been given:

*Not a part of the counter-culture of "GAMERS"

* I only play (whatever 2-3 games)

*I only have a 3DS, that doesn't count

* My (Spouse, Partner, friend, etc) shamed me the one time I did say I was a gamer.

I cannot STAND this. Gamer shaming has to stop; WTH is the point?

Many of the women I know play the same games, and they don't even know it because they are not comfortable sharing.

Time to stand up and be proud gamers. I don't ever say I am a GREAT gamer; I have my moments. I LOVE games, though. I read about them. I dress in them. I go to game conventions to see others who love them. I co-taught a class about them. I take classes about them. I am learning to make them.

I am a GAMER!!! I am a female and still a GAMER, I feel no need to say I am a female gamer. Time for the term GAMER to be ambiguous, let’s take the sex and gender away from GAMER, so we are all represented.

We can then begin to talk about the 21% of gamers who identified as neither male nor female.