(WoWWiki)
When I was a teenager, I discovered the online message board. This was pre-Reddit, pre-Twitter days, and it’s still an enduring format. My main interests at the time were Pokemon, Magic: The Gathering, video games and indie rock. So, pretty similar to now.
The difference between boards and the free-for-all is pseudo-anonymity. You could pick any name that you wanted, but your entire post history was tied to it, and you would often see the same names pop up, until you felt some familiarity. Moderation varied, but the “Banhammer” came down if a user was particularly offensive.
I befriended a girl from Ontario, Canada. We bonded over Tegan and Sara, who had just broken through to mainstream radio, and swapped recommendations over Gmail and Last.fm. She was more into metal, but we found a common ground in pop.
Then, I got addicted to World of Warcraft. It was an escape from the dreariness of 300-people Biology lectures at NYU and did a significant job of wrecking my GPA, but I definitely cherish the memories. And I could play with my friend! We used Ventrilo and talked, fighting monsters into the night.
Her main character was a female Blood Elf Paladin, a blonde, Mean Girls-looking wielder of holy magic. I started out with a Night Elf rogue (female, because they look stealthier), but eventually switched to a male Tauren Shaman. Sadly, my screenshots are trapped somewhere on a forgotten hard drive.
She mentioned one day that she was transgender. I was 18 and didn’t really know what that meant. I didn’t grasp how brutally hard it is to come out to parents and friends. That it was easier to assume the identity you wanted online. What mattered to me was that she was good enough to tank Kael’Thas in Magisters’ Terrace. Males and females have the exact same stats and abilities in World of Warcraft.
We drifted apart. I kicked the WoW habit after graduating, but part of me will always miss it. And I miss her.
The equality movement gathered momentum, and I learned. I learned about Laura Jane Grace. I learned about CeCe McDonald. I mourned Dr. V and Leelah Alcorn and Taylor Alesana and Islan Nettles. I was digusted by the treatment of Ashley Diamond. And I made another friend, who happens to be transgender, who helped me break my lethargy.
Caitlyn Jenner’s debut yesterday was abnormal, because few people have that level of celebrity and money, period. But I hope her honesty and prominence make people realize that being yourself is what matters. Even if your setting is a fantasy world.
