It doesn’t matter if sexual content in a video game is in a heterosexual or homosexual context, concerned parents shouldn’t buy their children a video game if it has strong sexual content.

In December, The Timothy Plan published a guide for parents about the content of video games released in 2007 and 2008. The guide gives detailed information about violence, sexual content and offensive language in what the group deems the “most offensive” games.

It’s fantastic that a private organization is releasing a detailed guide about video game content for parents. The easier it is for parents to understand the content of the video games their children play, the better it is for everyone.

However, the guide specifically singles out any form of same-sex relations in the examined games.

This mentality is singling out a group of people in a derogatory way. It’s completely all right for parents to be concerned about the sexual content in the video games their children play.
However, is it necessary to consider one more offensive than the other when the presence of strong sexual content in any form is enough to keep parents from buying a game?

Would any parent say, “Oh, it’s fine for my child to play this game because the people having sex in it are in a heterosexual relationship?”

The point is that parents are looking to see if a game has strong sexual content. Discussing what the sexual content entails is appropriate, but giving same-sex and heterosexual content a separate screening area is textbook prejudice.

Vulgarity, profanity and obscenity do not receive separate screening areas; some parents could find one type of swearing more offensive than the other. Additionally, the report does not flag for issues like racism that parents could find extremely offensive.

The Timothy Plan’s guide tries to “call a spade a spade” in video game content and generally does a good job. However, “hate” is still “hate” no matter how you dress it.

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