Trans journalist says she was ‘completely dehumanised’ by Xbox One presenter at gaming convention
A trans journalist has said she was “completely dehumanised” during an Xbox One Event at a London gaming convention over the weekend, by jokes about her gender made by a comedian.
Laura Kate Dale, a trans woman, tweeted to say that she was left offended by comedian Fraser Millward, who was hired by Microsoft to appear at the Eurogamer Expo in London.
The incident was raised by Ms Dale on Twitter, as she wrote: “Hope someone from Microsoft sees this. Your presenter made completely dehumanised me in front of an audience. Ruined my Eurogamer.
“Shows me for trying to take part and have fun like everyone else.”
At the time, she tweeted: “I was ‘he’, ‘it’. ‘Thing’ and ‘this one’. I was on stage and they still insist ‘we need a woman on stage, any women here.'”
On naming Millward as the presenter, the Destructoid contributor tweeted: “Screw not naming and shaming. I’m fed up of not naming these people.”
Dale said she spoke to Microsoft staff on site who said she could not speak to Millward after the event.
She later tweeted: “People at the stage ‘appologise that I was upset by his comments’. Refused to bring [Fraser Millward] out for me to talk to.
“Refused to give full name, refused to appologise for his actual actions… This is why I regularly consider dropping out of this industry.”
Also tweeting, Eurogamer Expo’s official Twitter account told followers that it was investigating the matter.
Microsoft has historically been supportive of LGBT people. Both Microsoft and Eurogamer have said they are investigating the incident.
Dale tweeted: “I doubt it was intentional… but doesn’t make it any less humiliating.”
