Call of Duty actor fires back after transphobic backlash to non-binary character
Kimber London has addressed the transphobic backlash to their character in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. (TikTok/Call of Duty)
A non-binary actor and model has confronted the transphobic backlash to their inclusion in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
The latest instalment in the Call of Duty franchise features several playable operators for its multiplayer mode, including the series’ first non-binary character, Rossi.
Described as a “street-smart rogue with a blue-blood pedigree,” the character’s inclusion is groundbreaking for the military game series, but didn’t come without backlash from transphobic fans, who accused the series of going “woke.”
The character’s model, Kimber London, confronted the transphobia in a TikTok post on the game’s release date of Friday (25 October).
“People aren’t buying the new Call of Duty video game because of a non-binary character,” London said in the post. “Well hi, that’s me.
“Everyone who’s saying they won’t buy the game because of this character, ask yourselves, why is inclusion so threatening [to you]?”
London explained that they received the call to work on the development of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 in 2022 after the title’s publisher, Activision, was looking for a non-binary actor to play Rossi.
“Next thing I know I’m on set with 250 camera pointed at my face to capture the small movements of my lips, my eyes, and my expressions,” they said.
“We all know the Call of Duty fanbase, I was prepared for some hate. What I wasn’t prepared for was the level of ableism, misogyny, sexism, queerphobia.”
The actor noted the amount of insulting imagery sent their way because of their role in the game, saying they “had no words” for the level of hate, including ableist and transphobic slurs.
While they admitted that the character isn’t exactly a perfect likeness, London said that they were prepared for that after developers told them the character would likely be modified for the game. What mattered, they said, was representation.
“This is why representation matters,” they added, pointing to a transphobic post online. “It isn’t about a game, it’s about being seen and heard. Queer players have always been here, why shouldn’t we be seen in the games we love?
“In the face of all this hate, I will always choose to stand with the LGBTQ+ community no matter what the haters say.”
In closing the post, London asked those sending transphobic and bigoted posts to “find it in your heart that our stories matter too.”
“We’re here making history and we’re not going anywhere.”
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