On the banner

[Lesser spren]

I don't mean to be rude, but when will the banner go back to normal? It has been more than a week since June.

[AonEne he/him]

We like to keep it around for a little longer after June just to show that while June is when Pride is celebrated, we support LGBTQ+ people all year long. The rainbow icons and logos everywhere in June are nice, but sometimes they can feel a bit corporate or halfhearted, and we want to make it clear that our support is wholehearted and genuine. It'll go back to normal colors in a few more weeks or months - I don't have a definite date for you - but generally we do keep it for a while after June, these last few years since we've started doing it. (And even when the logo does go back, our policies do not change.) 

[Lesser spren]

27 minutes ago, AonEne said:

We like to keep it around for a little longer after June just to show that while June is when Pride is celebrated, we support LGBTQ+ people all year long. The rainbow icons and logos everywhere in June are nice, but sometimes they can feel a bit corporate or halfhearted, and we want to make it clear that our support is wholehearted and genuine. It'll go back to normal colors in a few more weeks or months - I don't have a definite date for you - but generally we do keep it for a while after June, these last few years since we've started doing it. (And even when the logo does go back, our policies do not change.) 

Can you define what you mean by policies?

[AonEne he/him]

23 minutes ago, Lesser spren said:

Can you define what you mean by policies?

In this case, that we do not allow homophobia or transphobia on our platforms. 

[Lesser spren]

37 minutes ago, AonEne said:

In this case, that we do not allow homophobia or transphobia on our platforms. 

Looking at the 17S Code of conduct I don't see any rules specifically about homophobia or transphobia. I suppose you referring to:

Quote

• Hateful, hurtful, oppressive, or exclusionary remarks, including offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, race, or religion.
• Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment.

 

[Honors Spectral Image She/her]

2 hours ago, AonEne said:

We like to keep it around for a little longer after June just to show that while June is when Pride is celebrated, we support LGBTQ+ people all year long. The rainbow icons and logos everywhere in June are nice, but sometimes they can feel a bit corporate or halfhearted, and we want to make it clear that our support is wholehearted and genuine. It'll go back to normal colors in a few more weeks or months - I don't have a definite date for you - but generally we do keep it for a while after June, these last few years since we've started doing it. (And even when the logo does go back, our policies do not change.) 

Personally I really appreciate this decision and I agree that often the corporate stuff feels like they just want more money.

[AonEne he/him]

1 hour ago, Lesser spren said:

Looking at the 17S Code of conduct I don't see any rules specifically about homophobia or transphobia. I suppose you referring to:

Correct, it falls under the harassment segment. 

[Chaos he/him]

Yep, this space will be welcoming to be LGBTQ people regardless of what month it is. 

In addition to what Ene said: it's a release month. We have a lot more important things to do, particularly since this hurts no one and has no bearing on our policies. 

[EdgedancerJacob he/him]

Thank you team 17th Shard for this! Y'all are the best

[Master Silver]

On 7/10/2025 at 4:18 PM, AonEne said:

We like to keep it around for a little longer after June just to show that while June is when Pride is celebrated, we support LGBTQ+ people all year long. The rainbow icons and logos everywhere in June are nice, but sometimes they can feel a bit corporate or halfhearted, and we want to make it clear that our support is wholehearted and genuine. It'll go back to normal colors in a few more weeks or months - I don't have a definite date for you - but generally we do keep it for a while after June, these last few years since we've started doing it. (And even when the logo does go back, our policies do not change.) 

I suppose I get where you are coming from, but there are many who hold different values, usually informed by their religion. They are respectful to other members in the community, but the 17th Shard forums should also be a space for them too. Pendullems can swing too far one way or another. Just thought that was worth saying.

[Chaos he/him]

On 8/12/2025 at 4:26 PM, Master Silver said:

I suppose I get where you are coming from, but there are many who hold different values, usually informed by their religion. They are respectful to other members in the community, but the 17th Shard forums should also be a space for them too. Pendullems can swing too far one way or another. Just thought that was worth saying.

Sorry, if someone said, "Hello, my religion's values say Black people are inferior. What's the problem, I feel uncomfortable with people celebrating Black Pride. Why won't you leave a space for me in your community?" would you really be surprised if that person was removed from the community? The fact that you can replace Black people in that statement with LGBTQ people should be very illustrative; it's the same terrible argument, and should be treated the same. 

The pendulum is not swung too far to recognize that queerness exists, that trans people exist, intersex people exist, and that their existence is affirmed. God forbid people exist and don't want to be hated for existing, right? That is not a radical or out there statement. And I don't really think a middle ground exists where like... queer people just need to hide themselves so that others can be in blissful ignorance about things that don't affect them. 

If an icon showing that a very much marginalized group just... exists is offensive to someone, well... that sounds far more like their problem than ours? Our stances in our Code of Conduct have been very firm, and it always has. We have lots of queer people in the community. That's how it is. They are people, they are all around, they always existed, and they are not going away, despite some groups very much wanting them to. 

There are lots of religious people who find queer people existing to be perfectly compatible...

[Argenti he/him]

On 8/12/2025 at 7:26 PM, Master Silver said:

I suppose I get where you are coming from, but there are many who hold different values, usually informed by their religion. They are respectful to other members in the community, but the 17th Shard forums should also be a space for them too. Pendullems can swing too far one way or another. Just thought that was worth saying.

There's actually a lot of thought on this- it's called the "Paradox of tolerance": if a place extends tolerance to those who are intolerant, it allows the eventual dominance of intolerance; thereby undermining the very principle of tolerance. 
For me, at least, I don't care if I offend someone by my existence. If they're truthfully hurt by me being gay, they can leave. Accommodating and abiding hatred only means you support it, which the 17th shard doesn't.

[Akimikoisthecutest]

On 8/17/2025 at 9:52 AM, Chaos said:

queer people

Just letting you know,, do be careful around who you say this with. It can be interpreted as a insult. It is totally fine for a person inside of the community (like me) to say it, but generally not others. I'm fine with it, just letting you know to be careful who you say this around because it can be used as an insult, and some may take it that way, even it that is not the intention.. No offense intended.

Edited September 13, 2025 by Akimikoisthecutest

[Chaos he/him]

6 hours ago, Akimikoisthecutest said:

Just letting you know,, do be careful around who you say this with. It can be interpreted as a insult. It is totally fine for a person inside of the community (like me) to say it, but generally not others. I'm fine with it, just letting you know to be careful who you say this around because it can be used as an insult, and some may take it that way, even it that is not the intention.. No offense intended.

Always happy to adjust my language, and it's entirely people the queer circles are not reflective of broad community, but I am aware that queer used to be used as a slur, but it has been suitably reclaimed. I think context is extremely important here. I would hope anyone who is discerning can see the obvious thrust of my argument that I'm not using it in a pejorative sense. Many others on the Shard forums and Discord use it similarly.

Of course, things depend and I'm sure opinions differ, but a simple Googling on the topic leads to various links on this topic. (This one directly discusses the example I used of "queer people".) The debate on this is interesting, but it does seem like I'm using "queer" within extremely common usage nowadays. 

[Kansas Stormcursed he/him]

8 minutes ago, Chaos said:

Always happy to adjust my language, and it's entirely people the queer circles are not reflective of broad community, but I am aware that queer used to be used as a slur, but it has been suitably reclaimed. I think context is extremely important here. I would hope anyone who is discerning can see the obvious thrust of my argument that I'm not using it in a pejorative sense. Many others on the Shard forums and Discord use it similarly.

Of course, things depend and I'm sure opinions differ, but a simple Googling on the topic leads to various links on this topic. (This one directly discusses the example I used of "queer people".) The debate on this is interesting, but it does seem like I'm using "queer" within extremely common usage nowadays. 

Yeah no at least in my community even the non-gays can call us gay and queer—it's just what we called

[SpartanBrigade He/Him]

26 minutes ago, Chaos said:

Always happy to adjust my language, and it's entirely people the queer circles are not reflective of broad community, but I am aware that queer used to be used as a slur, but it has been suitably reclaimed. I think context is extremely important here. I would hope anyone who is discerning can see the obvious thrust of my argument that I'm not using it in a pejorative sense. Many others on the Shard forums and Discord use it similarly.

Of course, things depend and I'm sure opinions differ, but a simple Googling on the topic leads to various links on this topic. (This one directly discusses the example I used of "queer people".) The debate on this is interesting, but it does seem like I'm using "queer" within extremely common usage nowadays. 

 

16 minutes ago, Kansas Stormcursed said:

Yeah no at least in my community even the non-gays can call us gay and queer—it's just what we called

Yeah what Kansas said 

[CoderDrag0n8 He/They]

18 minutes ago, Kansas Stormcursed said:

Yeah no at least in my community even the non-gays can call us gay and queer—it's just what we called

 

1 minute ago, SpartanBrigade said:

 

Yeah what Kansas said 

I concur

[Honors Spectral Image She/her]

8 hours ago, Kansas Stormcursed said:

Yeah no at least in my community even the non-gays can call us gay and queer—it's just what we called

I agree also I want to say thank you to chaos for addressing this as well as he did

[Akimikoisthecutest]

3 hours ago, Honors ghost said:

I agree also I want to say thank you to chaos for addressing this as well as he did

Me too

[Vielence She/Her]

9 hours ago, Honors ghost said:

I agree also I want to say thank you to chaos for addressing this as well as he did

Yes.