In a recent TikTok video posted to Twitter a couple days ago by Fifty Shades of Whey, we can see a 12-year-old boy playing what appears to be Call of Duty: Warzone. If you listen to the video, you can hear the boy speaking to someone who is clearly expressing homophobic and transphobic views, but this boy is having none of it.
The video starts part of the way through the boy’s conversation with the online gamer, in which the boy asks, “So you don’t support LGBTQ?” The boy goes on to educate that LGBTQ+ isn’t only gay and that not all trans people are gay, implying that the person on the other end of the conversation was repeatedly attacking gay people. Despite the boy’s effort to educate, the gamer on the other end of the conversation was clearly writing off his efforts. However, he does not give up and continues to argue, specifically defending trans folk by saying, “it’s their decision, what’s the matter with that” in reference to whether a person identifies as a man or a woman.
Considering that just recently, a new study was released that proves harassment in online gaming is actually worsening instead of getting better, it’s heartening to see someone from the younger generation so adamantly defending the LGBTQ+ community. This boy stands as a symbol of hope that understanding and equality could be on the rise in years to come.