It’s an ugly story, it’s well written and researched — and it’s alarming. At Ars Technica, Michael Thompson writes Moral money managers now slamming games for GLBT content. At the end of the piece we learn that it’s an evil thing they’re doing, though likely a long lesson in FAIL. Click through for all the links and more info, snip:
With the holiday season upon us, shoppers are kicking their spending into high gear, and these consumers often consult gift guides for advice on what to buy. A popular choice? Creating lists that advise parents on what to NOT buy their kids. In the video game industry, we’ve all gotten used to seeing such lists surface around this time of the year; this week, we were treated to such an item by The Timothy Plan, a group that manages money based on Judeo-Christian principles. While profanity and violence were on the list, the group’s attitudes toward homosexuality are what raised the most attention.
The Plan’s core business strategy is based on some very narrow principles; it makes a point of only investing with companies that abide by certain moral codes. Companies that do things like recognizing domestic partnerships are actively shunned.
(…) Looking through the rest of the detailed games reveals that, yes, The Timothy Plan also bashes other games like Bully, Mass Effect, and Fable II for allowing players to become romantically involved with members of the same gender.
Visitors to the organization’s web site can determine if their mutual fund investments have any holdings with companies that produce these games. By filling out a form and listing your mutual funds, the company will “send you a complimentary moral audit on your mutual funds which may own these as well as other objectionable companies.” Listing the Vanguard S&P 500 Index Fund on the “Moral Audit Request Form” brought a speedy e-mail to my inbox, with the subject line reading “Violation Report.” Within was a PDF form that displayed the moral violations of the companies my supposed nest egg was tied up with. The top five objectionable companies, according to the document, all endorse “Non-Marriage Lifestyles.” (…read more, arstechnica.com, thanks Jonathan!)
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