The Pokemon Company condemns Pokemon Unite dev’s homophobic Twitter exchange
The Pokemon Company has openly condemned a homophobic Twitter exchange that happened with TiMi Studio and a user. TiMi Studio, the dev behind the new Pokemon Unite game on the Nintendo Switch, recently got into hot water with fans after it equated the rights of heterosexuals with that of the LGBTQ+ community.
Originally reported on by The Gamer, the individual running the Twitter account at the time was asked to say ‘gay rights’. The response from the TiMi Studio account was ‘why? rights of heterosexual players are equally important.’ It was a disappointing response, and when someone expressed that the answer was indeed pretty naff, the person behind the account responded with ‘go and ask any gay people if they are disappointed by being treated EQUALLY.”
The reason why queer fans are upset about this is that the comparison between heterosexual rights and LGBTQ+ rights, as though heterosexuals are marginalized in any sort of way because of their sexuality, is insulting. LGBTQ+ people die and are prejudiced against because of their sexuality and/or gender, people who are heterosexual simply do not.
It has since been found out that whoever responded does not speak English as their first language, so misconception and misinterpretation are most likely at fault here. The TiMi Studio account has also deleted the tweets, and has since apologized for the mistake. They also thanked fans for correcting their mistake.
As for the Pokemon Company, they stated to The Gamer that the tweets from the Pokemon Unite dev account did not “align with company values.” The full statement can be read, below:
“At The Pokémon Company International, we believe in a just and equitable world and that every person, employee, and fan has the unique skills, powers, and purpose to contribute to this common cause,” the statement reads. “As part of this, we celebrate the humanity of every individual and fully support the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the foundations of our culture of belonging, and our core value of Integrity and Respect underlines the importance of treating people with respect and empathy to build an open and trusting environment.
“These statements do not align with our beliefs, culture, or values and are fundamentally wrong. We’re working with our external partner to address the situation.”
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