Two voice actors are facing backlash regarding LGBT representation.
The Genshin Impact community is currently engaged in backlash after a voice actor for the game spoke up on LGBT representation.The incident occurred on January 31, when voice actor Joshua David King tweeted that fujoshi fans need to get therapy.
For those unaware, a fujoshi is a woman who consumes media involving gay men. This group is commonly associated with Boys Love manga, as the industry has found there is a large demographic of women who enjoy gay male fan service. There is criticism around this community, however, as many say that fujoshis fetishize gay romance, making the space less comfortable for LGBT individuals.
While King’s tweet was no doubt a joke, many felt attacked by the statement. One group that was hurt by King’s tweet was transmasculine individuals who found their identity through initially being in the fujoshi community. While King apologized for this statement, he was still being criticized by many who identified with the community. This is complicated by the fact the King is a gay trans man and someone who is directly impacted by over-sexualization in the fujoshi community.
Further escalation occurred when another voice actor, Shara Kirby, took to Twitter to defend King. She quote-tweeted King and was immediately beset with the same level of criticism and vitriol that King was experiencing. In an email to Kotaku, Kirby wrote, “This is the first time I’ve ever had so many people harass me, call me so many -isms, and seemingly call for my firing. Did not think I’d be spending the first three days of Black History Month like this! I don’t regret coming to my friend’s defense. They are a Black trans and queer individual who rightfully called out a section who uses an umbrella term that, while probably having good intentions, has been tainted by a sub-group who use it to get away with fetishizing BL and MLM content”.
The controversy seems to have the fan base split. Many are decrying King and Kirby’s actions, whit some taking offense that Kirby brought race into the discussion. Meanwhile, other members of the community have argued that other voice actors for the game have not received this level of hate after using slurs or holding controversial viewpoints, saying that race is most definitely a factor in this. Whatever the case may be there is no excuse to harass voice actors, no matter how one views their opinions. Voice actors are part of a larger team that works hard to provide content for players to enjoy. Harassment, death threats, and calls for their firing are inappropriate.
