Artwork courtesy of Microsoft
Microsoft announced in 2010 it would allow people to have online usernames (called "gamertags" on Xbox) using terms like "lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, straight," changing a policy that, even by 2010 standards, was archaic. But recently, a VICE Games reader tried making a gamertag featuring "bi" and Microsoft's system rejected the change."I was looking to make a handle based off the She-Ra character Sea Hawk," said Greg, who asked to keep their real name private to avoid harassment. "I decided since I’m bi, I would make myself Bi Sea Hawk. And since Sea Hawk is two words in the character's name, it made sense for me to have it be three words with Bi appended on the front."The system said no to Bi Sea Hawk, but weirdly, it said yes to BiSeaHawk.VICE Games confirmed the issue by trying to change their gamertag with the same format.
It's unclear how long the bug has been kicking around, but VICE Games did find a support inquiry filed to Microsoft in June 2020 that asked "Why is 'bi' not allowed in gamertags?" "The Enforcement Team does not have a presence on social media or the forums, so there is no way we could comment or speculate as to why a gamertag was flagged or reported," replied one of Microsoft's Xbox Ambassadors, fans selected to help provide the community with information. "That information is all private and handled by the Enforcement Team."After being alerted, Microsoft looked into the issue and told VICE Games it was a bug. A series of fixes have been applied over the past week or so, now resulting in the system allowing users to secure the name they want. I confirmed this morning that I can now become "pklepek bi."Once the fix went through, Greg also grabbed Bi Sea Hawk.Follow Patrick on Twitter. His email is patrick.klepek@vice.com, and available privately on Signal (224-707-1561).
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