Andrew M Campbell or well known as Zyori, has recently come under hate for wearing a dress during livestreams of the ongoing Epic League.
Gender representation has been the talk of the decade in every field be it sports, politics, or even fashion. That being said, the esports community also has been under the radar for gender representation in games and gaming communities.
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Zyori and his freedom
Andrew M Campbell is a bisexual man who has been a part of the Dota community for years. Recently, in his latest blog addressing all the issues brought up by many people during live-streams of The Epic League. The issue was him dressing up in a clothes meant for a woman. If Epic League had a dress code, I am sure Zyori would not wear it and wear the proper dress code stated by the organisers.
However, seeing as this is not the case, it is his right to wear anything that he wants to, but why is it that we as a community want him to wear "proper clothing?" What is the definition of a proper clothing? His own colleagues have no problem and moreover support him on his decision to come out in an attire of his own choice.
Why it is not good for the game to try and discriminate anyone
Dota 2 has one of the most toxic communities in the world. It currently is also on the verge of dying out as a game. The game itself might not die but newer and newer players have not yet received the game in a positive light due to numerous problems like Smurfs, boosters and most likely, the toxicity.
Zyori receiving hate is also one of the most prominent examples of how the community projects their entitlement towards casters and analysts and anyone associated with the professional scene of Dota 2. Pro players receiving death threats by bettors, Casters getting hate for not being entertaining enough, and now an analyst for not wearing something "suitable" in an event.
So many DM’s from lonely, unrepresented people excited to see more variety in the Dota space. I never understood how much representation matters.. until people started sharing their stories with me and explaining how isolated they feel.
Zyori's blog
Zyori cross dressing is a representation for those people who are in the Dota 2 community still afraid of society shunning them for their choices. We as a community should, instead of shaming them, accept them for who they are and respect their decisions. After all, we all are fickle beings in the end, prone to negativity, why then should we not try to be nice to people who wish to do what they want to do?
This is in context to gender fluidity and representation.