We have to talk about Twitch.
Specifically, we have to talk about the problem of predators on Twitch.
More and more reports are coming in even as I write this.
Submit your story:https://t.co/5QLHXbqsI0
Master Spreadsheet of verified submissions of stories and responses is coming soon.
One was a YouTuber I used to watch almost daily.
One was a Twitch streamer I considered a friend.
I know even more people on the list by reputation or because theyre friends of friends.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
I have spent almost every day of the last few years of my life on Twitch.
I met my fiance through a group of Twitch streamers.
I still count several people on the platform as my dearest friends.
Some of the most well-known figures in the entertainment industry suddenly came forward with their own horrible Weinstein experience.
Which means lots of people out there think this is NORMAL.
IT ISN’T NORMAL.
Let me now co-opt Rosenbergs statement.
Because we all knew.
Because this space is not fucking SAFE for us.
A YouTuber who brags about their conquests just a little too loudly and crudely in mixed company.
Someone who says vaguely uncomfortable things, or whose hands wander a bit too much.
Weve seen what they say in Twitch chat.
Weve seen what they do at conventions.
Every single one of us has a story.
We all knew these people existed.
We all knew what they were doing.
We all knew the prevailing attitude among Twitch communities was dangerously permissive of such things.
A lot of people coming forward about sexual harassment/assault in the games industry today.
Thats not what Im saying I dont think we all knew YouTubers were sexually grooming children.
I dont think you knew.
And how do I know that?
Yeah, I knew too
The former friend mentioned above?
This wasnt the first time he was accused of manipulative or sexually coercive behavior.
He wasnt the only one.
All assured me it would be handled.
Next year he was in the same VIP space at the same Twitch event.
We know, so now what?
Twitch and YouTube work because their stars feel so accessible.
You feel that youre close with them, that theyre not strangers.
They didnt hear no.
Unfortunately, that is the exact inverse of consent, and a toxic way to approach social interaction.
Another common defense is that the behavior of the accused, while gross, isnt illegal.
And buddy, if thats your bar to clear when it comes to acceptable actions… thats practically subterranean.
Its on us to fix this.
We have to take out the trash.
We knew it was there and too many of us did nothing.
Story byRachel Kaser
Rachel is a writer and former game critic from Central Texas.
She enjoys gaming, writing mystery stories, streaming on Twitch, and horseback riding.
Check her Twitter for curmudgeonly criticisms.
