#1reasonwhy Hashtag Creates Twitter Talk On Sexism In Gaming

A simple question posed by a Kickstarter exec on Twitter has opened up the thorny subject of sexism in the gaming industry.

"Why are there so few lady game creators?" mused Luke Crane.

And then many answers flowed forth. The assumption that to be in possession of a pair of breasts-- not man boobs--in the gaming industry afforded you nothing more than a supporting role to your male peers, and the grimness of the online comments, all contributed to a general feeling of resignation from female game workers.

#1reasonwhy because my male colleagues are allowed to occasionally be obnoxious, silly, immature, annoying, drunk. i'm not.

— leighalexander (@leighalexander) November 27, 2012

Being mistaken for male co-founder's assistant ...three times? four? #1reasonwhy

— Caterina Fake (@Caterina) November 27, 2012

#1reasonwhy: Because they saw my desk in the middle of a sea of coder cubicles, and still assumed I was the secretary...

— TransformEnt. (@Transform_Ent) November 27, 2012

And so, the #1reasonwhy hashtag went crazy on Monday night - check out the graph line on Topsy. A new hashtag, #1reasonmentor, aims to connect women starting out in the industry with older, more seasoned hands, in the hope of stamping out grim, misogynistic attitudes.