New video game creatively protests North Carolina's 'bathroom bill'
Boss Key Productions, the North Carolina studio co-founded by Gears of War creative lead Cliff Bleszinski, isn't happy with the state's anti-LGBT legislation.
To protest the Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act -- which, it's worth noting, the U.S. Justice Department has deemed unlawful -- Boss Key inserted a little nod to the game's more evolved society: gender-neutral bathrooms.
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Bleszinski tweeted out a screenshot to highlight the subtle protest, directing it at Pat McCrory. The North Carolina governor signed the bill into law, and has since gone on to push back against heavy criticism.
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LawBreakers is set in 2105, at a time when global war has erupted between the criminal elements of society and a unified organization of peacekeepers. It's a grim future, sure, but still progressive enough to have done away with exclusionary practices like the "bathroom bill."
North Carolina is rightfully in the crosshairs of civil liberties torch-bearers, but it's not the only state that has gone out of its way to make the LGBT community feel unwelcome.
Mississippi only recently gave same-sex couples the right to adopt children, after a federal court ruling struck down a ban that had been on the books since 2000. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant also signed a law in April that gives religious business owners the right to refuse service to gay couples.
There's more, too. Tennessee is currently weighing a bathroom bill like North Carolina's after a similar, recent measure failed. It's gotten so bad that the UK issued a travel warning for citizens visiting Mississippi and North Carolina.
Boss Key is hardly the first public example of protest against lingering anti-LGBT sentiments at the state government level. The NCAA announced in April that it won't allow cities with discriminatory laws to host tournaments. And numerous musicians have either spoken out or canceled performances, including Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Beyonce and more.
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Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
