TaySon, a two-time Fortnite Champion, stated that he does not support LGBT, prompting an overwhelming response.
Professional Fortnite player Tai "TaySon" Starčič is arguably the best in the world at this point. He's accomplished more in just one year than most top players have in three years. TaySon won the last two premiere Fortnite Champion Series (FNCS) competitions, first as a solo in Chapter 2 - Season 3 and then as a trio with teammates Dmitiri "mitr0" Van de Vrie and Kyle "Mongraal" Jackson in Chapter 2 - Season 4. At just 16 years of age, The Slovenian has made quite a name for himself, increasing his overall exposure in the niche Fortnite esports scene. Unfortunately, exposure is not always a positive aspect of Fortnite and streaming, and TaySon experienced this fact first-hand during a broadcast on November 26.
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TaySon's Comments About LGBTQ
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On the live stream, a user in TaySon's chat asked the European Fortnite superstar his thoughts on the "LGBT community," however, TaySon understood this as IGBT. "Do you support the IGBT community?" He read incorrectly from his chat. After someone in TaySon's Discord explained that it was LGBT and represents the "gay community." TaySon responded, saying, "No I don't support that sh*t." He then reiterated, "Yeah I don't support that."
The Response
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It didn't take long for the clip to make its rounds on social media. Before anyone knew what happened, TaySon received a polarizing response to his statements regarding LGBT. Some respected TaySon and his comments, whereas others abhorrently objected to what the Slovenian Fortnite superstar had to say. One of those to speak out against TaySon and homophobia, in general, was FNCS Season X Champion Jonathan "yung calc" Weber.
"It's sad how socially acceptable homophobia is to most people," said Calc on Twitter. He then clarified that his comments are not specific to TaySon but more of a general statement against those who don't support LGBTQ. This discussion spiraled out of control, involving religious beliefs, race, culture and gender. Several Fortnite pros and personalities joined in on the action, including OCE player RepulseGod, who offered a different perspective on the situation.
"People in this comm are from all across the world. People are raised in vastly different cultures, ideologies, beliefs, normalities and what they see as right and wrong," he tweeted. "If you genuinely wish bad upon tayson after he apologized unfollow me because I don't f*ck with that energy." TaySon did issue an explanation of sorts after the overwhelming response from both sides of the issue.
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TaySon's Explanation
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The 16-year-old Fortnite Champion released a Twitlonger to explain what took place earlier on his live stream.
"To start things off, I truly do apologize for what I have said earlier, when asked the question on stream I genuinely didn't think things through clearly and the way I interpreted the question was very different to what it actually meant. My English is very poor, I am not as comfortable speaking the language as I would want to be, so naturally I didn't realize I had messed up, either. The question I was asked today was just misinterpreted. In no way do I oppose anyone's sexual identity, I dont oppose anyone for who they are at all. I hope that everyone can understand, and I truly am regretful of what I said."
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Fortnite commentator Clay Stehling offered his perspective on the subject as it hits close to home for him. "Wanted to say something. Saying you don't support the LGBTQIA+ community is homophobic. End of conversation. You can't choose to be gay, I didn't. Why would I choose to be ostracized and bullied if I could have avoided it?" He said. "In regards to the Tayson clip, he made a mistake and I am glad to see he apologized. This is a learning opportunity for him and the entire comm. This is also a reminder of the homophobia that does happen in the comm. Do better, be better."
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A misunderstanding?
TaySon genuinely did not seem to know what LGBT was, considering he read it initially as IGBT. He may not have understood what he was saying and the explanation indeed points that way. This issue is a product of young impressionable teens playing Fortnite and broadcasting themselves for the world to see. On the Internet, everything you say becomes immortal for better or worse. This circumstance will serve as a learning experience for all Fortnite players who put themselves in front of an audience.
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