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NICKMERCS Controversy, Twitch Backlash, Reddit Boycott and More

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DimTheLights
June 12, 2023 • Estimated Reading Time: 24 minutes

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NICKMERCS’ Controversial Comment Sparks Heated Debate Amongst Pro-LGBTQ and Anti-LGBTQ groups

Popular Call of Duty and Apex Legends streamer NICKMERCS finds himself at the epicenter of a growing controversy after he tweeted this in response to atweet from Esports caster, Chris Puckett, regarding a protest that took place in Glendale, CA.

What Happened In California?

Before we dive into NICKMERC’s comment, I think it is extremely important to contextualize what he said in relation to the events that took place in California.

There are way too many uninformed ass hats on Twitter who are sharing their opinions on this without examining the context.

On June 6th, the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) board was scheduled to vote on recognizing June as Pride Month (which they unanimously voted in favor of). Nearly 500 protesters showed up at the GUSD headquarters including pro-LGBTQIA+ and conservative groups, as well as parents of the children who attend the schools.

Police stated that while the majority of protesters were peaceful, fighting broke out amongst a smaller group. The footage of the brawl shows how difficult it was for police to deescalate the fighting. In the end, the police declared it an unlawful assembly and three individuals were arrested.

Why Were Conservative Parents and Groups Protesting?

The conservative community group, GUSD Parent Voices, was in attendance and encouraged members to participate in the protest.

This is a group composed of parents of kids who attend the schools who are against the “indoctrination of their children”. They firmly believe that schools are introducing gender ideology into K-5 grade classrooms in order to indoctrinate their children. They believe they should have the ultimate say in what their children are taught.

What is the Glendale School District ACTUALLY Doing?

Contrary to the conservative group’s message, the school district has no interest in “indoctrinating” it’s students. According to an LA Times article, the Glendale Unified School District issued a statement saying, “Recently, intentional and harmful disinformation has been circulating about what is being taught in our district and the ways we serve our students,”.

Superintendent Vivian Ekchian, Ed.D. issued a message on the GUSD website setting the record straight. Here are some of the major points taken from their website:

  • Intentionally include diverse voices and lessons in our curriculum, supplemental materials, and library books so all children can see themselves in the curriculum and understand the diversity of their peers.

  • Elementary curriculum related to diversity, including LGBTQ+ issues, is focused on highlighting all different types of families. Elementary curriculum does not include specific information about LGBTQ+ or gender identity.

  • GUSD has a process for parents/guardians to report concerns about what is being taught in their child’s classroom.

  • The option to opt out pertains only to certain curriculum, including development/maturation and sex education. Parents/guardians may not opt their child out of any lesson referencing LGBTQ+ individuals and history, as dictated by the FAIR act.

  • In GUSD, health instruction related to teen development and sexual health education is taught in grades 5 (development/maturation), 7 and 9 (sex education/ HIV prevention).

The school district wasn’t attempting to do anything nefarious. In fact, most parents who had an opportunity to speak during the public comment section of their forum spoke in favor of the school district’s commitment to inclusion and protecting LGBTQ+ acceptance.

However, this didn’t stop dissenters from voicing their outrage against the school and pro-LGBTQ+ parents.

What NICKMERCS got wrong

Although NICKMERCS supporters were quick to defend his tweet stating it was not anti-LGBTQ+ or homophobic, it only takes a moment to realize how harmful his tweet truly is. Let’s take a look.

1. It’s a Reply Tweet

Nick’s tweet is a reply to someone expressing support for pro-LGBTQ+ policy stating “let people love who they love”.

Nick wasn’t forced into saying anything, but he felt compelled to say something. And he chose to say it in those words. Curious, don’t you think?

2. Uncharacteristically Political

If you’ve ever stopped by a NICKMERCS stream, you’ll know he isn’t very outspoken about current events, specifically politically-charged issues like LGBTQ+ rights.

For him to comment on something like this is actually pretty rare. However, he also isn’t the type to shy away from expressing his feelings and thoughts.

For example, he had no issue calling Florida Governor Ron Desantis “the goat” in a recent tweet:

Desantis has recently introduced a plethora of policies targeting the transgender community by restricting gender-affirming care and shutting down drag shows.

Knowing this information, I think its pretty apparent that he was simply voicing his opinion and sees nothing harmful about what he is saying.

I’m curious what he thinks is so spectacular about Ron Desantis.

3. Vague Statements

Another issue is the vagueness of his reply. The way he formed his statement allowed everyone to insert themselves in his shoes to guess what he meant.

His tweet wasn’t clear which opened the gates for those in support and those in opposition to define what he meant.

Some took no issue with his statement while others saw it as a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community.

4. What He Actually Meant

If you look at what Nick said in context, he downplayed the the fact that pro-LGBTQ+ protesters were being attacked and generalized all LGBTQ+ (he referred to as they) as groomers and pedophiles. He may or may not realize it, but the phrase “leave our kids alone” is being used by conservative groups to accuse LGBTQ+ supports of being just that.

Nick breaks his silence…and doubles down

After a few days, Nick responded to the backlash during a live stream.

He tries to explain his comment, but I don’t believe it properly dispels his original anti-LGBTQ+ statement. He doesn’t apologize, saying he did nothing wrong and moves on.

Call of Duty Responds

Call of Duty responds to NICKMERCS by removing his skin, which debuted less than a month ago, from the Call of Duty online store.

Twitter went ablaze after this; with those supporting and opposing Call of Duty’s decision. Even prominent creators like TimTheTatMan, Dr. Disrespect, and Ninja all speaking publicly in support of NICKMERCS.

Conversely, prominent streamers like QTCinderella and LuxieGames criticized Nick’s stance.

I think it is important to note that while Activision/Blizzard, the studio behind the Call of Duty franchise, made a decision that is in support of celebrating pride, they themselves have been wrapped up in controversy. Don’t pat them on the back just yet.

Benefit of the Doubt

Even if you were extremely generous and gave Nick the benefit of the doubt, I think you would still conclude that his inflammatory rhetoric is toxic and harmful to the LGBTQ+ community.

Let’s imagine that he has no clue what he is talking about. Maybe some relative was parroting some Fox News talking point and he just happen to recall it in that moment he saw the video. That isn’t any better.

As a content creator with over 4 million subscribers, you have a responsibility to your fans. If it really is all “peace and love” than who is the “they” that you are referring to? You can’t say you have no beef with anyone, but then casually imply that the pro-LGBTQ+ protesters are “hurting the children”.

That would only highlight his ignorance and how irresponsible he is when sharing his opinion about a certain subject he knows little to nothing about.

If you really believe that this marginalized group of parents are harming the rest of the children, then say it will your full chest, don’t be a coward.

What Happens Now?

Like most controversies in the streaming space, most will forget about this within the next few days. Nick seems content with his response to the initial tweet and he has the backing of a legion of fans who are validating his very harmful rhetoric.

What is more troubling than Nick’s own comment, is the many fans who supported him and blatantly spouted hateful words to his critics.

Speaking for myself, I am a straight man and consider myself an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. However, I do not share the same experiences that community has and have no idea what it must feel like to be hated, harassed and ridiculed for an aspect of yourself you have no control over.

Rather than try to share my own straight experiences, I think its best to end by highlighting the experience of someone from the LGBTQ+ community and how these “harmless comments” influence how children behave and treat others that might not be like themselves.

I leave you with this 8 minute video originally posted by @HeadOnFirePod who shared their school experience. Please give it a listen.

Twitch News

YouTube News

Gaming News Highlights

  • OTK and Starforge reveal their 5ft 7in custom mech PC that took over 2,000 hours to 3D Print 🔥

  • Media company One True King (OTK) hosted its second annual OTK Games Expo last weekend [video]

  • Wholesome Games presented its 2023 Wholesome Direct announcing several exciting games created by the indie developer community.

  • Xbox reveals Fable, Starfield, Senua’s Sage Hellblade II, PayDay 3, Persona 3 Reloaded, and more during its 2023 Xbox Showcase [video]

  • Overwatch 2’s scaled back story mode gets a teaser trailer

  • The highly anticipated Final Fantasy XVI gets a new trailer during its Pre-Launch Celebration stream

  • Catch the Ubisoft Forward showcase happening today at 10:00 AM PDT / 7:00 PM CEST

  • If you missed it, the Future of Play direct also showcased some great indie titles.

Creator Chatter

Got news, tip, or streamer opportunity? DM me on Twitter.

Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links. I only suggest products I believe in and personally use myself. If you have questions, please ask. Thanks for your support!

Thanks for subscribing for free to the Dim The Lights Newsletter. If you’d like to support me, consider joining my Ko-Fi or making a one-time donation.

NICKMERCS’ Controversial Comment Sparks Heated Debate Amongst Pro-LGBTQ and Anti-LGBTQ groups

Popular Call of Duty and Apex Legends streamer NICKMERCS finds himself at the epicenter of a growing controversy after he tweeted this in response to atweet from Esports caster, Chris Puckett, regarding a protest that took place in Glendale, CA.

What Happened In California?

Before we dive into NICKMERC’s comment, I think it is extremely important to contextualize what he said in relation to the events that took place in California.

There are way too many uninformed ass hats on Twitter who are sharing their opinions on this without examining the context.

On June 6th, the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) board was scheduled to vote on recognizing June as Pride Month (which they unanimously voted in favor of). Nearly 500 protesters showed up at the GUSD headquarters including pro-LGBTQIA+ and conservative groups, as well as parents of the children who attend the schools.

Police stated that while the majority of protesters were peaceful, fighting broke out amongst a smaller group. The footage of the brawl shows how difficult it was for police to deescalate the fighting. In the end, the police declared it an unlawful assembly and three individuals were arrested.

Why Were Conservative Parents and Groups Protesting?

The conservative community group, GUSD Parent Voices, was in attendance and encouraged members to participate in the protest.

This is a group composed of parents of kids who attend the schools who are against the “indoctrination of their children”. They firmly believe that schools are introducing gender ideology into K-5 grade classrooms in order to indoctrinate their children. They believe they should have the ultimate say in what their children are taught.

What is the Glendale School District ACTUALLY Doing?

Contrary to the conservative group’s message, the school district has no interest in “indoctrinating” it’s students. According to an LA Times article, the Glendale Unified School District issued a statement saying, “Recently, intentional and harmful disinformation has been circulating about what is being taught in our district and the ways we serve our students,”.

Superintendent Vivian Ekchian, Ed.D. issued a message on the GUSD website setting the record straight. Here are some of the major points taken from their website:

  • Intentionally include diverse voices and lessons in our curriculum, supplemental materials, and library books so all children can see themselves in the curriculum and understand the diversity of their peers.

  • Elementary curriculum related to diversity, including LGBTQ+ issues, is focused on highlighting all different types of families. Elementary curriculum does not include specific information about LGBTQ+ or gender identity.

  • GUSD has a process for parents/guardians to report concerns about what is being taught in their child’s classroom.

  • The option to opt out pertains only to certain curriculum, including development/maturation and sex education. Parents/guardians may not opt their child out of any lesson referencing LGBTQ+ individuals and history, as dictated by the FAIR act.

  • In GUSD, health instruction related to teen development and sexual health education is taught in grades 5 (development/maturation), 7 and 9 (sex education/ HIV prevention).

The school district wasn’t attempting to do anything nefarious. In fact, most parents who had an opportunity to speak during the public comment section of their forum spoke in favor of the school district’s commitment to inclusion and protecting LGBTQ+ acceptance.

However, this didn’t stop dissenters from voicing their outrage against the school and pro-LGBTQ+ parents.

What NICKMERCS got wrong

Although NICKMERCS supporters were quick to defend his tweet stating it was not anti-LGBTQ+ or homophobic, it only takes a moment to realize how harmful his tweet truly is. Let’s take a look.

1. It’s a Reply Tweet

Nick’s tweet is a reply to someone expressing support for pro-LGBTQ+ policy stating “let people love who they love”.

Nick wasn’t forced into saying anything, but he felt compelled to say something. And he chose to say it in those words. Curious, don’t you think?

2. Uncharacteristically Political

If you’ve ever stopped by a NICKMERCS stream, you’ll know he isn’t very outspoken about current events, specifically politically-charged issues like LGBTQ+ rights.

For him to comment on something like this is actually pretty rare. However, he also isn’t the type to shy away from expressing his feelings and thoughts.

For example, he had no issue calling Florida Governor Ron Desantis “the goat” in a recent tweet:

Desantis has recently introduced a plethora of policies targeting the transgender community by restricting gender-affirming care and shutting down drag shows.

Knowing this information, I think its pretty apparent that he was simply voicing his opinion and sees nothing harmful about what he is saying.

I’m curious what he thinks is so spectacular about Ron Desantis.

3. Vague Statements

Another issue is the vagueness of his reply. The way he formed his statement allowed everyone to insert themselves in his shoes to guess what he meant.

His tweet wasn’t clear which opened the gates for those in support and those in opposition to define what he meant.

Some took no issue with his statement while others saw it as a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community.

4. What He Actually Meant

If you look at what Nick said in context, he downplayed the the fact that pro-LGBTQ+ protesters were being attacked and generalized all LGBTQ+ (he referred to as they) as groomers and pedophiles. He may or may not realize it, but the phrase “leave our kids alone” is being used by conservative groups to accuse LGBTQ+ supports of being just that.

Nick breaks his silence…and doubles down

After a few days, Nick responded to the backlash during a live stream.

He tries to explain his comment, but I don’t believe it properly dispels his original anti-LGBTQ+ statement. He doesn’t apologize, saying he did nothing wrong and moves on.

Call of Duty Responds

Call of Duty responds to NICKMERCS by removing his skin, which debuted less than a month ago, from the Call of Duty online store.

Twitter went ablaze after this; with those supporting and opposing Call of Duty’s decision. Even prominent creators like TimTheTatMan, Dr. Disrespect, and Ninja all speaking publicly in support of NICKMERCS.

Conversely, prominent streamers like QTCinderella and LuxieGames criticized Nick’s stance.

I think it is important to note that while Activision/Blizzard, the studio behind the Call of Duty franchise, made a decision that is in support of celebrating pride, they themselves have been wrapped up in controversy. Don’t pat them on the back just yet.

Benefit of the Doubt

Even if you were extremely generous and gave Nick the benefit of the doubt, I think you would still conclude that his inflammatory rhetoric is toxic and harmful to the LGBTQ+ community.

Let’s imagine that he has no clue what he is talking about. Maybe some relative was parroting some Fox News talking point and he just happen to recall it in that moment he saw the video. That isn’t any better.

As a content creator with over 4 million subscribers, you have a responsibility to your fans. If it really is all “peace and love” than who is the “they” that you are referring to? You can’t say you have no beef with anyone, but then casually imply that the pro-LGBTQ+ protesters are “hurting the children”.

That would only highlight his ignorance and how irresponsible he is when sharing his opinion about a certain subject he knows little to nothing about.

If you really believe that this marginalized group of parents are harming the rest of the children, then say it will your full chest, don’t be a coward.

What Happens Now?

Like most controversies in the streaming space, most will forget about this within the next few days. Nick seems content with his response to the initial tweet and he has the backing of a legion of fans who are validating his very harmful rhetoric.

What is more troubling than Nick’s own comment, is the many fans who supported him and blatantly spouted hateful words to his critics.

Speaking for myself, I am a straight man and consider myself an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. However, I do not share the same experiences that community has and have no idea what it must feel like to be hated, harassed and ridiculed for an aspect of yourself you have no control over.

Rather than try to share my own straight experiences, I think its best to end by highlighting the experience of someone from the LGBTQ+ community and how these “harmless comments” influence how children behave and treat others that might not be like themselves.

I leave you with this 8 minute video originally posted by @HeadOnFirePod who shared their school experience. Please give it a listen.

Twitch News

YouTube News

Gaming News Highlights

  • OTK and Starforge reveal their 5ft 7in custom mech PC that took over 2,000 hours to 3D Print 🔥

  • Media company One True King (OTK) hosted its second annual OTK Games Expo last weekend [video]

  • Wholesome Games presented its 2023 Wholesome Direct announcing several exciting games created by the indie developer community.

  • Xbox reveals Fable, Starfield, Senua’s Sage Hellblade II, PayDay 3, Persona 3 Reloaded, and more during its 2023 Xbox Showcase [video]

  • Overwatch 2’s scaled back story mode gets a teaser trailer

  • The highly anticipated Final Fantasy XVI gets a new trailer during its Pre-Launch Celebration stream

  • Catch the Ubisoft Forward showcase happening today at 10:00 AM PDT / 7:00 PM CEST

  • If you missed it, the Future of Play direct also showcased some great indie titles.

Creator Chatter

Got news, tip, or streamer opportunity? DM me on Twitter.

Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links. I only suggest products I believe in and personally use myself. If you have questions, please ask. Thanks for your support!

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