Charisa Bossinakis
The Sims has announced they have added transgender options for gender customization in the game.
The beloved video game released a bunch of free updates to ensure any player around the world would be able to make a sim based on real-world people.
A statement posted on their Instagram page said: "A base game update is here with new content including medical wearables, binders, shapewear, a light switch & more including bug fixes & console gameplay improvements."
The chest binders can be found in the Tops category of the Tanks section, where you can select a Binder top asset for your Teen and older Sims. There's also a new shapewear asset for your Sims in the underwear category.
You'll also be able to give your Sim top scars, which happen when trans men have had a double mastectomy as part of their transition process.
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Medical wearables relates to things like hearing aids and glucose monitors, which come in an array of colours.
The news has been welcomed and celebrated on social media.
One person rejoiced: “TERFs losing it in the replies. Cope harder you absolute losers.”
Another said: “THIS IS HUGE.”
While a third person commented: “Wait I love this. I’ve had mods for these things for years but it's so nice that they are putting this in the base game especially with the state of things right now.”
This new update might come as a surprise to some, especially following Electronic Arts, the game’s publisher, refusing to comment on transgender rights in 2021.
Kotaku reported that Mala Singh, the company’s Chief People Officer, told employees during a town hall in May that Electronic Arts would only publicly condemn anti-trans bills if they thought it would ‘actually have a positive impact’.
She reportedly said that a statement garnered by the company would have been a ‘consistent perspective’ from all of its 13,000 employees.
Singh continued: “These things are hard and they’re personal and we all have our own perspectives and sometimes we won’t speak, and that will be upsetting and I understand that, we really do.”
However, following Singh’s statements, several employees took matters into their own hands, including the Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment staff.
Respawn Entertainment head Vince Zampella tweeted: “Trans rights are human rights. It is as simple as that. Respawn has grown on the principles of diversity, equality, and inclusion and strives to uphold those values. Let's be better humans.”
Following the backlash, Singh doubled down on her previous statements after having many conversations ‘with members of the LGBTQI+' community.
She issued a statement that read in part: “In my comments last week, I never intended to imply that we were stepping back from our long-standing support of LGBTQ+ rights, but I understand that’s how it landed for members of this community.
“I am grateful for the openness and courage to engage, and I am also hopeful that we can keep our conversations productive and healthy. They make us better.”