Posted on 04/01/2023 10:30:27 AM PDT by chuck allen
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (TND) — A teenager who plays the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) at a high competitive level was reportedly disqualified from a tournament after he laughed when an official asked for his pronouns.
Makani Tran was out $800, a couple of flights and missed school time after he offended a nonbinary Pokémon TCG judge, cutting his tournament run prematurely short "for a bizarre reason," according to Dexerto.
The teenager says in a Twitlonger post that he never meant to offend anyone and was close to tears when he was disqualified.
The Charlotte-based tournament was livestreaming the TCG matches online, and when Tran approached the livestreaming booth for his match, he says he was stopped by a judge who asked for his "preferred pronouns."
Tran says that he was set to face off against one of the United States' best Pokémon TCG players, Alex Schemanske, and nerves had him laughing "awkwardly."
On our way over to the stream area the judge asked us for our preferred pronouns," Tran says. "I said 'Um he or him or uh' and I paused trying to think of the third pronoun (the third pronoun being his). As I just stood there looking stupid trying to think of the third pronoun I felt embarrassed because I was failing to think of a simple word. "
Due to the nerves and me being embarrassed I let out a little laugh just a normal nervous laugh. My response together ended up being 'Um he or him or uhhhh haha his,'" Tran adds. "That’s it. That’s all I said”
However, the judge who was asking for Tran's preferred pronouns took offense to the laughter, according to the young Pokémon TCG player.
Okay just wanted to check to be safe," Tran says the judge told him. "I go by they/them so don’t be a jerk about it," the judge allegedly added.
After some more talking, Tran says that the head judge pulled out the tournament's rulebook on his phone and told the young TCG player that he was disqualified for "violating their inclusive policy," as he had made someone feel "unsafe and uncomfortable."
I was disqualified from the event. I was just in disbelief," Tran says. "I remember saying 'Wait what?' I was so confused I had just explained very calmly what had happened and he seemed that he was listening. At this point I’m at the verge of tears but I tried my best to keep my composure," Tran adds. "I just couldn’t understand what was happening." Tran says that he asked the tournament officials if he could appeal the disqualification, but they refused.
I have NEVER been treated so unbelievably unfairly and had such an opportunity just taken from me. For something I didn’t even do," Tran says. "The judge said that while he believed that I had no bad intentions, it didn’t matter because at the end of the day, someone was offended and upset."
Ka-ching. Hopes he sues their socks off.
If someone asks me what my pronouns are I would say “The only pronoun I use is “you” as in what make “you” think I want to talk to “you”.
So the pronoun must be English words.
Doesn’t sound inclusive.
Was the “judge” thrown out for making Tran feel “unsafe and uncomfortable”.
Yes, under freedom of speech laws. This kid has been wronged, just like Nick Sandman. He should own Pokémon Company!
ping
I was registering for a well known diagnostic lab so I can get ordered blood works and was asked gender and pronoun. I answered gender male and did not answer pronoun and was registered.
“Lawsuit.”
I’ve been in three lawsuits. They are horrendous things. It takes ten thousand dollars on average just to get a lawyer to file one. He burns through that at about $500 per hour. You have no control over how much he charges. If you run out of money before anything happens, you’re screwed. Plus, a lawsuit is like the Russian war in Ukraine. The Russians went in expecting one thing and then the other side has a say. They can cause you to run the bill up just by sending you lots of things your lawyer has to respond to.
For one case I suggested a tactic and the lawyer said, “I have a better idea. They have the priciest firm in town and those people will run them out of money shortly. I’ll send over a bunch of things they have to respond to. Their lawyers will love it and we’ll never get to court. You win.” That’s exactly what happened.
There’s an old joke. A small town had one lawyer and he was starving. Then another lawyer moved to town and they both prospered.
The cases you see making the news make the news because they are the exceptions to the rule. The best way to win a lawsuit is not to start one. Whatever happened, suck it up and move on.
“he never meant to offend anyone”
Many people are offended you were born and want to kill you.
The kid needs to get some street smarts in a hurry.
You find an attorney who’ll take you pro bono for the cause. They are out there, they’ll work free if they they think you have a decent chance of winning. You pay them after you win like Nick Sandman and Lin Wood.
If anyone were to ask me what my preferred pronouns are, I’d tell them I am El Conquistador!
The kid is actually sympathetic to people who use pronouns according to the article. He just got flustered when asked a question he wasn’t expecting and they booted him for it. These pronoun people have real thin skin.
Sue, it was not appropriate action.
SUE THE SICK BASTURDS!
““he never meant to offend anyone””
There’s your trouble.
They put the “poke” in Pokemon.
Asians are the ENEMIES of “inclusion,” even at Pokemon tournaments.
Or, how bout the Pokeaman tournament?
The judge obviously did not care that HIS question made the teen boy “upset and offended”.
Only certain “special” people’s feelings are catered to.
The judge made the player feel uncomfortable and the player gets disqualified. The judge should have been sympathetic but couldn’t resist the fascist impulse. Laughing nervously while trying to answer is not a threat. The judge didn’t care. This judge reacted inappropriately and should not be a judge.
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