Currently, 11,000+ have signed a viral Change.org petition calling for EA to add more pronoun options for trans and non-binary Sims in the Sims 4. The petition, the largest and fastest-growing gaming petition on Change.org this month, was started by Sims 4 Twitch streamer Momo Misfortune, who hails from Detroit and identifies as nonbinary.
In 2016, the Sims franchise updated their latest installment to include new gender options, in consultation with GLAAD. On their petition calling for gender options, Momo recognizes that this was a big step, writing:
"The Sims 4 has come a long way for members of the LGBTQIA2+ community by letting us customize gender options for our sims. However we are still missing representation for our Transgender and Non-Binary sims. The game will use gendered language based on what body type you have chosen for your sim (masc or femme). Recent packs have been adding more gender neutral language or choosing to call a sim by their name instead of he/she, but the gendered language still lingers."
They add, "If we could have the option to choose pronouns for our sim or for the team to switch older game texts to be gender neutral like current pack dialoged it would be impactful for those of us who are still unable to truly feel represented in the game by having our sims selves misgendered. I am aware a pronoun option might have conflicts for translations in other languages. Even if this doesn't get added into The Sims 4, I hope by creating this petition it will show EA and The Sims team how something like this would be beneficial to adding into The Sims 5."
Similar requests have been made by users in the official Sims forums and on Reddit as well. While an unofficial mod already exists, some gamers may not want mods in their gameplay, while others prefer for EA to represent more users through adding gender-neutral pronouns in a patch.
Petition signers agree, commenting with their support:
Adam Whisner commented: "I'm new to the game as of just a few weeks ago. Huge fan. One of my households has a trans woman character and it strikes me that there's no way to select her pronouns. I hope there isn't more to it than a development oversight - it's 2021. With all the updates the game seems to get, this one seems like an easy fix. It's time. Please make it possible to separate gender from sex. Thank you."
Jamie Taylor commented: "As a Trans person, it would help a lot to have pronouns in The Sims 4."
Meredith Ashton commented:
"Everyone deserves to be able to see themselves represented and get as much out of the game as those who use the pronouns associated with their assigned gender."
Support the cause by signing the petition. More info, here.
Press Release via change.org