The following interview was done over Skype IM on 2/6/14. It is completely unedited, save for "irrelevant" information not pertaining directly to women and videogames (the conversation was derailed several times because we accidently found out we were both Gundam fans, and neither one of us could shut up about it at one point). It has also been spell checked, corrected for grammatical errors to make it easier to read, and is not censored for profanity.
Lindsey Diskin, aka Gamertag "MissEfficent48," is a member of the gaming group Angels of Valor, who compete competitively on many online platform games. The Angels originated as a direct result of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and it was started by Tobias Legssie in Ontario, Canada. While the group started out a "boys only" gaming circle, Tobias opened the ranks to female players at the realization that many women were also skilled players, and not allowing them in based on their sex was a major hindrance to having "all" the best gamers for the group. Over the years, the group has expanded to play Team Fortress 2 and Halo as well. The Angels are divided into four teams named after Roman Catholic archangels (Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel respectively), and Lindsey primarily plays Call of Duty as a high ranking "second-in-command" officer to her particular team division's leader.
Lindsey is a high school student graduating this June. She wants to go to college to be a business major, but she currently works as a hair stylist in a Texas nail salon part-time. Some of her favorite games are Call of Duty, Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Borderlands, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Lindsey Diskin, aka Gamertag "MissEfficent48," is a member of the gaming group Angels of Valor, who compete competitively on many online platform games. The Angels originated as a direct result of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and it was started by Tobias Legssie in Ontario, Canada. While the group started out a "boys only" gaming circle, Tobias opened the ranks to female players at the realization that many women were also skilled players, and not allowing them in based on their sex was a major hindrance to having "all" the best gamers for the group. Over the years, the group has expanded to play Team Fortress 2 and Halo as well. The Angels are divided into four teams named after Roman Catholic archangels (Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel respectively), and Lindsey primarily plays Call of Duty as a high ranking "second-in-command" officer to her particular team division's leader.
Lindsey is a high school student graduating this June. She wants to go to college to be a business major, but she currently works as a hair stylist in a Texas nail salon part-time. Some of her favorite games are Call of Duty, Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Borderlands, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Interviewer: Meghan Burrows (Gamertag "ThatBoxyLady"), age 22
Interviewee: Lindsey Diskin (Gamertag "MissEfficent48"), age 18
Interviewee: Lindsey Diskin (Gamertag "MissEfficent48"), age 18
Would you like to introduce yourself?
Sure! My name is Lindsey. I'm from Fort worth and I live with my mom, step dad, and brother. I love shoe shopping, coloring my hair, and destroying loser little boys at Call of Duty. My favorite color is pink.
Can I tell you how much I love your username? Is there a story behind it?
When I was ten, Halo 3 came out, right? It was my brother's game, but he used to let me play multiplayer with him and we would try to kill each other. Except he was much better than I was. He killed me exactly seventy-two times over the course of six months before I finally figured out how to work the scope on the sniper rifle. To make a long story short, he stopped being able to get close to me after that. I was Little Miss Efficient when it came to beating his sorry ass. He hasn't forgiven me for it.
That is the best story ever, holy shit. Did that help you get into the Angels?
No, actually. The Angels recruit on a case-to-case basis, but it's all usually scouting. Like I was scouted out in 2011. I was playing TF2 for the first time on an open server and I made the mistake of talking into my headset. Two guys started jumping down my throat about posting a nude as a spray in-game and when I kept refusing, they started harassing me really badly. I ended up dropping out of the game. A few minutes later, I got an IM from one of the other players who had been in the same server. She asked me if I was interested in becoming a member, and when she explained it was all-inclusive and not just another dick-ass boy elitist game-club, I jumped the bandwagon immediately.
Can you explain what the Angels are, in your own words?
Bitchin'. No, in all seriousness, it's just a really great club. Saying that you're in the Angels is basically saying that you're part of a community that doesn't judge you based on race or sex or sexual orientation. All the Angels care about is how good you can play. We'll play in online tournaments or casual servers, then get together once or twice a week in an online forum to go over replay videos and critique each other on our performances. The Angels is split up into four teams, so the team with the most wins for that week will usually get bragging rights. It's actually pretty casual for a competitive group. It's all very laid back and really nice.
What do you mean when you say "they don't judge"?
Just that. So long as you can play well, don't grief/troll, and have good sportsmanship, no one cares if you're black or Muslim or have a vagina. Everyone in the Angels has the mindset that no matter who you are, you should be able to enjoy video games without worrying about trashy white boys screaming at you that you're a "fucking dyke" for liking something that THEY also happen like.
What is your favorite video game story relating to your experiences with the Angels?
When I was playing competitively in a Ghosts server, it was a mixed match between a group of Angels and some guys from a Reddit based team. I don't remember their names, but one guy on the team overheard me on the mic and immediately started harassing me to get off the server. I ignored him at first, but then he called me a "dumbass slut" and Shockwave [a fellow male team member] went off on him. Him, LadyMessiah [another female Angel], and Briggs [a male angel] immediately broke off formation from the rest of our team to hunt down this ONE asshole. He kept taunting me with his gamertag on the mic, and it was his downfall because those three wouldn't let him stay respawned for more than seven seconds before they killed him over and over again. When he tried to switch servers out of frustration, they just followed him. They also made sure LadyMessiah was the one to kill him each and every time, so he could sulk knowing that every time he was killed and his ranking went down as a result, it was because of a "girl." They pretty much mopped the floor with him just to protect me. It was a really nice change of pace for what I'm used to.
Do you have any favorite video game stories in general?
One time the Angels were playing with another coed team online in Halo 3 and it was nice because you could hear guys AND girls screaming commands back and forth at each other so we could complete our mission objective. None of it was about sex, though. I think that was the first time I used my mic and headset where I never once heard a female-slur. Everyone was treating each other right even though we were rival teams and it was really nice.
Why do you think boys act the way they do towards girls in video games?
They're all a bunch of scared, whiny pissbabies. Guys like to be under the impression that they're stronger than girls IRL, and that goes for the virtual world, too. They're so scared of losing that they lash out really rudely to compensate. It's too bad. I'm sure a lot of those guys have good moms or even girlfriends. If they had any idea of what their words really "mean" when they tell a girl that she's "probably fat and lesbian" just for playing a video game, they'd realize how dumb and horrible they sound.
How do you feel about the mindset that video games aren't a medium that should be taken seriously)?
I think it's a bunch of old people who don't know what they're talking about. I mean, they pretty much ruined the economy and call us the "ME ME ME" generation, so anything they say shouldn't be taken seriously, either. People used to think novels weren't classy, either. People are afraid of things they don't understand.
On a lighter note, do you have any favorite video games?
The first game I played (other than Halo 3 with my brother) was Fallout 3. I loved the open-world concept and being able to make the story my own.
Have any parting advice or wise words you want to share?
Curb stomp all the whiny pissbaby boys with your sparkling heels. If they can't take the heat playing video games with girls, tell them to get back in the garage!
Sure! My name is Lindsey. I'm from Fort worth and I live with my mom, step dad, and brother. I love shoe shopping, coloring my hair, and destroying loser little boys at Call of Duty. My favorite color is pink.
Can I tell you how much I love your username? Is there a story behind it?
When I was ten, Halo 3 came out, right? It was my brother's game, but he used to let me play multiplayer with him and we would try to kill each other. Except he was much better than I was. He killed me exactly seventy-two times over the course of six months before I finally figured out how to work the scope on the sniper rifle. To make a long story short, he stopped being able to get close to me after that. I was Little Miss Efficient when it came to beating his sorry ass. He hasn't forgiven me for it.
That is the best story ever, holy shit. Did that help you get into the Angels?
No, actually. The Angels recruit on a case-to-case basis, but it's all usually scouting. Like I was scouted out in 2011. I was playing TF2 for the first time on an open server and I made the mistake of talking into my headset. Two guys started jumping down my throat about posting a nude as a spray in-game and when I kept refusing, they started harassing me really badly. I ended up dropping out of the game. A few minutes later, I got an IM from one of the other players who had been in the same server. She asked me if I was interested in becoming a member, and when she explained it was all-inclusive and not just another dick-ass boy elitist game-club, I jumped the bandwagon immediately.
Can you explain what the Angels are, in your own words?
Bitchin'. No, in all seriousness, it's just a really great club. Saying that you're in the Angels is basically saying that you're part of a community that doesn't judge you based on race or sex or sexual orientation. All the Angels care about is how good you can play. We'll play in online tournaments or casual servers, then get together once or twice a week in an online forum to go over replay videos and critique each other on our performances. The Angels is split up into four teams, so the team with the most wins for that week will usually get bragging rights. It's actually pretty casual for a competitive group. It's all very laid back and really nice.
What do you mean when you say "they don't judge"?
Just that. So long as you can play well, don't grief/troll, and have good sportsmanship, no one cares if you're black or Muslim or have a vagina. Everyone in the Angels has the mindset that no matter who you are, you should be able to enjoy video games without worrying about trashy white boys screaming at you that you're a "fucking dyke" for liking something that THEY also happen like.
What is your favorite video game story relating to your experiences with the Angels?
When I was playing competitively in a Ghosts server, it was a mixed match between a group of Angels and some guys from a Reddit based team. I don't remember their names, but one guy on the team overheard me on the mic and immediately started harassing me to get off the server. I ignored him at first, but then he called me a "dumbass slut" and Shockwave [a fellow male team member] went off on him. Him, LadyMessiah [another female Angel], and Briggs [a male angel] immediately broke off formation from the rest of our team to hunt down this ONE asshole. He kept taunting me with his gamertag on the mic, and it was his downfall because those three wouldn't let him stay respawned for more than seven seconds before they killed him over and over again. When he tried to switch servers out of frustration, they just followed him. They also made sure LadyMessiah was the one to kill him each and every time, so he could sulk knowing that every time he was killed and his ranking went down as a result, it was because of a "girl." They pretty much mopped the floor with him just to protect me. It was a really nice change of pace for what I'm used to.
Do you have any favorite video game stories in general?
One time the Angels were playing with another coed team online in Halo 3 and it was nice because you could hear guys AND girls screaming commands back and forth at each other so we could complete our mission objective. None of it was about sex, though. I think that was the first time I used my mic and headset where I never once heard a female-slur. Everyone was treating each other right even though we were rival teams and it was really nice.
Why do you think boys act the way they do towards girls in video games?
They're all a bunch of scared, whiny pissbabies. Guys like to be under the impression that they're stronger than girls IRL, and that goes for the virtual world, too. They're so scared of losing that they lash out really rudely to compensate. It's too bad. I'm sure a lot of those guys have good moms or even girlfriends. If they had any idea of what their words really "mean" when they tell a girl that she's "probably fat and lesbian" just for playing a video game, they'd realize how dumb and horrible they sound.
How do you feel about the mindset that video games aren't a medium that should be taken seriously)?
I think it's a bunch of old people who don't know what they're talking about. I mean, they pretty much ruined the economy and call us the "ME ME ME" generation, so anything they say shouldn't be taken seriously, either. People used to think novels weren't classy, either. People are afraid of things they don't understand.
On a lighter note, do you have any favorite video games?
The first game I played (other than Halo 3 with my brother) was Fallout 3. I loved the open-world concept and being able to make the story my own.
Have any parting advice or wise words you want to share?
Curb stomp all the whiny pissbaby boys with your sparkling heels. If they can't take the heat playing video games with girls, tell them to get back in the garage!