Many women recently have claimed to experience alienation and harassment in gaming because of their gender. They have spent countless hours telling social media, and real media, about how their individual experiences are indicative of a widespread issue. Any women who attempt to showcase their positive experiences in gaming are met with accusations of self-hatred, or of not being real. One of the issues of being a member of a group that is constantly being told is “oppressed” is that the benefits awarded to us may remain invisible. Working towards a solution requires that female gamers become aware of the ways which we unconsciously benefit from being female. With that in mind, the following is a list of some of the concrete benefits that female gamers automatically receive simply for being female.

1. I don’t have to be worried about being told I am “too old” to be playing games. Because I am female, no one will call me a “man-baby” or claim that I “need to grow up” simply because I choose to play games. It will also not automatically be assumed that I am a nerd or a virgin.

2. As a female, I don’t have to worry that someone will automatically assume I live with my parents because I play games.

3. People will be willing to censor popular titles, and content, for the sole purpose of catering to my possible feelings.

4. I could openly admit that I do not play games, yet people will be willing to hand me thousands of dollars just to hear my opinions on them.

5. Men will be willing to devalue themselves, and their entire gender, in order to place me on a pedestal, solely because I am female.

6. I will never have to worry about having a sufficient party in order to complete raids. Being female ensures that I will always have available allies willing to contribute to my success.

7. I can make blanket claims about gamers of an entire gender, a gender which I am not a part of and can not relate to in any real life situations, and will receive the widespread, unwavering support of the media.

8. Because I am a female, I will be far more influential in the socio-politics of in-game communities because I am seen as a rarity.

9. The industry, as a whole, is willing to attempt to push out other consumers in order to secure a safe spot for me, free from any potentially offensive or controversial content.

10. When dating, the fact that I am a gamer will not be looked down upon because of my gender, rather it is more likely to be viewed as an endearing quality.

11. In the event my presence is not welcome for any reason, I have the ability to claim the motivation is based solely on my gender, and there will be no lack of people willing to believe me with no requests for proof.

12. In the event I do something wrong and am called out on it, I have the ability to claim the person calling me out is sexist, and will receive intense, widespread support.

13. My opinions on any matter will hold more widespread clout immediately, for no reason other than I am a female

14. Many players will be more willing to censor their language in order to make sure I am more comfortable. In the event someone does not censor themselves, I will have no shortage of men willing to “white knight” on behalf of my honor. On horse or afoot.

15. As a female, people will be afraid to criticize me, or my opinions, no matter how radical or insane they are, for fear of being called sexist.

16. If I am short on in-game currency, there will always be someone willing to purchase items for me, solely because of my gender.

17. Rarely are my mistakes called out in a game. Instead of the expected trash talk a male gamer receives, I am offered constructive criticism, advice, and even compliments on what I DID do correctly.

18. As a female in a “male dominated environment,” I have the potential of holding more power in a gaming community than someone far more experienced than I, simply because I am seen as a rarity.

19. People are willing to gift me extra items, or even games, for no reason other than that I am a female.

20. I will have more success if I decide to stream on Twitch, for no reason other than that I am a female who happens to play video games.

21. Should I ever choose to enter the gaming industry, I will have more success with fundraising campaigns because of my gender alone. I will have access to special grants and foundations, based on my gender instead of my experience, ability, motivation, or credibility.

22. While it may be true that some people expect males to be better at games, that also works in my favor. I don’t have to be as good as a male in order to be considered better than him. Lower expectations does not mean I am unwelcome. Rather, it means my performance does not have to be impressive in order to impress people.

23. People will automatically assume that, because I happen to be female, I want to read gaming articles, blogs, reviews, and magazines written by other females, and will go out of their way in order to accommodate me in that regard.

24. Popular websites and magazines will take my gender into account when reviewing any game, and will stretch as far as possible in order to “pre-warn” me about any small amount of material in the game which could potentially hurt my feelings, because of my gender.

25. Because it was created by a female, this checklist will be less likely to be taken seriously because of its content. I will likely be accused of internalizing misogyny, simply because I am acknowledging the benefits I have as a female gamer, versus focusing on what I think my disadvantages are. However, I know that, in creating this list, I will also garner a decent amount of appreciation, simply because I am a female willing to express appreciation for the benefits available to me, instead of playing a perpetual victim.