CARNAL NATION

The Sims, a virtual reality game, has been gay-friendly for a while, allowing same-gender romance since its inception and adding the virtual equivalent of civil unions in version 2. The recently-launched Sims 3 goes a step further, allowing in-game marriage between characters regardless of gender. There have also been reports that gay couples in the sims are allowed to adopt. Lyle Masaki of After Elton was the first to report the new feature, saying: "It may seem like a small step for a game series that has always been LGB-inclusive, but games that treat gay people equally are still pretty rare. Homophobia is still sadly common among video game communities and, worse, some companies' attempts to deal with anti-gay harassment have ended up being even more repressive to queer players."

The addition of full equality to Sims 3 is in marked contrast to the previously reported  suppression of homosexual characters in the Star Wars universe.