Turns out that he's a weird conservative conspiracy theorist. His first tweets on this were literally sandwiched between tweets about how "social justice movements" are actually stealth communism, and how global warming is a hoax.
Yeah, he's been a nut for years now. Not surprising that he wants to get in on this even though he has probably never played a game all his life.
I actually think it started as gamers pushing back from valid criticisms of their hobby (which include some misogynistic assholes). But with pieces like Alexander's and this collective push by activists/journalists to kill the "Gamer" label, it's pushed people that SHOULD be their audience into the GamersGate thing, because they are on the defensive. Because not all gamers are assholes, or are resisting criticism/changes (and I know, Alexander and others aren't saying all gamers are this). But by trying to get rid of the gamer label, or telling people what they should or shouldn't identify with, it's roped everyone into what seems like an attack on them.
Realistically speaking, we have a massive problem here. The amount of hatred being spewed at females in gaming, or anyone that has any criticism of this industry, is unacceptable. But I also feel that people are going about this argument the wrong way. The push to end the gamer label has backfired and has pushed away those that should be their audience (they people they need to educate on the issues).
But why do people care about what some writers they don't even like or care about say about "gamers"? Who gives a shit? Jeff Gerstmann has been saying for years now that "gamer" is a bullshit name made by marketers and that most people who identify that much with their hobby to go around calling themselves a "gamer" or a "foodie" or anything like that is probably an asshole (he made the same point at the GB panel at PAX on Saturday). Why has he never been attacked for voicing that opinion? I just can't find the motivation to care about what some writers think of me as a "gamer", and for a lot of these people I think it's being used as an excuse to attack people they don't like in th industry (aka women). Some people may have been offended, but why go on the attack against others?