There have basically been no good results of this situation, and that's one of the things that really makes me sad.
Laura's character is now in question, and people are using that as fuel for why they think the entire argument over taking care of how to deal with and treat transgender people is overblown. She's been subjected to a ridiculous amount of verbal abuse over the internet, making her feel like shit.
This comes on the heels of the Chloe Sagal situation, which saw another transwoman in the gaming community whose truthfulness got called into question (rightfully so, to be clear), who ended up being attacked by many in that community, and who now stands as an example for some of how people who are trans are just trying to trick people.
I feel for both Chloe and Laura, even if they made mistakes and didn't always do the right thing. A bit more selfishly, however, I hate that these are the examples of trans people that have been the most prominent and public in the gaming community as of late. We desperately need more positive examples for both trans and non-trans gamers to see and recognize, but sometimes it feels like it's just been nothing but bad news in that regard in recent months. *sigh*
So, I think that's one of the things that can make some frustrated over all of this. Of course, I don't want to speak for anyone but myself.
Yes, I agree. That's what I found somewhat annoying from the very beginning: I know being misgendered can be a big blow, but nonetheless, I also know there are trans people who deal with this issue with actual grace. There was never an excuse to go to Twitter over this, or to exaggerate what happened and not even offer the slightest bit of context. It was a poor impulse, and one that should have been checked. As difficult as her situation was, Laura still fumbled the ball.
That said, it's ridiculous for people to put so much focus on her character. How is it even relevant to the bigger picture? I mean, there actually are some good lessons here: professionalism is a virtue, and Twitter is the last place things like this should be handled; yes, sometimes misgendering someone can be a totally innocent mistake, but remember how hurtful it can be, because it doesn't hurt to be more aware of such things; just like it was stupid to assume the worst of the accused at the start of all this, it's no better to assume the worst of the accuser now - in other words, there's no need to assume the worst all the time; and, of course, it's pretty clear there's a lot of work to be done before trans folks can be completely comfortable on the internet.
But no one seems to be talking about those lessons, or any others. Instead, it's about how this clearly sensitive person who had just been humiliated in front of hundreds of people, and then straight up abused by probably a comparable amount, didn't handle the situation perfectly every step of the way. She's a random flawed human being, and in my eyes, she's hardly a great candidate for vilification. I seriously hope "oh, Laura whatever is a horrible person" isn't all anyone took away from this situation.