June is a month of pride and celebration for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. As the month comes to a close, EA's community team has shared an image of support on the official Twitter account for The Sims 4.
The image depicts the diverse range of relationships available in the game, including same-sex marriages. It also boasts the slogan: "Be proud in The Sims 4." Same-sex coupling has been featured in The Sims since day one, while The Sims 3 allowed all adult characters to freely enter relationships and marriages of any kind, including same-sex.
The depiction of same-sex relationships in The Sims 4 is the primary reason for its 18+ rating in Russia. Despite the game's family-friendly status in other countries, Russia's Law 436-FZ is designed to combat "gay propaganda," titled under "On Protecting Children from Information Harmful to Their Health and Development." An EA spokesperson responded that the studio will not alter the game in order to dodge 436-GZ.
Whereas The Sims embraces the LGBT community, other games have not been as open to the idea. Nintendo was the latest company criticized for its decision to not include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. Nintendo defended its decision by calling the game a "playful alternate world" and not a "real-life simulation." The company later issued a public apology.
