LGBTQIA + Pride Month has passed, but the harsh reality that there are people sustained solely by hatred of the community remains.
Today we have to report one of the black dates for the world of video game preservation and emulation, with the sad death of Near, also known as Byuu. Responsible for the creation of the Bsnes emulator, later renamed Higan, in what he considers to be the best 16-bit console software from Nintendo.
The extraordinary level of detail that Near put into his project is fondly remembered with as much fidelity as possible, including one of the most extensive and detailed translations of the iconic Bahamut Lagoon game, which never made the leap to the West.
Sadly, Near lived through the hell of online harassment by people of the worst kind possible.
Kiwi Farms and bullying as a weapon
The anonymity of the internet has been one of its most used and abused characteristics by people with the worst intentions in mind. One of its spaces being the Kiwi Farms portal.
Self-defined as a “community dedicated to discussing eccentric people who become a joke. Explore the abnormal psychology and mind of the madness of the internet ”, this portal has been the home of all kinds of online abusers for years, always under the veil of anonymity.
Its modus operandi is to select a specific person from social networks and attack them in multiple directions, by exposing personal information on social networks and personally harassing their communication channels. Although their selection criteria vary, they seem to have a special fixation on members of the LGBTQIA + community, with an emphasis on trans people.
Near was one of her selected targets, taking her bullying to the lowest levels of her imagination, leading to her taking her own life. After posting an extensive thread on his Twitter account, his words must echo in everyone, to understand the real pain that bullying causes.
The truth is, I have been bullied, ridiculed, and humiliated all my life. From my early school years until now. It has always been so painful that I cannot put it into words. I could only tolerate it along with heavy depression when it was on 4chan. But, Kiwi Farms has taken it to a worse level. Their attack has escalated towards me for being autistic, they have attacked and shared private information of my friends, they have tried to make them commit suicide, only for me to react. I lost one of my best friends over this. I feel responsible.
The internet is not a game. It is real life. I am a real person. This really hurts me. Here, I have put my life. I have no ‘real life’ friends. I have no other reason to live, only this. And, now I have nothing. It’s too late for me, pray that someone else can do something against that site. There are many people suffering and nobody cares because we are relatively nobody. Evil triumphs when good people do nothing.
His death was reported by his friend Hector Martin on his Twitter account, on June 27, revealing that it was confirmed that Near had taken his own life. Although Kiwi Farms denies being involved in this situation (using the “no evidence that it was us” argument), it did not prevent suffer a DDoS attack in the following days.
Exposed once again as a trash-filled portal, Near’s words are worth keeping in mind, and not letting the bullies get away with harming underserved communities.
Rest in peace, Near.
