Racism is not restricted to reality anymore! Now even non-existent RPG races are discriminated against.
I came to this realization during a fabulous 13 hour RPG session recently. Our gaming group has been playing an Earth Dawn campaign for over six years now. Our Game Master is incredibly talented and dedicated. The quest is obviously of epic proportions and we've all played multiple characters, both for variation and because mortals are such fragile beings that they have a nasty tendency to die. Due to this, our group has come into contact with essentially every Name-giver race. I have noticed that some new characters are accepted more readily and easily into the party then others. From extended observation I realized this had little to do with the personality of the character and much, much more to do with the character's race.
The problem is that most RPGs have at least one cute, cuddly, obnoxious race. Of course the members of this race that make it to the adventurer status would be quite different from the run of the mill, say Kender (see: Dungeons and Dragons) or (in my case) Windling. Yet the generalization of their race characteristics stick to the poor would-be heros like a plague. Just like real life! Of course these races have a much worse time because in the RPG world there really is nothing more to go on then the general race description that the Player's Handbook gives. My gaming mates make it no easier by refusing to acknowledge that they have a problem. Whatever Windling stumbles upon our group and cause is labeled annoying, irritating and bait instantly, before the Player can even manifest a personality in said Windling. This is especially frustrating if you've been allowed to develop your character, have worthwhile and necessary information to contribute and can also slaughter most of the companions in your group without breaking a sweat. Yet the group still manages to ignore you and wander off to their death, oblvious and just happy to be rid of the Windling.
So I don't want to offend anyone and claim that I understand racism. But this is a little bit of insight, into the feeling a minority, or really anyone who is hated for no good reason, must feel. It's also a bit of despair, because people can't even keep racism out of a game, a fictional world.