DP, things are different for you, you're a girl. For girls in today's society almost every single thing you do besides shop, talk about guys, and *****fight, is some shameful dirty secret. Girls are trained from birth by the society around them (esp. in the states) that almost everything about them is something to be ashamed of. Your weight, your hair, what you look like under your makeup, what people may or may not think of you, all that.
Talking openly about videogames for a girl to other girls is nigh impossible. So I don't agree that your case is universally applicable.
Though a lot of what I see in this thread explains why it is the way it is. People are so ashamed. I love to talk about games. But no one ever calls me a geek.
I think the casuals are ashamed of it or feel awkward talking about it. I never have a problem with it, even talking to people who don't play or even know what I'm talking about. I just explain to them how it works before I tell whatever story I tell and 9 times out of 10 they get it.
Maybe if less of us were ashamed or felt awkward about this the world would see that NORMAL people play games too. I think it is my responsibility as a non-weirdo to spread far and wide the fact that I play video games RELIGIOUSLY. I also think you should all do the same. Cause if you don't, the old folks are just gonna keep on dogging us as a whole.
Really simply put, the fact of the matter is only outspoken ubernerds seem to talk about it publically with disregard for those who may overhear. And when you hear these big fat weirdos with curly afros, head lice, and button-up Kagome shirts talk excitedly about which girl is hotter, Cammy or Chun Li...well those people are maladjusted people who have found a home within our hobby, and that's fine. But now because of people like all of you who are afraid to be public about it, the free world thinks that all we are is that, or carbon copies of the only other game people who've ever made the news -- Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris.
It won't change until WE change it. So if you are an avid gamer and not proud of it I say thanks for nothing. It's not something to be ashamed of, it's not socially awkward, sometimes people just need to be enlightened as to what you're talking about before they can find a game story or discussion worth participating in.
In any case we need more people like Chris. People with some balls. Unfortunately, this hobby, website, and the internet in general attract mostly people with no balls. So I'm hoping that some of the things I see on ESF aren't the same on a worldwide scale. Cause if the same worldwide percentage of gamers are ashamed of their hobby in public as the percentage of this thread is, we're in trouble.