EA won’t sell The Sims 4 wedding pack in Russia due to homophobic laws

polygon.com:

Electronic Arts will not sell its new The Sims 4 wedding DLC pack in Russia, the company announced Wednesday. The Sims4 has been considered “gay propaganda” due to Russia’s homophobic law since 2014, and slapped with a 18+ age restriction prohibited children from purchasing it. The Sims4’s My Wedding Stories DLC pack trailer focused on a gay couple’s joyous engagement and wedding — and the The Sims 4 team said it was “not something we could freely share around the world.”

LGBTQ+ people in Russia have long faced harassment and discrimination, but Russia’s anti-gay “propaganda” law has “increased hostility” and limited “affirming education and support services” for LGTBQ+ youth, according to Human Rights Watch.

The Sims 4 is a life simulation game that lets players create customized characters, houses, and worlds, with traditionally few limitations regarding gender and sexuality, though The Sims 4 developer Maxis has been criticized for not better representing Black simmers in-game, with players themselves leading the change by creating custom content.

The new My Wedding Stories DLC pack, coming Feb. 17, expands on The Sims 4’s existing wedding options — adding new culturally-specific ceremonies, events like engagement parties and rehearsal dinners, as well as new outfits and decorations. The Sims 4 has always allowed same-sex weddings, but My Wedding Stories centers around a story the development team wants to tell: A gay couple called Dominique and Camille.

“Imagining the stories our players will tell with our packs is at the heart of everything we create,” the developer wrote in a statement. “For ‘My Wedding Stories,’ we were excited to introduce you to Dom and Cam. Their love story reflects the lived experiences of so