Xbox LIVE updates Code of Conduct, allows users to express race, sexual orientation

In an open letter to the Xbox LIVE community, General Manager Marc Whitten announced today a change in the online platform's Code of Conduct that will allow players to express their race, nationality, religion and sexual orientation in Gamertags and profiles.

"Under our previous policy," Whitten explains, "some of these expressions of self identification were not allowed in Gamertags or profiles to prevent the use of these terms as insults or slurs. However, we have since heard feedback from our customers that while the spirit of this approach was genuine, it inadvertently excluded a part of our Xbox LIVE community."

Along with this change, Whitten is promising "increased stringency and enforcement" to ensure that gamers who choose to share such information can do so safely and without harrassment.

He adds in closing, "I truly believe that our diversity is what makes us strong: diversity in gaming and entertainment options, and diversity in the people that make up this amazing community."

Given the already classy reputation of the Xbox LIVE community, it'll be interesting to see how this change is accepted and handled by both the gamers and LIVE staff.