Racialicious has an interesting article about meaningful conversations about gaming between activists and gamers:

http://www.racialicious.com/2007/10/12/moving-gaming-forward-having-meaningful-conversations-about-social-issues/

I really connect with this article. Not on this issue specifically, but on the intersection between Geek culture and Activist culture. Being that I am a speaker and panelist at conventions and a woman, I'm frequently asked to talk about or comment on the female point of view. I don't think that anyone thinks I'm speaking for women as a whole, and I wouldn't claim to, but I find that my opinions sometimes seem to baffle the very nice group of people I'm put in front of.

Concepts that have been baffling to people I've met in the past two years:

Women are not obligated to date you. Ever. You do not "deserve" a woman. (The same goes for men, no one, no matter the gender, is owed a date.)
A woman being polite to you is not leading you on.
There are sexist portrayals of women in the media.
Feminists are not all lesbians (though some are, but why should that be a problem?)
Feminists do not, in general, hate men.
Yes, I am a feminist. Yes, even though I am wearing makeup.
It's not okay to hit a woman even if you've hit women before and it's been okay.
Harassment has little attachment to what I'm wearing. (I've been harassed when the only skin showing was my face, and treated with respect while in my shiny, shiny, underpants.)
Many women like different things.

No one has fought with me about this issues, but they often seem surprised by my point of view. Surprised, in part, because many people seem to feel that sexism is over. (Hooray! Throw a parade!) The thing is, it's not over, nor is racism, nor is classism, nor many other ism's. Progress, great and wonderful progress, does not mean that an issue is dead. Not being owned as property, having the right to vote, all of this is very nice indeed, but it doesn't mean that it's all over and done with.

I understand that people want things to be over and done with. I get that. Me too. I think that most people would love for that to magically happen so that we can get on with being people, loving each other, doing fun stuff. It's a bummer to have to think about these issues when you just want to enjoy a movie, game, or other form of entertainment. But you know what is even more of a bummer? Oppression.