The Virtual Persona Pledge

A different approach to creating content via a virtual avatar, distinct from (but sometimes intersecting with) VTubing.

It is my simple and firm belief that the English-language VTubing industry has a rot. A rot that’s festered with transphobia, homophobia, racism, colorism, misogyny, and whorephobia.

Yes, many VTubers and VTuber fans are lovely people. But there are bad actors running rampant in the space, causing problems. Problems that have existed for years. Problems that cannot be changed without wider community consensus. Yet the contemporary ENVTubing community is too conflict-averse to address these issues. Until this mindset changes, bigotry will continue to be a major issue in English VTubing.

Additionally, it is my personal belief that the VTubing community has major problems with harassment, emotional maturity, healthy boundaries between viewers and creators, and a focus on popularity and profit over creation and community. With these things in mind, I would like to introduce a set of rules and guidelines for other creators to pledge to, under a specific name separate from VTubing.

This is called “The Virtual Persona Pledge,” with “Versona” or “VSona” for short. “Versona” / “VSona” is an identity that creators can use as an alternative to “VTuber.” They can also use it in conjunction with “VTuber.” The goal is to introduce a name and identity with a code of conduct that one holds themselves to, with a set of values and behavioral standards one promises to meet and maintain.

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The Virtual Persona Pledge

As a Versona / VSona, I pledge to:

1. Create content that does not promote bigotry, including (but not limited to) racism, colorism, transphobia, misogyny, ableism, and whorephobia

2. Foster a community that is welcoming to marginalized viewers across races, genders, sexualities, classes, disabilities, religions, cultures, and various other walks of life

3. Treat my colleagues in the way I would like to be treated. If I have a disagreement with another, I will engage in good faith dialogue and honest communication. If our differences are unresolvable, I will refrain from gossip, rumor-spreading, sabotage, and other harmful behaviors

4. Moderate my community to the best of my ability. As a creator, I understand that I set the tone and standard for my fans. Viewers who express bigotry will not be tolerated. Fans who harass others on my behalf will be shown the door

5. Demonstrate healthy boundaries between myself and my fans. Parasocial relationships are normal in content creation, but I will create and maintain healthy boundaries with my audience. I will not encourage fans to obsess over me to the detriment of their mental health nor financial stability. I will inform myself of authoritarian cult behavior to protect myself, my fans, and others from manipulation

6. Protect minors from harm. If my streams involve mature, explicit, or otherwise sexual content, underage viewers will be banned. There will be clear, obvious, and unavoidable indicators that my content is 18+ only. If I am a lewdtuber, my Discord server will engage in age verification measures

7. Respect creators who walk a different path than my own. I will respect difference of religion. I will respect cultural differences. I will respect different content creation paths other than my own. If I am a SFW creator, I will not stigmatize nor disparage NSFW creators. I respect sex work as work, even if it is not the job for me

8. Listen to criticism from marginalized viewers and creators with compassion. I understand that no one is perfect, and if I struggle or make mistakes, I will make a good faith effort to understand marginalized viewers’ point of view

I invite others who use virtual avatars to hold themselves to a higher set of standards, ones that are not being met by certain parts of the contemporary ENVTubing community.

If you would like to commit to the pledge listed above, feel free to sign your name below along with your preferred socials, either on here or on the Bluesky post this will be shared in. Consider this a code of conduct to hold oneself to, one’s community to, and each other to.

Thanks. And with love,

AV