I don't play Dungeons & Dragons anymore, but I did sometimes back in high school in college, back when people were just transitioning out of war gaming and D&D was pretty darn new.

One of the things we liked about it is that we could play it however we wanted. That's what made it special. The role playing was freewheeling and imaginative, limited only by our own minds and interests. I was mostly interested in playing a very Tolkien-inspired game, while others wanted something different. So we matched up our interests with players who shared them.

I went and read one of the articles you linked to, and I have to agree with your categorization that people are whining. It's just reactionary whining about something that has no impact on them.

They can still play however they like, just like always. A sign of the times though, with people being mean spirited over anything they consider kind or inclusive.