MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Seattle-based Microsoft Corp. and the chief rules enforcer for Xbox Live are apologizing to a small West Virginia town and a 26-year-old gamer accused of violating the online gaming service’s code of conduct by publicly declaring he’s from Fort Gay — a name the company considered offensive.

When Josh Moore tried to tell Microsoft and the enforcement team at Xbox Live that the name is real, they wouldn’t take his word for it. Or Google it. Or check the U.S. Postal Service website for a ZIP code.

Instead, they suspended his gaming privileges for a few days until Moore could convince them the location in his profile, “fort gay WV,” is an actual community of about 800 in Wayne County.

“At first I thought, ‘Wow, somebody’s thinking I live in the gayest town in West Virginia or something.’ I was mad. … It makes me feel like they hate gay people,” said Moore, who plays under the gamertag Joshanboo.

Mayor David Thompson also tried to intervene, but with little success. He told television station WSAZ that he was informed the city’s name didn’t matter. The word “gay,” he was told, was inappropriate in any context.

“That’s the name of our town! It’s appalling. It’s a slap in our face,” Thompson told the AP Wednesday.

Stephen Toulouse, director of policy and enforcement for Xbox Live blamed miscommunication.