Anonymity in Gaming

Whenever I play games online with complete strangers, they really seem to take that anonymity for all it's worth. In playing games over the internet, I hear so many racist and homophobic remarks it's surprising. The anonymity of online play seems to lead to very aggressive behaviour from gamers and I think that's an important part of the culture and identity of being a gamer. If someone is not a regular game player and they are just starting playing games online, they will probably be incredibly surprised at the downright offensive language used by many people who play games online. I'm still deciding whether these people are homophobic or racist in reality, or if they are just trying to get under their opponent's skin.
I'm thinking that it's all part of the trash talking that is part of any competition.
Anonymity changes a person and I think you can see that in any situation. When someone is anonymous and does not have to fear backlash for their expression, they reveal what they are really thinking. Hiding behind anonymity may also just be allowing people to be racist behind a shield that keeps them out of the public eye. It does seem like people expose their true colours when they're anonymous.
If we look at anonymous literature or poetry, it's often people exposing their true thoughts an feelings because they fear persecution for their ideas. Throughout history, anonymous literature has caused controversy. Anonymity is a way to hide yourself while you put forth controversial, and perhaps the racist or homophobic things that you are really thinking. If that is the case with internet anonymity that I see in forums and gaming, we have a lot of work to do as a society to get rid of racism.