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Being the person I am, I am always curious how others deal with ... well ... people like me. This is NOT a troll post, this is a post of curiosity. It is a very sensitive topic, both for me and others, and therefore I ask only that you look DOWN below the post box before responding (ie read the policies)
With that said, I am me. It just happens that I am a transsexual person who identifies as female, who happens to be attracted in an adult and consensual manner to other individuals who identify as female, and I also happen to espouse what most would call an 'alternative belief system' that I call shamanism. I also identify as a Furry, a Geek, and several other labels that I'm really not either remembering nor caring about at this moment.
I guess I'm just wondering how those of you who deign to respond would react to such a person as me?
Corrolary to the above, I also have found myself on at least two occasions playing a character of a non-typical gender identity. Once, the character was born female and quite happily continued in this identity until her friendly neighbourhood sorcerer polymorphed her into a male of the same race. She decided that she'd rather be male, and declined the offer to be dispelled back. Then there was the female born merchant marine who cross-dressed her way into military service to keep her brother from being drafted.
If you've encountered something similar in your time as a player or a GM, how has it played out?
This is me asking my community for their feelings. I know it's a touchy subject, but I've had a good experience with the Paizo community so far and so I've decided to share a bit more about the person behind the name. Thanks in advance for your considerate responses.
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As far as RL, people are people. I don't care what their views and likes etc are. They have as much right to what they like as anyone. As long as no one is hurt and everyone involved is adults more power to them.
Now as far as game play, yes I have seen it in a games. Not a lot but from time to time. One or our players is gay, he rarely plays gay characters though. Not honestly sure why, no one in the group has a problem with it.
Anyways yes I have seen it in game. I guess thats all you was looking for as far as responses go.
Howdy and welcome!
Hmmm... I've GMed (DnD 3.x & Shadowrun) so I have to run NPCs of both genders. I'm also fine with players cross-playing as long as they try to be more than a stereotype. It's been a few years since I GMed (and longer since I've actually got to play a PC), but in all my experiences so far, no one in any of my groups would have had a problem with it.
Furries probably would have bothered some of the players in those groups (especially a couple who really hate SURGE in Shadowrun) at first. I've never had anyone in those groups play a TG or TS PC either, but I don't think it would have been a problem either. As long as all players attempt to RP well and don't try to steal the spotlight, there probably wouldn't have been a problem. You might have gotten some really dumb or odd RL questions from them, but that would probably only been out of lack of RL experience and newness to GLBT in general and nothing personal. Although there would have one specific Shadowrun player who would have argued over sex-change surgery, but only from the point of wanting firm specific game details to ensure that Essense loss is properly accounted for (which was finally officially covered in the SR 4th edition Augmentation book).
I've seen my TS friend put up with incredible levels of RL crap. Mikhaila, you have my deepest admiration for your fortitude and bravery in dealing with the crap you unjustly face everyday.
Generally, the Paizoians seem to be a very welcome and open bunch. Just be sure to wear flame-proof underwear if you venture into a 4th Ed or a political thread. :)
And now that I think of it, the newish Eclipse Phase RPG has transhumanism as a major theme. No one would blink twice at GLBT PCs, but the game world(s) are still adjusting to the uplifted, the entirely digital, and the total synthetic lifeforms (all playable PC options).
You might take a peek at the game (it's licensed under Creative Commons) if only for some of the interesting PC options and transhuman themes. If you like it, you can always fork over $15 for the PDF (I forget how much the HC is).
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I, for one, certainly hope it doesn't impede your gaming. But people are people, and sometimes their preconceptions get in the way.
I know I like to be upfront about being gay when joining a new group, because I had a bad experience once where it didn't come up until I had already invested some time in the game, and the results were bad.
I hope you've found good folks to play with, and you'd certainly be welcome at my table.
Edit: I forgot to talk about my characters. Hmm. I usually avoid making my PC's get romantically involved during campaigns because it always winds up being a pain in the ass, so I guess they tend to be ambiguous. But I totally had a male elf druid once who I decided was obsessed with a male NPC elf rogue because the DM's description sounded hot. Fun times.
I, for one, certainly hope it doesn't impede your gaming. But people are people, and sometimes their preconceptions get in the way.
I know I like to be upfront about being gay when joining a new group, because I had a bad experience once where it didn't come up until I had already invested some time in the game, and the results were bad.
Well that certainly must have sucked. I think I might have had such good luck so far because most guys don't seem to feel threatened by lesbians. Or maybe they were just afraid of provoking my GM wrath. MWAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!
I hope you've found good folks to play with, and you'd certainly be welcome at my table.
You'd certainly be welcome at mine, CH. :)
Contributor, RPG Superstar 2012
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I agree with what's been said above. I've never seen sexual orientation as a factor in determining whether someone is a good player.
I've played female characters (hopefully not as bad stereotypes), and thanks to a weirdly worded wish, a male character who stayed male but retroactive backwards from the point of the wish became female with a romantic interest in one of the other characters. That was interesting.
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I've played PCs of both genders, and one that had both genders. I generally avoid the stereotypes, but once or twice I have indulged in them just for kicks. I have played cross dressers and gays of both genders. As for RL? I'm married to wonderful Bi woman and most of our friends are... different to say the least. Hell Solnes works at a sex shop so she has to be pretty much open minded. If you lived anywhere near Myrtle Beach SC, I'd be glad to have you at our table. As for my favorite PC? Corystan Pike from SCAP, when she was rescued she joined the group, now although I did play her as a lesbian, and sometimes over the top, everything she did was over the top. I don't see where what labels people would put on you has any efect on whether I would get along with you... but it has been said I am the most liberal minded southern redneck in the world. ;)
Now as far as game play, yes I have seen it in a games. Not a lot but from time to time. One or our players is gay, he rarely plays gay characters though. Not honestly sure why, no one in the group has a problem with it.
I've had this as well but I think there might be some kind of social acceptance bent involved. Essentially I've almost never seen even gay gamers play explicitly gay characters (usually sexuality is left ambiguous or they are actively playing heterosexual characters). However female players have sometimes played lesbian characters in games I've been in. For whatever reason one gets a kind of sense that even around the gaming table Lesbians are acceptable in a way that gay males are not. Its worth noting that even in the group with the female GM (which is the only group I play with were sexuality is ever really addressed) the membership is at least scewed male and I suspect that this has something to do with it.
Director of Brand Strategy
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Thanks for sharing your experience with the boards and for opening this line of discussion. I think that being open about alternative lifestyles and not being ashamed to talk about LGBT issues (in gaming or otherwise) is beneficial for any community. No one suffers from basking in diversity, despite what many may claim.
That said, I think that a player's sexual orientation shouldn't have an impact on the game. Nor should their gender, race, religion, disabilities, profession, annual income, highest level of education, favorite color, or food allergies. I fully support any player who wishes to play a character with extreme characteristics in any of these areas, whether there is any similarity between the player and that character or not.
I am a straight male and have played more female characters than I have male. I tend to play asexual characters (meaning I don't really approach the subject of their attractions to members either sex in game play) with extreme psychologies. I played a Ziggy Stardust-inspired androgyne once with multiple personalities that wanted to alternately protect and destroy, and I toyed with gender dynamics and archetypes with that character. I have a PC who is, for all intents and purposes a masochist and wants to feel as much pain as possible, not for sexual gratification, but because withstanding the pain will make her a "better person." I have played PCs with deep racial grudges against their people's oppressors. And the list goes on.
In the end, I think that a game which exists entirely within the realm of imagination and which allows players to be whomever they want can present opportunities to explore different parts of our personalities. As navigators of the seas of our minds we have the power to play out personal fantasies, fears, and what-if scenarios in a safe environment. And while most players aren't using the game for this purpose or aren't aware of possible Freudian analysis of their characters or in-character choices, it can be an incredible tool and window into the soul if one chooses to use it in that manner.
So, since I've already written way more than I intended to, I guess I'll answer your question. I don't "deal with people like you" any differently than I deal with anyone else in the game. I don't think Paizo's adventures do either. That's one reason I love them. There are some very prominent gay characters in the game (including at least one iconic and one BBEG) yet these aspects are never sensationalized, exotified, or exploited. If only our society as a whole took the same approach in real life.
I have played with gay people.
I have played with straight yet (extremely)effeminate people (as in, anime-effeminate).
I have played with TG people.
I have played with wiccan peope (BEST Mage: The Asencion game I've ST'd, -ever-).
I have played with overly-religious people.
I have played with atheists.
I have played with plain-sh1tbat-crazy people.
I have played with tools.
...all of the above have applied at one time or another to both meatspace and online gaming tables...
How do I deal with them in the table? Same as I deal with everyone else, once the dice start rolling I don't deal with you, I deal with your character.
As far as my personal experience goes at least, the roleplaying crowds are a particularly non-judgemental bunch as an average (there are always cases of jerks, but fortunately those are the exception rather than the norm). Relax, you worry too much.
There are some very prominent gay characters in the game (including at least one iconic and one BBEG)
Bad Yoda! You already knew Seltyel wanted to keep it a secret! But noooo, you had to go an out him like that, I hope you are satisfied now, you insensitive monster. =P
I've gamed with folks of every opinion and orientation over the years, with only one truly problematic encounter. That individual assumed that any criticism of her behavior was motivated by intolerance toward her background and sexuality, even as she drove everyone around her nuts with her constant, strident complaints.
That doesn't mean that every gamer I know would be harmonious together. I've always tried to draw together groups that would enjoy each others' company, taking care not to place too many "prima donnas" into one group. The relevant factors seem to be more play style than personal background.
As long as you don't wear your Furry costume to the game, you're welcome at my table.
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As long as you don't wear your Furry costume to the game, you're welcome at my table.
Seconded.
In any case, one of my two best friends is a homosexual male, and the other is a male gender dissociative who identifies as neuter, so needless to say, I've been exposed to a lot of this type of situation. As far as my group breaks down, character-wise, it's all over the board:
- a heterosexual male (myself), who plays about two-thirds male characters and one-third female characters, occasionally delving into gender identity
- another heterosexual male, who plays almost exclusively male characters with no forays into gender identity. Granted, he doesn't game as much as the rest of us, so that's probably expected.
- a dissociative / neuter male, who usually GMs. However, when he does play a PC, the characters split about 50-50 on both the male/female and heterosexual/homosexual axes.
- a homosexual male, who tends to play over-the-top homosexual characters, both male and female, or monstrous PCs (lizardfolk seem to be a recurring one)
- a heterosexual female, who plays about two-thirds female characters and one-third male characters, occasionally delving into gender identity
As long as you don't wear your Furry costume to the game, you're welcome at my table.
What if the table is LARPing Werewolf? =D
I would have more problems playing in a group with super macho he-men than people with alternate sexual/religious preferences.
As long as you don't wear your Furry costume to the game, you're welcome at my table.What if the table is LARPing Werewolf? =D
Sorry, we don't LARP.
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Frankly I find gamers tend to be a fairly welcoming type of folk. I myself am a gay man married to my husband, most of my close friends are heterosexual males, one friend who is now named Morgan is a transexual female also attracted to females, and Morgan was in a game with all of my hetero male friends. There was no issue. But what it boils down to is if the person is just going to be an idiot about non issues well then there going to be an idiot in any environment.
I (to my knowledge) haven't gamed with gay, lesbian, bi or transgender, players, but they are all welcome at my table. Most GLBT people I know have way too much style and coolness to be geeks :-)
I have encountered a lot of people that have a mental illness that play including myself (obsessive compulsive disorder).
Do people find it hard to adjust to playing with people with illness or disability (mental or physical)?
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I have encountered a lot of people that have a mental illness that play including myself (obsessive compulsive disorder).Do people find it hard to adjust to playing with people with illness or disability (mental or physical)?
Interestingly enough, my wife is at least slightly OCD. (I jokingly refer to us as the Chaotic Neutral/Lawful Neutral couple and occasionally tease very gently by drawing the letters "LN" on her forehead)
I, myself, have spent more than enough time in a hospital for suicidal ideation for at least 20 people.
I've dealt with most stripes of personality disorder, in professional, personal and social levels. Borderline personality, disassociative identity disorder, delusional, schizophrenic, etc.
"People are people, so why should it be..." as the song goes.
As long as you don't wear your Furry costume to the game, you're welcome at my table.Heh, I don't actually have one. I'm a bad Furry.
Is a Furry without fur a Furry at all? Ah, philosophical conundrums abound...
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Is a Furry without fur a Furry at all? Ah, philosophical conundrums abound...
In the community, a person whose character is a lizard/dragon/etc is called a "Scaly"
Hmm, the mind, it wobbles.
Fun, ain't it?On that same note, I'd probably be dead right now if it wasn't for my gaming group, as well as the people on these boards.
Fun isn't the word I'd use. One time I went off my meds when hospitalized for a severe ear infection (the admitting nurse told me not to take my meds, they'd be provided for me...so I didn't take them even though they were sitting RIGHT THERE...) and I suffered a bit of a breakdown. Full voices and visions schizophrenic break. That... that was fun. *twitch*
And yes, totally agree that without those that love me I wouldn't be around. My last one cost me one of those relationships, but sometimes a price needs to be paid to learn a lesson.
I'm jumping in on this one because I also agree that it's an important topic.
Our table is a little one sided
A) were all guys
B) 4-6 players at a shot. 4 regular and 2 make it when they can.
C) 3 of the regular/main guys are gay including the dm and the 4th guy is straight but we try to keep the humor non-explicit as a courtesy.
D) sex never comes up. we don't go into it to ever try to play gay/straight or whatever characters.
Mostly our dm doesn't want us to side track with unimportant stuff so our "in town" mode consists of ok you've got 10 minutes of real time to shop,resupply, do whatever in town and then lets go on with the adventure. We are a very hack & slash type group with a must find all the loot mentality.
Sounds like you guys are having alot of fun with all the "other" stuff. I can tell you that with us as long as you can keep up with the power curve you'd be welcome at our table regardless of who or what you are.
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Sounds like you guys are having alot of fun with all the "other" stuff. I can tell you that with us as long as you can keep up with the power curve you'd be welcome at our table regardless of who or what you are.
Well, as for me I am what my wife lovingly refers to as a "Recovering munchkin" By which is meant that I still think 'hack-and-slash' and 'min/max' at some base level, but I'm becoming more and more interested in RP. Thus and so, the other stuff is very important in our games.
As it's just me and my wife most of the time (She GM's, I play between 1 and 8 characters) we focus a lot on RP. And my wife gives GREAT NPC's. Incredibly well developed and deep, so it's hard NOT to RP with them.
When I'm running my Legacy of Fire game for 'my' group, it's still a bit more RP-heavy than my old Monty Haul games. For example, I house rule Divine Intervention in emergencies. Players get a one shot d% roll to invoke a deity. One did on a very near TPK and Asmodeus shows up and saves the entire party. And a little while later, that PC encounters a psychic slime. One thing leads to another, rather hentai like, and she ends up *ahem* in a family way. (She was rolling poorly, so would have died otherwise...again)
With that all said, I believe that there is definitely a time and a place for everyone. I'm glad that what you've got is working well for you, and I thank you greatly for ringing in on this.
Cheers!
M
I, myself, have spent more than enough time in a hospital for suicidal ideation for at least 20 people.
Been on that ride, I hope I never have to go on it again.
Im lucky - good care, medication works for me, supportive family and friends.
"People are people, so why should it be..." as the song goes.
That is a good philosophy to have
i find it rather interesting to see this topic discussed as it's actually not one I think that much of. Nearly all the roleplayers I know have some manner of "irregularity" (in lack of a better word) myself included. I have yet to experience any problems with that.
My basic rule is that as long as everyone feels good about what's going on, there's no need to start (over-)reacting to it.
My experience say that roleplayers are generally more or less geeky and tend to stick a bit out in personality aand behaviour. More or less.
I also have to say that it's by far (in my experience, again) one of the most open-minded groups of people I have yet to meet. Most of my friends happen to be people I met at a local roleplaying club. There's as good as every kind of people you can imagine and the only things that's not tolerated is mean behaviour to others. Which I have, luckily, only experienced once in any degree worth talking of.
Good luck wit going more roleplaying-focused. I know exactly the type of game you describe running (1 gm, 1 player, knowing each other well) and tend to see it as a possibility to work with far more alternate and deep personalities than otherwise (I am a personality-development kind of player/GM so I care a lot for that).
In games for multiple players my way (and the ways I've seen in use) to deal with "alternate" characters, is much like how my group of friends and players deal with other peoples differencies at normal. No over-doing things that everyone isn't okay with and happy about. General respect and acceptance to one another. And finally, the fact that soem things can be joked casually about in the right company.
Thanks a lot for starting this subject out, I believe it's important to think of things liek that.
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Nobody in my group is of an alternate lifestyle (unless you count eating WAY to much and being obese as one) and I am playing a cleric/ordained champion that is keeping them guessing as to his affiliation.
I am married with kids and yet I still find it fun to explore different mind-sets than my own within the games that I play. I am very open to people and I don't just have a "live and let live" approach, I have a "live and let live and learn about people's situations and struggles to help me understand what they are going through" type of mentality. I don't just want to be tolerant, I want to be understanding and inviting in my approach to people instead of just allowing them to exist.
I also played a gay sorcerer in a play-by-post who was a bit over the top at times and also was very self-confident (arrogant) and pushy. He was a blast to play and I based him off of a person I met once that I had a good long conversation with.
I haven't played a cross-dresser or a transexual......yet, but only because I have yet to really interact with one and don't want to portray the roll in a negative manner due to a lack of knowledge as to the motivations of such a person.
I've played with gamers of every gender idenficiation and sexual orientation. I have never noticed it playing a role in how they played, and with one notable exception they were welcome at every table I've ever been at. They will certainly always be welcome at mine, as my second job polls (mostly) gay men and women on sexual practices.
I have also gamed with people dealing with mental health issues as well, which I also have no problem with as my primary job is working in a clubhouse for mentally ill adults. I guess the energy I put out in the world is the energy I get back gamingwise...
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Been on that ride, I hope I never have to go on it again.Im lucky - good care, medication works for me, supportive family and friends.
That is very lucky. Meds are very hit or miss for me, but my condition is also rather cyclical. I can go years, sometimes even a decade or more, without missing a beat. Then, well... BLAM!!
Thanks a lot for starting this subject out, I believe it's important to think of things liek that.
You are quite welcome. I'm just glad for the positive response. Any time I even mention the WORD 'alternative' on most other forums, I regret it and I am flamed out with my tail between my legs.
As someone said above.....people are people. I've got friends who are gay, doesn't bother me. Having grown up in New Orleans, I've met trans-sexuals. As long as a person is cool, and doesn't bug the s#@% out of me, I've got no problems.
Huh, I never would have thought "New Orleans = Trans people", but then again I've never been there. I once thought that "Bay Area = Gay Mecca" and then found out otherwise.
I haven't played a cross-dresser or a transexual......yet, but only because I have yet to really interact with one and don't want to portray the roll in a negative manner due to a lack of knowledge as to the motivations of such a person.
As a transwoman, playing a transman is a very interesting existential thought experiment. Playing a woman who cross-dresses as a man for the sake of helping her brother equally so.
There are a lot of different motivations for being as I am, but the most basic to me is "I feel more comfortable in my body now" And at the end of the day, that's the only one that really matters.
I've played with gamers of every gender idenficiation and sexual orientation. I have never noticed it playing a role in how they played, and with one notable exception they were welcome at every table I've ever been at. They will certainly always be welcome at mine, as my second job polls (mostly) gay men and women on sexual practices.
I have also gamed with people dealing with mental health issues as well, which I also have no problem with as my primary job is working in a clubhouse for mentally ill adults. I guess the energy I put out in the world is the energy I get back gamingwise...
Huh, very interesting. Were you the DM running the all-female game with the Fiendish Cinnamon-butter pony? If so, I will reiterate that that event made me and my wife both nearly snort beverage out our noses for the better part of an hour.
Life, while challenging for me, is still better than the alternative. And I'm very glad that I get to get into thought experiments by role-playing.
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Being the person I am, I am always curious how others deal with ... well ... people like me.
In a group that I played in for about 3 years (6 players + me as DM) we had an individual with Asperger syndrome. We all tried our best over that time to accommodate his problem. But at the end of the day we had such awful "dynamics" (as he called them) that he ultimately destroyed the group. Three of the people playing just didn't want to play. D&D was their stress release from a hard weeks work and this individual just added to their stress. I tried my best to mediate, but we had to ask him to leave. I know that sound mean as hell - but keep in mind their were 5 others (3 who really got fed up) who were there for fun as well.
I personally have no issues with anyone, but if someone is causing a majority of the people playing to not have fun then I think something needs to be done. I had my fun ruined by constantly having to "stick up" for the individual. In the end it was better for "the game", oh and then 4th ed. D&D came along and 4/5th's didn't want to play D&D anymore... Right.
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Being the person I am, I am always curious how others deal with ... well ... people like me.In a group that I played in for about 3 years (6 players + me as DM) we had an individual with Asperger syndrome. We all tried our best over that time to accommodate his problem. But at the end of the day we had such awful "dynamics" (as he called them) that he ultimately destroyed the group. Three of the people playing just didn't want to play. D&D was their stress release from a hard weeks work and this individual just added to their stress. I tried my best to mediate, but we had to ask him to leave. I know that sound mean as hell - but keep in mind their were 5 others (3 who really got fed up) who were there for fun as well.
I personally have no issues with anyone, but if someone is causing a majority of the people playing to not have fun then I think something needs to be done. I had my fun ruined by constantly having to "stick up" for the individual. In the end it was better for "the game", oh and then 4th ed. D&D came along and 4/5th's didn't want to play D&D anymore... Right.
At the end of the day, I would have to say that I agree with your decision. It is a game, and it is intended to be fun. My wife and I have learned the hard way that if either of us is not in the right headspace, the game will suffer and will only make us that much more upset/pissed off/depressed.
Thank you for sharing this.
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While I've never gamed in a home game with someone who was acknowledged as gay, I'm sure there have been some. At conventions I've played with openly gay men (M&M demo games with the creator tend to attract a higher than normal percentage, in my experience, which is probably to be expected) and I suspect that some of the other straight people at the table had no clue since nobody was 'over the top' like Nathan Lane in Birdcage.
Given that the entire point of role-playing games is to be someone that you aren't for a little while, and 'play dress up,' it seems like this hobby, where a six foot tall 250 lb. man can spend six hours pretending to be a lithe elven rogue or a halfling sorceress, should be a little more tolerant of the whole gender-role-subversion thing.
I slip into another skin on Saturday night over pizza and Mt. Dew. For others, that's their entire life, trying to find the skin that fits. The dice roll the same either way.
I kind of prefer more beer 'n' pretzels D&D games. So as long as you (or your character) don't interfere with the simple joy I find in bashing orcs/solving riddles/avoiding traps, it's fine by me. Live and let live! :-)
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You seem like a nice and friendly person, that's all I ask at my table (well, that and getting along with the other players).
I don't care about your choice in sexuality, your race, your religion, or whatever other outlooks you have; so long as you're nice and get along well with the other players you're welcome at my table.
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At the end of the day, I would have to say that I agree with your decision. It is a game, and it is intended to be fun. My wife and I have learned the hard way that if either of us is not in the right headspace, the game will suffer and will only make us that much more upset/pissed off/depressed.
He is one of my oldest friends and continues to be. He just wasn't good with 50% of the group. I don't think this is isolated however to those with clinical identified problems. We had another member once who was just plain unpleasant. He lasted a much shorter time...
Anyway, good on you for starting the thread. I think roleplayers tend to be an "interesting" group of people and some of the most open minded. Replies in this thread I think prove that rule. I guess bottom line is if you are willing to pretend you are an elf or a dwarf or whatever you can hardly make comments about those playing*!
Highest Regards,
S.
PS: Well except of course those weird arsed live roleplayers!!! ;)
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At the end of the day, I would have to say that I agree with your decision. It is a game, and it is intended to be fun. My wife and I have learned the hard way that if either of us is not in the right headspace, the game will suffer and will only make us that much more upset/pissed off/depressed.He is one of my oldest friends and continues to be. He just wasn't good with 50% of the group. I don't think this is isolated however to those with clinical identified problems. We had another member once who was just plain unpleasant. He lasted a much shorter time...
Anyway, good on you for starting the thread. I think roleplayers tend to be an "interesting" group of people and some of the most open minded. Replies in this thread I think prove that rule. I guess bottom line is if you are willing to pretend you are an elf or a dwarf or whatever you can hardly make comments about those playing*!
Highest Regards,
S.PS: Well except of course those weird arsed live roleplayers!!! ;)
Heh, I used to LARP. Amtgaard and Vampire. I'm not proud of this fact, mind you, and my only excuse is that I was young and stupid.
As for the generally unpleasant players, yes, they do definitely exist. I know one that has been stalking one of my girlfriends from Con Game to Con Game and always signs up for any game she's running. Just to munchkin, whine and powergame.
I am proud to call myself a gamer, though. Most of the communities I consider myself a part of are full of incredible people. There are, as previously stated, always exceptions.
I've never understood homophobic transfolk, heterophobic queer folk, and racist people of any minority. The mind, it wobbles.
Freehold DM wrote:
I've played with gamers of every gender idenficiation and sexual orientation. I have never noticed it playing a role in how they played, and with one notable exception they were welcome at every table I've ever been at. They will certainly always be welcome at mine, as my second job polls (mostly) gay men and women on sexual practices.I have also gamed with people dealing with mental health issues as well, which I also have no problem with as my primary job is working in a clubhouse for mentally ill adults. I guess the energy I put out in the world is the energy I get back gamingwise...
Huh, very interesting. Were you the DM running the all-female game with the Fiendish Cinnamon-butter pony? If so, I will reiterate that that event made me and my wife both nearly snort beverage out our noses for the better part of an hour.
Life, while challenging for me, is still better than the alternative. And I'm very glad that I get to get into thought experiments by role-playing.
Yes, that was me. My players appreciated the rousing laughter it inspired across the interwebs.
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Yes, that was me. My players appreciated the rousing laughter it inspired across the interwebs.
Well, for me it really hit home because I:
a) Have a secret love for Pokemon
b) Have a not-so-secret love for horses.
c) Think that would be an incredible thing to summon
d) Have loved My Little Pony since I was very little. (Which threads back to the original topic... I should have caught on earlier about my gender ID... what 6 year old boy plays with My Little Pony and dresses as Shirley Temple for 3 Halloweens running?)
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Director of Brand Strategy
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There are some very prominent gay characters in the game (including at least one iconic and one BBEG) yet these aspects are never sensationalized, exotified, or exploited. If only our society as a whole took the same approach in real life.
You know, I'm going to finish reading the rest of the thread before I comment on the subject matter, but I HAVE to ask.
Which Iconic is this? I never noticed it mentioned anywhere.
They haven't revealed which one(s) yet. They might never do so. But both Wes and James have said multiple times that at least one is gay. I suggested at PaizoCon that Merisiel and Seltyiel were the two PCs most likely to hook up and was told that might be the least likely pairing, so that might be a hint. In any case, I think which one it is makes less a difference in the overall tone of the setting than the fact that they aren't afraid to have NPCs that represent alternative lifestyles. In real life we don't know each and every person who is gay and it doesn't impact our daily lives. I like that the same is true for Golarion.
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In real life we don't know each and every person who is gay and it doesn't impact our daily lives. I like that the same is true for Golarion.
Very well said. I don't know how many times I hear "What do you mean you're *fill in the minority here*?" when I out myself.
Why should it be any different in game? Art imitates life, or so it is said.
As long as no one tries to sacrifice a cat on my porch, burn a cross on my porch, or mess with my dice, I just say 'roll up a character and let's get moving!'
"I'm not homophobic, heterophobic, darn near any-ophobic, but those normal people scare me."
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As long as no one tries to sacrifice a cat on my porch, burn a cross on my porch, or mess with my dice, I just say 'roll up a character and let's get moving!'
"I'm not homophobic, heterophobic, darn near any-ophobic, but those normal people scare me."
"Normal" people scare me too. Ones that INSIST they're normal even moreso.
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Creative Director
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I for one am delighted at the tone of this thread. Because we have authors and artists and employees at Paizo who are in the same categories as all the "alternative" lifestyles mentioned in this thread. That our messageboards are open and welcoming to all walks of life makes me very happy to be a part of the boards and a part of Paizo.