Anyone here have success playing gay/queer/enigmas characters?

[GioTheSquid]

This has probably been said, but it can't be said enough...so I'm gonna lather-rinse-repeat...
A person's sexual preference doesn't define their personality. Going in with gay as a defining feature will only leave you prone to stereotyping and you'll end up with a two dimensional character. Make it a quirk instead of a major trait, and let it be something that influences the social checks. Like if you're playing a gay male character he'll probably be more likely want to help another man if he sees that person as attractive.


But a jerk is still a jerk, which is why this is a quirk and not defining. How any character reacts to various npc's varies with the circumstances involved.

:/


Even considering I don't outright say my character is gay? I don't seek romance. Also, there are other orientations and identities apart from binary aligned, hetero/homo.


It's more like we'll be having a discussion, characters will be in a dialogue and my character will say 'well, when I was younger, i was seeing this guy' and then in OCC it's like 'wtf, gay? y u no tell early on?'

 

[Joan the Rebel]

I've played several asexual characters of various types. Some are aro, but frequently they fall into Heteroromantic because I'm very used to that mindset since I'm ace and Heteroromantic. Online it has never come up, not once. I don't know if people just accept it or if it's because "that's close enough" to straight(when let me tell you, it's really not), but it's just been accepted.
Irl not so much. Ugh. "But you like X, you can't be asexual."


No honey. No. He's cute and I want to be in his company. I don't want to bed him.


And the jokes when it comes up. No, the division joke is not unique please stop.


BUT YES. I've played a few non-straight characters.

That sounds frustrating >.< I know I already mentioned I'm heterosexual, but I'm also demisexual bordering on asexual and, though the issue's never come up among my friends, I am curious as to how they'll react when it does.

:/
Even considering I don't outright say my character is gay? I don't seek romance. Also, there are other orientations and identities apart from binary aligned, hetero/homo.


It's more like we'll be having a discussion, characters will be in a dialogue and my character will say 'well, when I was younger, i was seeing this guy' and then in OCC it's like 'wtf, gay? y u no tell early on?'

Wow, yeah. That just sounds like people being dorks >.<

 

[ckhao]

:/
Even considering I don't outright say my character is gay? I don't seek romance. Also, there are other orientations and identities apart from binary aligned, hetero/homo.


It's more like we'll be having a discussion, characters will be in a dialogue and my character will say 'well, when I was younger, i was seeing this guy' and then in OCC it's like 'wtf, gay? y u no tell early on?'

Yeah, that's a simple "It wasn't important". You're a team of adventurers - sharing your life story isn't really a prerequisite for the job... And the same could be said for any point in the self-identity spectrum. Really, the only time it -should- be a major detail is if you're playing the sexual/romantic angle in a campaign. If the other players really have that big of an issue, I'd have to call this an OOC issue that needs to be addressed directly either before the night's game begins or in the post-game discussion at the end of the night (or in the OOC thread if it's a PbP/forum game)

 

[pavelius]

laughs heartily. i was 12-13 when i started rping ~yaoi~ but thankfully i grew past that eyesore of a phase pretty quickly. it's unbelievable that i rped more nsfw content as a minor than now.


it's kind of just a default for my characters to be some shade of queer nowadays, because, surprise, i'm queer. not that i'm not open to straight relationships, but, like, EVERYONE expects that and i'm not even... really interested in romance. or rather, i'm definitely fine with it, but finding another roleplayer i click with is hard enough— let alone finding an oc my ocs click with. so it just doesn't happen, and i'm fine with that. i'm more interested in platonic relationships too. more often than not though, when romance is expected in an rp, there's a certain degree of ... awfulness that i feel like is inherent. i feel like good writers with good characters innately understand that romance doesn't just happen, so they don't bother asking for it.


as with my trans characters... they're there. they exist. i mention it in bios if it's necessary, but otherwise i just kinda stick it in maybe once, then leave it at that. unless they're fucking, your oc doesn't need to know what's in my oc's pants.

 

[ckhao]

Full disclosure :: Shameless Plug


I think the best example of well-played romance between characters is in the Critical Role podcast on Geek&Sundry. I couldn't give you a solid list of episodes to go and watch because 1) the romantic arc evolving between the two pc's happens in snippets - a moment here, a stolen kiss there... 2) the progression of emotion is subtle, and hardly directly spoken of, and 3) there are over 50 episodes, each of which are a MINIMUM of 3 hours of gameplay.


Actually, come to think of it, there are two romantic arcs running, both between pairs of pc's. One is obvious, and one-sided, and to a large degree used as comic relief. The pining character that just keeps getting brushed off. It's obvious. It's recurring, like a running gag. But as the story progresses, the humor is partnered with the need for the characters to resolve the issue. This second arc is a wonderful way to show both how romance can become something not-romantic, and how making a show of romance can change how the relationship between characters is viewed.


Ultimately, RPing romance should be done in the same way as it's done in real life - through action instead of spoken words. A character wouldn't just confess their love, they would show it with little actions dropped in over time. It wouldn't be a primary theme for a campaign, unless the DM decided to have the relationship become a key piece to a story arc (i.e. - one of the characters is kidnapped, or the secret love is used as a threat against the players, etc).


My speculation regarding minors playing NSFW in general is that there are two reasons for it. First, minors tend to be less developed storytellers, so the "less is more" mentality doesn't happen. Instead of making a single roll for seduction and *ahem* preformance, and then just letting the night pass, a minor might want more to go through the details. "Do I finish too soon? Was there foreplay? All things that are unnecessary and hinder a story, but come up when you think "More is More". The second reason is the simple fact of it being risque - like sneaking a look at dad's porn magazine, or smoking at school.

 

[Captifate]

In response to your original post,


outside of roleplays everyone involved goes into for romance's sake, I don't mention my characters' sexuality on character sheets. If it's going to come up, I want it to be organic and actually relevant (like if someone's character was romantically interested in mine). If someone gets bitter over that, well, that's their problem.


I've had success with LGBTQ content, though, mostly because I used to RP in other areas.

 

[Beckoncall]

My take on it (though I'll qualify my viewpoint as male/hetero) is that many genres, fantasy in particular, are rife with stereotypes. Certain things are wildly exaggerated and other things have been historically invisible. The game I am playing now is a fantasy nation builder that hinges on racial/cultural tensions. LGBT/non-binary people exist. Things like non-binary races or cultures are not non-existent in fiction and RP, but they are highly under-represented.


I see diversity as an opportunity for more interesting storytelling... so I don't agree with the "if it doesn't come up it's not an issue" -- because if it doesn't come up, it may NEVER come up... and in some ways that's sad, especially when the environment would allow or welcome that distinction and novelty. I'd be concerned about otherwise great RPers getting touchy or uncomfortable about such content popping up in an RP that there in... but the reality is LGBT/non-binary people are real... and that makes it double strange if they're non-existent in a fantasy world where undead and dragons exist.


The end of summer put a brief Hiatus on my game, but I'm hoping when I have time to add a new player, I can find a female, LGBT or genderqueer individual to join my game (if I can find a suitable match) -- not that I'm equivocating being female with anything besides, just hoping to open up the demographic of homogenously boys, and I hope the homegenous boys in my game are cool with that as well.


TLR -- "Don't mention it unless it comes up" is a bit too much like "Don't ask, Don't tell" to me... They're here, they're queer, they might be able to cast fireballs. Lets look for them and hopefully we can get more LGBT in gaming without anybody "making it weird."


There doesn't have to be Romance in an RP for it to matter, either. You can say adventurers would never know if their comrade was gay unless it came up -- but sometimes a loot at the tavern after three beers is all it takes, or even just knowing what taverns your guild-mate prefers. That's not even accounting for the genderfluid androgenous pixie barbarian who wears armor exclusively made from the feathers of birds of paradise.


-Beck

 

[katabasis]

I definitely know how you feel. I got to RP a genderfluid wizard a few years ago, and no one batted an eye when I'd switch pronouns for him mid-paragraph or show up to a court function in the dress she'd been ordered to wear, but not in the body they'd implied he should wear it on. (She'd have rather been in her tower amid piles of dusty books - court functions were not her thing.)


That was one of the most fun and original RPs I've ever been part of, and it was 100% because the four of us (IC & OOC) were all queer. I miss the heck out of that character, not having to limit my creativity, and having RP partners that could be trusted not to be completely awful.