Viewpoint Is it ok for a male to Role as a female

[Juicy Peach]

People who care what gender someone writes as are silly.
From what I've experienced though, most people who have an issue with it tend to people who are looking to blur the lines of IC and OOC.
Play what you like, we're all living in a fantasy world when we write!​

 

[prismatika]

Here's how I see it. If I, a female, can play a male, then it's perfectly fine for a male to play a female. It would be awfully hypocritical otherwise!

 

[moogamoogamooga]

100%, yes it is alright to do that!
You have to keep in mind a few things though. If you're a guy going to play a girl, DON'T do a high-pitched voice unless you're going for comedy (and possibly offending someone). Rather, simply soften your voice a little... and it'll work wonders.
Also, just follow this guy's advice:

He goes into good helpful detail about how to cross-gender roleplay effectively and respectively.

 

[Lil Shirou]

Actors from all over the world and different time periods have play opposite genders.

I play alot of female characters. There isnt really an issue with it.

 

[rainywrites]

anyone can play any gender, as long as they do so respectfully! you can write as many girl characters as you want, and tbh, feel free to ask irl girls (or go on reddit, i'm sure ppl can answer) any questions you may have, for research. anytime you play a character different from you in a way that exists in real life (gender, accessability, race, religion) make sure you're going into it with a bit of research under your belt so you understand the differences between the way they live your life and the way you do.

all and all, though, if anyone tries to say boys cant play girls im gonna be a little bit tired of that. and because your original ask seems to be 'just making sure', I want to say you seem very sweet and we're lucky to have dudes like you in the world. checking to see if it's respectful is admirable and i'm 90% sure you'll write any girl respectfully. just be open to criticism and maybe don't use the phrase "she boobed boobily down the stairs" and you'll be fine.

 

[Roose Hurro]

I second the whole "research" thing... I've been a scifi/fantasy reader from a very early age, so I know how helpful it is to study the "Masters". Read the kind of books you want to write! Same with the RP stories you want to tell.

 

[BackSet]

Yes, yes it is.

Why wouldn't it be. I mean, male authors write female characters in their books, right?

 

[LunarArt1]

It’s roleplaying, the point is to be someone other then yourself and have fun. So I think you’re all good my dude

 

[Lexico]

some times i think (maybe i used to be high then) the characters role play us. What ever you play, please come out of it in RL

 

[Kylesar1]

No one can tell me I CAN'T play a girl if I feel like it just because I'm a dude.

My creative freedom isn't drawn at gendered lines

 

[Nadia]

When setting up one to one roleplays, nine times out of ten it seems that males want to roleplay as girls.

I don't mind at all, I've played male characters before it's when they want a relationship with my female character I find a bit weird. Although I see nothing wrong with a guy wanting to express their feminine side.

I did have one honest guy say that he enjoyed playing female characters because he can express emotions easier and not be judged as much.

 

[AtomBombBaby]

I'm a girl who has almost exclusively RPed as guys for a decade, so I'd say it's fine! There's something about trying to get into the head of another gender that's interesting to me? I live in a female head and body 24/7, so I like to step out of that when I write.

 

[chaepeumeon]

I think it's just fine.

 

[Jannah]

Why wouldn't it be? I mean, I'm a woman and I usually write male characters.

 

[Roose Hurro]

I'm a girl who has almost exclusively RPed as guys for a decade, so I'd say it's fine! There's something about trying to get into the head of another gender that's interesting to me? I live in a female head and body 24/7, so I like to step out of that when I write.

Yep, the whole thing with RP is to do/be something you are not... to step out of that. I do it by stepping out of my human skin, you do it by stepping out of your gender. Great way to build yourself up as a writer.

 

[NovelLoyalty]

I view this as something similar to people playing as a gender other than their own within games.

Unless it is the aim of the RP, you will usually be portraying someone that is not who you actually are. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of the opposite gender, then don't let anyone or anything stand in the way of your creative mind.