[MENTION=86279]Stacie GmrGrl[/MENTION]
People giving you problems over that is just wrong. I know that I would never judge you for that, and I'd kick out any player of mine who would give you trouble. I don't know why GMs, or more generally, PEOPLE in general allow that sort of discrimination to fly.
Thank you.
It's this society, it still has a ways to go. It's learning, and I dare say overall It's learning fast now, that there are people who are just different, with different views, and different orientations and desires.
I have no idea if this will have any bearing on this conversation but it's about the topic of gender, and how over the years I have witnessed gender discrimination, and an influence of it is the artwork... not the entire influence, because it's mainly our society and how people are educated that's the real problem... but it does play a part in influencing perceptions within a rpg, and how others can respond to such influences.
Also...I love gaming, especially roleplaying games...have been playing and reading, mainly reading...since 90. I feel they can be a great source of inspiration and are very fun, and helpful for being a source of creativity and imagination.
Regarding this hobby of ours, I have the unique perspective of being a woman who, whether it's unfortunate OR fortunate (which so far remains to be seen), was raised male, for that is the body I was born into. With this came expectations, influences, and assumed stereotypes from the many other people, who decided for me what I SHOULD be like.
In gaming, I saw men, mainly heterosexual males, while claiming they wanted more women to play...these same guys had no social graces regarding women... these pictures that many women on here find sexist...those pictures, while art, did influence a lot of how my gamer associates at the time treated women, both in the game and what few decided to try to play...and many never came back after trying to play. This was very prevalent in the late 80s and through the 90s, and I have seen things change, to an extent... just during the last few years.
I am not saying all guys are like this...and I am not aiming anything I say at a single target or person.
This society, while many strides twards gender equality have happened... This is a society where sex sells... and within this society we are quite bombarded from an early age what is 'supposedly acceptable in society' and what is not. Or what is expected, or not. In this society of sex sells, porn has been an influence of this. I love porn, for what it is. As a woman I think it's a wonderful outlet for fantasy and for adults...but I think it does alter a persons attitudes towards others... if a person isn't fully aware they can watch it and take what they see and it can alter a persons view of others. It can cause people to objectify others, and it should not be brought into rpgs.
The two, IMO, should not mix. But, as the Book of Erotic Fantasy was published... it did mix. To an extent.
As a woman...I have seen guys at the table talk down to women, treat them like they don't know anything about gaming... tell a woman they don't know how to roleplay at all, or that their characters were doing stupid things because it wasn't what they would do... I have seen women leave this hobby because many guys just don't know how to act around women. They just don't. I am not saying all men are like this... but many were, and I am sure it still happens.
Now that I am a woman, I HAVE been on the receiving end of this behavior, but that could be also because I am a transsexual woman...and not very many people are educated in people who are gender different. So, currently I have received the double whammy of discrimination in this society... I have had my voice at the game table discounted for being a woman... but it's happened to me by both men and women.
the last group I was in I only stayed for two sessions, because a guy called me "an It"...and the DM laughed. The other girl there defended me, and another guy then told her she didn't know anything. She quit to. She also stopped playing.
I haven't actually played a tabletop game, at a table, in over a year because of it...and
because of it I have debated leaving the hobby altogether. Any gaming I do is online,
through Pbp.
I hope I didn't break any rules in this posting... I certainly meant no insult to men, because I have gamed with a few guys who were pretty cool and accepted women as gamers... seemed to be more accepted in White Wolf games than D&D.
I rambled... thank you for reading, and hugs to all the beautiful people.
(was listening to Marilyn Manson at the time of this writing.
)