"All halflings are heterosexual."

Status
Not open for further replies.
Good Grief!

You people would argue with a WALL! So far as I can tell, everyone here actually more or less agrees but they keep finding different PARTS of the whole thing to hinge arguments on. I agreed with Henry that it would be in poor taste to speculate, but since this is going on and on, and since it is hypothetical to all of us except the original poster anyway, I'm going to lay out a few statements, and then if anyone wants to argue with them, they can feel free, and I'm not going to argue back, but let's see if this takes care of all this:

1. IF a DM makes a rule because he's a homophobe, THEN that's wrong.

2. IF the DM made the rule because she wanted to make the sexuality of her character (gay or not) an overriding feature of the character, and that's not the style of play they have, THEN that's okay.

3. IF a DM makes a rule about race- or class-specific sexuality strictly out of wanting to provide a particular flavor to a campaign setting, THEN that's okay.

4. IF the majority of a gaming group wants to keep sex (beyond things prepubescent kids would deal with like "ooh, she's got a giiiirlfriend" or "oooh, he kissed a giiiirl") out of their game, and a player has a problem with it, THEN that's okay, and the DM has a responsibility to help enforce that.

5. IF the majority of a gaming group wants the game to devolve into an orgy every session, and a player has a problem with that, THEN that's okay, and the DM has a responsibility to enforce that gaming environment, too.

AND

6. Right or wrong, DMs and players CAN pack up and find another group to play with, or just not play, so there is no inherent right to override the group they're with, even if they think the group is wrong. And if there's that much conflict of basic values or views, they're probably better off doing that than trying to force things, anyway.

Any arguments left?
 

log in or register to remove this ad




I haven't read the entire thread, but I've skimmed thoroughly. I'm a little surprised at the number of people assuming the GM was in the right based on a single line of dialogue. So far as the rules go, sure the GM can make whatever rules he likes, and if the players don't like it they can leave (as this player did). What shocks me are the number of people who freely offer speculation on how the player was pushing an agenda, insisting on playing a stereotype gay character, or otherwise in the wrong. I've got some speculation for you...

The group is playing the game, but the adventure has taken a turn. The GM, unable to keep his hormones in check, has retooled the story so that it has become painfully obvious that the only way to go further in the adventure is for the player of the halfling character to have sex with some non player character. The GM is wielding his power to subject the player he is attracted to, to his own twisted fantasies.

The player, just looking to have fun role playing, attempts to defuse the situation by implying (in a fairly subtle and mature way) that her character is in fact not interested due to sexual preferences. The GM, now furious that the player would reject him (I mean his character, really) replies with what basically amounts to "You can't have other sexual preferences because I say so." Seeing no way to salvage her gaming experience, the player packs up her stuff and quietly leaves.


Of course... I figure he was just making a joke about the LotR movies, possibly without knowing the player in question was a lesbian or just sensitive to the topic, and he accidentally offended her.
 

I would have a vastly different opinion if the DM had said "There are no gay humans" than if the DM had said "There are no gay halflings." Halflings are NOT HUMAN. They aren't people. They are fictional creations that can have any characteristics the DM wants. Dwarves don't sweat? Fine. Elves don't have biological waste? Good for them. Gnomes never lose their tempers? Sure, why not.

A couple of specific reasons I can see for this house rule:
1) As others have said, a DM being sick of the Sam/Frodo jokes. Modern society can't accept two male friends using the word "love" to describe their feelings for each other unless they are gay (Witness the giggles in a high school class reading "Gilgamesh"). Saying "no halflings are gay" allows them to have and demonstrate the emotional closeness that hobbits do in Tolkein without everybody assuming or joking that it is sexual.
2) The squick factor of a male halfling in love with a male human, in that is is visually very close to pederasty, could be bothersome to the DM. (This would be a particular concern if a player had expressed such an intent... but we don't know what the player's intent was) Perhaps not entirely rational, but people aren't rational creatures
3) A larger intent to make halflings something beyond "little people," when the idea is fully fleshed out with other physical/cultural differences. No evidence that is the case here, but it could be applicable in other instances.
 


Heh. Pointless speculation is pretty much what the Net is all about. Perhaps the player who left remembered an urgent appointment elsewhere? :)

I'd have no problem with a DM saying anything like that, or even something like "All dwarves are homosexual" (that'd pretty much negate any change for gender/race preference/sexual preference from the initial incident); aside from it being a game, there may even be logical reasons for such. Plus, I'm fairly easygoing. :)

Brad
 

Funny how no one has brought up that maybe the DM feels that homosexuality is wrong or against his moral code. Thus he doesn't want it in his campaign.

All I hear is that he is either a homophobe, wants to keep a player from playing the same character, or that he has some big plan for his world. Give me a break.
 
Last edited:

Joshua Dyal said:
It's unfortunate that the player would be so hell-bent on a character concept that clearly made the GM uncomfortable enough to ban. A little empathy on both sides could have probably helped out a lot.

That GM doesn't deserve players.
 

Status
Not open for further replies.

Pets & Sidekicks

Remove ads

Top