Comfort withcross gender characters based on your gender

[Teflon Billy]

ditto++++


Wait a second, how did I get dragged back into this? Not that I'm not down for a rumble. I haven't met or seen diaglo, but I'm willing to bet me, TB, and Destan can take four times our weight in dudes who like to play chicks.

LOL

Ok, but I'll be playing Tigglebitty Funbaggs, the whip-cracking halfling whore of Greyhawk.

..and I'll be playing Menstrua Bonecracker, Drow Lesbian asskicker who "doesn't take crap from men"

 

[der_kluge]

perhaps we should schedule a battle royale. in the left corner: Destan, Diaglo, Teflon Billy, Wulf Ratbane. in the right corner: S'mon, die_kluge,and some other pro-cross-gender guys (or gals). we can mandate wulf and his compatriots play female PCs while die_kluge & company play traditional male melee fighters (assuming die_kluge & co. are males). eric's grandmother can GM, unless she has a weak stomach, in which case piratecat can do the honors. ah, the madness! the world turned on its head! pandemonium!

Yea, not sure how I got drug into this... And it's "der_kluge" to you.

Anyway, yes, I play a lot of female characters. For me, the choice is a matter of how I see a character's personality. I identify certain personality traits as being more female than male. That's all there is to it, really.

If you wanted a "battle royale" one interesting experiment would be to pick women and men on here to play different characters, some cross-gender, some not. Say, a women playing a man, a woman playing a woman, a man playing a woman, and a man playing a man, and then people could read the PBP posts, and then after a role-playing intensive module, people could vote on whether they thought character A, B, C, D was played by a female or a male. It would be interesting to see the outcome of such an experiment. Call it the Touring test of role-playing.

 

[orsal]

..and I'll be playing Menstrua Bonecracker, Drow Lesbian asskicker who "doesn't take crap from men"

Save that one for Hypersmurf.

 

[D-rock]

I have never had a problem with it. Unless somebody goes out of their way to make their character's sexuallity an issue in the game it seem like the goals of a female character are pretty much the same as the goals of a male. Perhaps some people have had issues with some players that will pull their veiw on the subject one way. I have never had trouble with my players so maybe thats why I have the view I do though.

 

[jmucchiello]

I'm male and rather indifferent to it for the most part...but it has been my experience that a lot of people who play the opposite gender frequently are often problem players...attention mongers and troublemakers.

I don't play with problem players and so I guess this is why I have never had this observation. (And the biggest attention hog I play with has never wanted to play cross-gender in my 10 years of playing with him.)

I'm curious if the people who have this observation would given someone whom they have gamed with for 10+ years and whom they totally respect as a player would allow that person to play cross-gender.

 

[toberane]

I am male, and I'm not sure I've ever played a cross-gender character. Having said that, my wife and a few close friend almost always play cross-gender. I have no problem with anyone who wants to play across the gender lines.

Oddly enough, whenever I set out to write a story (I have a degree in creative writing, but I don't have the discipline to actually FINISH any of the numerous novels I've started) I almost always make the main character female. Not sure exactly why, other than it seems to fit with the stories I come up with.

I am about to start playing an assassin in another campaign, and until now, I hadn't thought of making it a female, but I just might do that for a change of pace.

 

[lonesoldier]

Heh. I thought the poll was asking if I was comfortable with cross-dressing and transgender characters!

I suppose the answer for either is "yes."

That's what I thought too. WHoops.

I'm comfortable playing a female, I'm secure in my sexuality, really, I swear.

 

[Hussar]

Wow, came across this in the "threads like this" links on the bottom of another thread. Fifteen years ago and we were okay with playing cross gendered characters. Why is does it seem like this is an actual issue now with things like gender bending elves? If it was groovy back then, then, why are people questioning it now?

Casts THREADOMANCY!!!

 

[Umbran]

The answer to your question may sit in the changes in cultural context that have happened in the intervening years, especially recently.

 

[delericho]

If it was groovy back then, then, why are people questioning it now?

Every action has a reaction. The zeitgeist has moved (very slightly) towards greater inclusion, which means there is inevitably a pushback.

(Plus, D&D booming means an influx of new players, and new members here. Not surprisingly, that includes a diversity of opinions.)