D&D 5E D&D Promises to Make the Game More Queer

[Warpiglet]

It is good to welcome more players, period. I don't however have any taste for making statements about the modern real world in my escapism for the purpose of advancing real world causes.

I don't see how a same sex pairing in a module is particularly heavy handed (unless it is largely out of proportion and every other character is gay). That is a departure from pseudo European culture my group assumes and it would be distracting.

To date, I like the products. If there is a same sex couple that makes an appearance it does not suddenly make the quality of the product poor. If these issues are front and center, heavy-handed evangelizing or whatever it would take away from my enjoyment of sword and sorcery fantasy archetypes I seek out in the game. If that was the case, I would not have to buy the product. That is how the market works.

But please, let's not pretend that true diversity of thought or anything like that is advanced in entertainment. If viewpoints are advanced and endorsed in entertainment it is almost universally of one of a progressive slant. If that is your thing, I am sure this is refreshing! Yet there are a lot of players that do not share this agenda. For them, the constant push in media gets very old, particularly if they seek fantasy to escape from modern day tensions.

You know to be replaced with evil rituals and monster attacks, torture chambers and pillaging

I see the irony too.

Be inclusive or do what you want WOTC. Just do not get preachy. Make it flow. Don't have a bunch of lessons about morality and what I should be thinking!

If you can walk that line, you will pull in new players (I am glad to have EVERYONE aboard) and not make me feel like I have avoided watching MSNBC only to get it thrust upon me in magic tea party land. From what I have read, they have not jumped the shark...yet.

 

[lowkey13]

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[Warpiglet]

Oh, and as to the OP?

Cool.

I'm glad we've reached the point where queer adventurers can hobomurder queer orcs, just like straight adventurers can hobomurder straight orcs, and all varieties and combinations in between. Don't think that should be very controversial.

LOL. No Doubt! I was thinking I did not want my kids exposed to sexuality in games at their current developmental levels and then had to laugh about the irony of their characters putting sentient creatures to the sword and that being no big deal!

 

[Yaarel]

There are many examples of male couples in the medieval period. Speculations about notable figures, like King Richard the Lionhearted, come to mind. There are also church documents celebrating the love between two men.

Nordic flavor is also important in D&D. In Norse culture, transgenderism is a normal part of society, as it is in many other animistic cultures. For example, there is at least one famous, respected female Skald (a kind of bard), which is an exclusively ‘masculine’ institution. And there are many examples of famous and respected males performing Seidr (a kind of psychic shaman), which is an exclusively ‘feminine’ institution. The helpful nature spirits often express instances of transgenderism.

There are many examples of samesex couples in the renaissance period, and in the classical period, both of which are also central to D&D.

 

[tombowings]

I dunno. The impression I got from your examples was that gay characters could only be in D&D if they are demon worshiping villains or else socially rejected as criminals.

The tone seemed hateful to me, at least.

In my games, that's how I'd play it, yes - but only because of the source material for my setting (medieval Europe), not because of my view I actually hold. When people began to point out they don't see medieval Europe as the default background for D&D, I dropped that line of argument due to an incorrect assumption I held.

 

[The_Gunslinger658]

First off, I am a straight white male. With that said, D&D can be anything you make out of it. If the DM wants to have gay NPC's go for it, but a straight guy trying to run a game with gay npc's might be offensive to some gay players. So as a DM myself I try to keep NPC's gender neutral IE no one knows and probably should not know an NPC's sexual orientation and honestly, what does that really have to do with the adventure or campaign at hand?

Anyway, recently found out what LGBT stood for and I used to think it stood for Lawful Good Bard Teifling looking for group. I would say to myself. wow there are alot of Lawful Good Bard Tieflings out there lol.

So most importantly, make the game what ever you want, does not matter what edition you play, it comes down to how the DM will present his campaign to the players, be they gay or straight.

http://kotaku.com/dungeons-dragons-promises-to-make-the-game-more-queer-1798401117

This is some really good news for me. My gaming group is very diverse. I couldn't imagine trying to get some of my friends to play the game back in 2001 when I started, when a lot of gamer culture felt like a boys club. This is a game about being whoever you want to be. If your group is up to it and mature, it's an opportunity for some exploration. It's nice to see NPCs in the game like yourself, and to have the PHB call out that your character can be whoever they are.

Color me impressed.


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[lowkey13]

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[Ristamar]

There is an option number 3. Some NPC's will be more interesting and memorable and fun if they are gay than if they are not. D&D is about fun first and foremost. Make those NPC's gay and don't go around claiming you are "making dnd more queer" and both sides will be appeased.

It wasn't a marketing campaign or a corporate statement. It was a single interview with a designer who noted a small thread of commonality in some published works over the last few years. Perhaps I'm oblivious, but I don't recall a public outcry about a gay agenda or ideological propaganda in WotC's D&D products up until this point. How exactly were they not appeasing both sides? Was it offensive that Jeremy simply pointed it out when the topic was broached by a reporter?

 

[Wepwawet]

I appreciate your clarifications

2. Crawford statement that he "wasn’t about to have this book go out and not acknowledge that people like me exist" shows that D&D is now pushing propaganda for an ideological agenda. No one had yet to show how this statement is not propagandist, and therefore I haven't dropped this line of thought (yet).

I will try to explain this point, but mind you I'm pretty bad at writing...

This is a question of visibility. Of people feeling that they're part of the world.

It's the problem with "white-washing", non-caucasian people made to feel invisible and worthless because a main characters can't seem to be Asian/African/etc, only background characters.

That's why very often Gay Pride Parades take on the banner of "lesbian visibility". Because there's so much talk of the "struggle" of white middle-class gay men (because that's the group that typically has more power), that every other group is forgotten as if they're not important.
The same if you're a man but you're not sexy and muscled. Even worse, if you're effeminate.

Until recently the same happened with geeks and nerds. You'd only see the beautiful jocks and cheer leaders while geeks were ignored, unless you needed a stereotypical clever character. Luckily we're living the geek-chic period. We're stars now.

It's all part of the same process. All kinds of people exist. All are important and all should be embraced. No one should be made to feel unimportant.

 

[tombowings]

There are many examples of male couples in the medieval period. Speculations about notable figures, like King Richard the Lionhearted, come to mind. There are also church documents celebrating the love between two men.

Nordic flavor is also important in D&D. In Norse culture, transgenderism is a normal part of society, as it is in many other animistic cultures. For example, there is at least one famous, respected Skald (a kind of bard), which is an exclusively ‘masculine’ institution. And there are many examples of famous and respected Seidmen (a kind of psychic shaman), which is an exclusively ‘feminine’ institution. The helpful nature spirits often express instances of transgenderism.

There are many examples of samesex couples in the renaissance period, and in the classical period, both of which are also central to D&D.

Once again, your misrepresenting my words. Of course there are countless example, but none taken casually. Nor was is casual when my brother came out. It was a family ordeal for the older generations, even in modern day America. The inclusion of "look, they're two gay blacksmiths and no one cares" is strange to say the least. If that's the setting WotC is going for, I'm fine with that. Merely creating and publishing that setting is not pushing an agenda. Saying, "Look at us. We're so inclusive and support diversity," is.

Similarly, having a setting in which homosexuality is prosecuted doesn't make me, the author homophobic. The NPCs in the setting are, sure, but it doesn't say anything about my own opinions. I include characters who eat cheese and sings of its splendor; that doesn't make the fact that I don't eat the stuff in real life any less true.