Homosexuality in the Forgotten Realms

[dragonlordofpoondari]

care to cite a source for that?

Okay. Here are some good ones from a paper I wrote. There is some variance between studies, but most of them cite numbers ranging from 10-25%. Personally, I think the numbers are closer to 10-15% for those who are exclusively homosexual.

Anderson, John D. (1994). School Climate for Gay and Lesbian Students and
Staff Members. Phi Delta Kappan, 76, 151-154. Retrieved December 20, 2006, from ERIC database.
Armstrong, Matthew (1994). Creating a Positive Educational Environment for
Gay and Lesbian Adolescents: Guidelines and Resources for Staff Development, Curriculum Integration and School-Based Counseling Services. Unpublished Master’s Practicum Project, Heidelberg College.
Benjamin, M. (2005). The 'Ex-Gay' Agenda.(pp. 26-31). Gay & Lesbian Review. Retrieved Saturday, December 10, 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database.
Bernal, A., & Coolhart, D. (2005). Learning from Sexual Minorities: Adolescents and the Coming out Process. Guidance & Counseling, 20(3/4), 128-138. Retrieved Saturday, December 10, 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database.
Callahan, C. (2001). Protecting and Counseling Gay and Lesbian Students. Journal of
Humanistic Counseling, Education & Development, 40(1), 5-11. Retrieved
Wednesday, December 13, 2006 from the Academic Search Premier database.
Dulaney, D., & Kelly, J. (1982). Improving services to gay and lesbian clients. Social Work, 27(2) 178-183. Retrieved December 10, 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database.
Gould, M. (1985). Teaching About Men and Masculinity: Method and Meaning. Teaching Sociology, 12(3), 285-298. Retrieved Saturday, December 10, 2007 from the SocINDEX with Full Text database.
Kosciw, J.G. (2004). The 2003 National School Climate Survey: The
School-related Experiences of Our Nation’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth.
New York: GLSEN. Retrieved December 20, 2006, from ERIC database.
Masters & Johnson (1966). The Human Sexual Response.
Nairn, K, & Smith A. (2003). Taking Students Seriously: Their Rights to be Safe at
School. Gender & Education, 15(2), 133. Retrieved Wednesday, December 13,
2006 from the Academic Search Premier database.
Phoenix, T., Hall, W., Weiss, M., Kemp, J., Wells, R., & Chan, A. (2006). Homophobic
Language and Verbal Harassment in North Carolina High Schools. Online
Submission, Retrieved Wednesday, December 13, 2006 from the ERIC database.
The life of a gay teen in rural Oklahoma. (2004). Contemporary Sexuality, Retrieved
Saturday December 10,2006 from the Academic Search Premier database.
Wyss, S. (2004). ‘This Was My Hell’: The Violence Experienced by Gender
Non-conforming Youth in US High Schools. International Journal of Qualitative
Studies in Education (QSE), 17(5), 709-730. Retrieved Wednesday, December 13,
2006 from the Academic Search Premier database.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Okay. Here are some good ones from a paper I wrote. There is some variance between studies, but most of them cite numbers ranging from 10-25%. Personally think the numbers are closer to 10-15& for those who are exclusively homosexual.

Wow. Thorough. I hope you did well on that paper.

And thank you for not quoting (or legitimizing) Kinsey.

 

[dragonlordofpoondari]

Wow. Thorough. I hope you did well on that paper.

And thank you for not quoting (or legitimizing) Kinsey.

Yeah, that was a 64-pager. Thank goodness, I did get an A+.

 

[dragonlordofpoondari]

Now, twinks are defined generally as thin men, particularly thin guys who don't work out much and therefore have a somewhat "soft" or "boyish" appearance. That, to me, screams elf. Very few elves have a robust frame or serious muscular definition.

Really? I didn't realize otters had to be hairy. Huh.

But as for elves being gay, I'd say the majority would actually be bisexual in behavior- regardless of orientation. With lives that long, even the "straightest arrows" among the elves would get bored and experiment eventually. It just plain makes too much sense for it not to happen. Plus, elves are Chaotic in their average racial alignment, and that means they have a tendency to try new things. Seems to me that would mean swinging both ways at least occasionally.

Sounds about right to me. If I were a pretty little elf and lived on and on for 2000 years, I'd likely work my way around the entire forest kingdom.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

But as for elves being gay, I'd say the majority would actually be bisexual in behavior- regardless of orientation. With lives that long, even the "straightest arrows" among the elves would get bored and experiment eventually. It just plain makes too much sense for it not to happen. Plus, elves are Chaotic in their average racial alignment, and that means they have a tendency to try new things. Seems to me that would mean swinging both ways at least occasionally.

Sounds about right to me. If I were a pretty little elf and lived on and on for 2000 years, I'd likely work my way around the entire forest kingdom.

I don't know- that sounds to me like thinking like a 2000 year old human, not a 2000 year old elf. Despite resembling us, they are not human, and may think of things like sexuality in radically different terms.

OTOH, there might not be any such thing as a truly straight elf, as we would think of it. They could even be hermaphroditic or, like some RW animals, female for a certain part of their life, and (possibly) male for other parts. Elven sexuality and reproduction may even involve completely different processes- one could be entirely biological, and the other may require magic, for instance. (Consider Storm Constantine's Wraethu, for instance.)

IOW, "homosexuality" as we define it might be meaningless to them in regards to elves.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Sounds about right to me. If I were a pretty little elf and lived on and on for 2000 years, I'd likely work my way around the entire forest kingdom.

I know that if I were a pretty little elf and lived on and on for 500-700 years (the span a D&D elf can expect to live), I would want to work my way around half the forest kingdom - the female half.

I think time is no factor for sexual orientation. If you're loath to do something, chances are you'll still be loath to do it in 1000 years.

 

[dragonlordofpoondari]

I don't know- that sounds to me like thinking like a 2000 year old human, not a 2000 year old elf. Despite resembling us, they are not human, and may think of things like sexuality in radically different terms ... sniparoo ... IOW, "homosexuality" as we define it might be meaningless to them in regards to elves.

You bring up a good point. We don't know what's hidden in their leafy, embroidered pantaloons. Heck, we don't even know for sure if they use good old meiosis! Maybe they're don't even have a sexual urge. Although elfolution has clearly selected for physical attractiveness, it could be a linked trait (linked with wine appreciaiton, say) that was arbitrarily favored over generations. Maybe they reproduce via budding ... like yeast! Fission?

In the end, you are totally right. Until we walk a mile in their pointy little elf shoes, we can never truly know what it feels like to be a pretty little elf thing.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

I don't know- that sounds to me like thinking like a 2000 year old human, not a 2000 year old elf. Despite resembling us, they are not human, and may think of things like sexuality in radically different terms.

I still don't think that a human would turn bisexual after living an unnaturally long period of time. Not if he wasn't basically open to the idea from the start.

OTOH, there might not be any such thing as a truly straight elf, as we would think of it.

Could be. It could also be that homosexuality is completely alien to elves. Something those depraved humans do and which no elf would do, not in 10.000 years.

They could even be hermaphroditic or, like some RW animals, female for a certain part of their life, and (possibly) male for other parts. Elven sexuality and reproduction may even involve completely different processes- one could be entirely biological, and the other may require magic, for instance. (Consider Storm Constantine's Wraethu, for instance.)

Now, I really doubt that. Elves are humanoids. Their biology will be quite similar to that of humans. The fact that there are half-elves is further evidence that at least elves (and orcs) are very similar in those matters to humans.

 

[dragonlordofpoondari]

Half-elves ... right. Forgot about those guys.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

They surely are grasping at straws.

Again, every adventuring party has at least one dude with a mustache dressed all in leather! (And that's to say nothing of the lesbian drow rogue/ninja/assassins.)