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<blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 6981648" data-attributes="member: 6779310">The differences between elves and dwarves and men and halflings in most settings is less than the difference between male and female in any given group of them. Gender isn't just about presence/absence of enlarged breasts, a vagina, a uterus, or a phallus... if it were, (1) there wouldn't be the social unrest over LGBTQ issues (on both sides), and (2) there wouldn't be the clear gender roles that are both fairly uniform and near universal amongst primitive human societies. Oh, (3) and there wouldn't be the clear gender roles in other primates, either.The difference between male elf, male dwarf, and male human is size and shape, and preferred foods, at least in tolkien, and the elves tend to be a bit effeminate. Just a bit. Oh, and lifespan.The difference between female elf, female dwarf, and female human is again, size and shape, and (for elves) lifespan. In Tolkien, Brooks, Weiss, Hickman, and even in many other authors works, the differences in behavior by gender are bigger than the differences by subspecies.Me, I'm uncomfortable playing across the gender line - not because I can't do it, but because I can readily envisage what it means to be a male dwarf, who's prospects for love are likely to be &quot;Give up on female dwarves, because there aren't enough to go around&quot;... but I can't readily envisage what it means to be female. It's less of a role change.Likewise, I know what it feels like to hunt and to fight - I can extrapolte from there easier to dragons than I can to &quot;seductress&quot;...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="aramis erak, post: 6981648, member: 6779310"] The differences between elves and dwarves and men and halflings in most settings is less than the difference between male and female in any given group of them. Gender isn't just about presence/absence of enlarged breasts, a vagina, a uterus, or a phallus... if it were, (1) there wouldn't be the social unrest over LGBTQ issues (on both sides), and (2) there wouldn't be the clear gender roles that are both fairly uniform and near universal amongst primitive human societies. Oh, (3) and there wouldn't be the clear gender roles in other primates, either. The difference between male elf, male dwarf, and male human is size and shape, and preferred foods, at least in tolkien, and the elves tend to be a bit effeminate. Just a bit. Oh, and lifespan. The difference between female elf, female dwarf, and female human is again, size and shape, and (for elves) lifespan. In Tolkien, Brooks, Weiss, Hickman, and even in many other authors works, the differences in behavior by gender are bigger than the differences by subspecies. Me, I'm uncomfortable playing across the gender line - not because I can't do it, but because I can readily envisage what it means to be a male dwarf, who's prospects for love are likely to be "Give up on female dwarves, because there aren't enough to go around"... but I can't readily envisage what it means to be female. It's less of a role change. Likewise, I know what it feels like to hunt and to fight - I can extrapolte from there easier to dragons than I can to "seductress"... [/QUOTE]

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