World of Warcraft®

12/26/2010 4:53 PMPosted by Ataali

It's fine, just don't run around flaunting it like it's your character's only trait. Make sure it suits the race, too. I can't see a homosexual dwarf (male or female) working out, but I can totally picture elves, draenei, humans, etc.

Just try to avoid the typical pitfalls of homosexual characters. Sexuality shouldn't be a big deal, but some people make their character's sexuality just... ugh... impossible to ever want to be around. From the mysterious elf who always hits on ladies, to the draenei chick who can't stop saying how much she loves boobs. Sexuality should hardly be a huge focus. It's just another piece of your character. It's like somebody making a big deal because their character is left-handed.

Allein flirts, but it's hardly the focus. Being gay is a mere footnote of Allein's complete complexity.
Just look at my avatar. That's my every day RP gear. Doesn't exactly scream "sleep with me!"

Otherwise, you're certainly not wrong.

Sexuality itself, and relationships, go into the topic of every human being's right to be in pursuit of happiness. It makes since in Warcraft, as it does in real life, to have those that question their sexuality and, in turn, become homosexual or 'experiment', if I may use that term. It contributes to your charecter's pursuit of happiness.

There's nothing exactly that can encourage or discourage homosexuality in WoW. And as Sorrowrunner said above me, things happen. It may be sudden, or it may feel like just a normal part of life. Like, for example, Ogrun is bisexual, but he's an old Tauren anyway and he's always been this way as far as he can remember, so he doesn't really pay much attention to it anymore.

Now, before I go on a pro-LGBT rant, I must stop myself. And just say, in short, yes, it makes sense and is acceptable. As long as they don't make a big show about it, or are preaching that they 'chose', freely, to be how they are, it doesn't work like that. I know from personal experience and from friends.

I think it would depend on what character you play and how you present it.

One thing i have found distasteful in how most present it is either from a misunderstanding of what it is to be a homosexual (Ignorance of sexuality in general) or falling back to stereotypes of what a homosexual is. Another issue is how you perceive the culture your character is from or in and how that society would handle said orientation.

First the problems I have with how it's Roleplayed by some. Two problems arise.

• Gay for a reason: Basically someone has a traumatic past or life altering event that "turns them". So for a female character it was "I was %@#!d" or "Men are abusive" or what have you. Someone who is Homosexual or Bisexual general just is that way, similar to how someone is Heterosexual.


• Sexuality becomes the center: Basically the flameboint character or the character for whom their homosexuality or bisexuality is so center to the character and what they do when they RP that honestly they are nothing but either stereotypes (Lisps, butchness ect) or that the only thing you can definitively know about the character is their sexuality.

The above two things are often what I see when someone tries to portray a homosexual character or when sexuality becomes an element of their character. (Especially when it's an important one).

The next issue is culture. Granted, Blizz does not lend clues as to how the fictional societies and cultures on Azeroth handle issues of gender and sexuality. To a certain extent it will be a personal aesthetic judgement.

With my own character, she has stated and been fairly frank when asked, that she is in fact a bisexual. She has no reason for being so, simply she just is and that is the end of it. She just has always seen beauty in either gender. I don't go around IC seducing folks or flirting but when asked "So, who have your past lovers been?" she will honestly state them. This I attribute to her being of Highborne origins and what I interpret to be a caste that was somewhat more sexually liberal and open to that sort of thing. It's not an important aspect of my Roleplay though if it comes up, it's there. And there is no reason for this orientation, merely she was born and that was that.

Just as a note, another reason that somebody may become homosexual in game lore would be through battle. Even in the real world there are many cases where soldiers share such strong bonds with each other that they begin to feel love for one another.

Also, Tziel, I do like your note on how we really know so little about the fictional societies of Azeroth. This is something that must always be remembered when roleplaying. All we hear about are the major events and war news, however there is much more to these people than meets the eye. In all likeliness they are, in some ways, similar to our own, in that they have their own rude hand gestures (say, a troll thumbing his tusk as an example), their own social structure, their own views on religion, science and sex, and so much more.

12/26/2010 6:16 PMPosted by Raikoyagami

Just as a note, another reason that somebody may become homosexual in game lore would be through battle. Even in the real world there are many cases where soldiers share such strong bonds with each other that they begin to feel love for one another.

This is often what people believe happens to sentinels.

12/26/2010 5:56 PMPosted by Tziel

With my own character, she has stated and been fairly frank when asked, that she is in fact a bisexual. She has no reason for being so, simply she just is and that is the end of it. She just has always seen beauty in either gender.

I equate Allein's sexuality with draenei men being incredibly hideous.
Beyond that, many factors play in that aren't the stereotypical "Men are pigs / Defiled me"

12/26/2010 6:16 PMPosted by Raikoyagami

Also, Tziel, I do like your note on how we really know so little about the fictional societies of Azeroth. This is something that must always be remembered when roleplaying. All we hear about are the major events and war news, however there is much more to these people than meets the eye. In all likeliness they are, in some ways, similar to our own, in that they have their own rude hand gestures (say, a troll thumbing his tusk as an example), their own social structure, their own views on religion, science and sex, and so much more.

Also when it comes to culture one ultimately is going on pure aesthetic opinion or taste and maybe what little they know of sociology and anthropology vis a vis RL cultures.

One could argue for instance that the whole of Night Elven society be they Kaldorei or Highborne would in some manner be at least doing it but would there be couples? Perhaps... However this also calls into question just how potent or frequent is a Night Elf's Libido? Maybe Kaldorei are more reserved and Conservative? Maybe a Highborne woman marries a man but has a female lover or two on the side? Maybe the male Highborne likewise does the same?

Would Orc's accept two men coupling as a part of a warriors bond? Or is the somewhat patriarchal, warlike culture that values strength and "manly" things look down on males who essentially took on the role of a woman in a couple? Would two women be accepted or would it be shunned?

Perhaps Humans might be more tolerant? After all gender roles seem somewhat fungible, however they are an agrarian society dependent on having lots of children... or it would seem so?

Ultimately though this is all me just speculating on fictional societies for which I can't really observe and for which Blizzard does not expand upon in this realm.

I'm the reverse... I'm les IRL but my characters are either straight or uninterested.

Volzane, only if you think so.

Back to the original topic, I think that unless you scream from on top of Stormwind "I'm a pretty unique little snowflake because I'm gay/ half dragon/ my brother is dead/ etc, etc, etc." Yes, this is your character. Yes, others are just like you. No, you are not unique because of one trait. It's the cocktail of traits, of quirks and flaws, that make your character unique. That make your character a person.

Please give me your honest opinion. Is it messed up for a male to make a female and be %*#%@!% in RP.

The only thing I can say about this is keep it in Goldshire. I'm not against it or anything, but doesn't mean I want to be roleplaying in a tavern in SW and have to listen to some people ****ing in the next room.

On a side note, i'm quite surprised Blizz hasn't taken this down yet, primarily because they usually want to let sleeping dogs lie.

12/27/2010 4:09 AMPosted by Raikoyagami

On a side note, i'm quite surprised Blizz hasn't taken this down yet, primarily because they usually want to let sleeping dogs lie.

Ehh, one, blizz doesn't care about the rp forums, we have one and a half cms that care about us, but no blues.

Two, we've had an innumerable number of threads about homosexuality, cross race relations and cross race homosexuality threads.

Well, Kline here is actually bisexual married to a man. No one knows that except for the people who have asked or she has told for whatever reason. What goes on in her bedchambers is also her own business (unless you count her outright lies about freaky mirror image sheep loving to emotionally scar anyone who's too nosy about her private squidgoat sexy times).

The point is, in real life most people aren't like "OMG I'M SO GAY! YOU'RE A MAN AND YOU'RE SEXY BECAUSE I'M A GAY MAN! AND EVERY WOMAN IS SO SEXY BECAUSE I, AS A LESPERSON, LIKE WOMEN! I'M STRAIGHT AND YOU ARE ALL SO SEXY BECAUSE YOU ARE THE OPPOSITE GENDER! /tonguerolleyesocketpop Hey, how about you take off those pants, baby? >:D

Now, if you want to play a flaming homosexual, where it is a bigger part of your character, that's fine too. Heck, if you want a "comic relief" character whose only motivation in life is to get laid and who would hit on everything that moves, go for it too. Just make it realistic!

But in all seriousness... look at Draenei men. *chintacle wiggle* Who wouldn't hit that? >.>

In my opinion, homosexuality is a totally acceptable thing to do in RP but with reasons and limits. I don't think someone straight should create a homosexual character just for the factor that they would be gay, rather I think someone could create a homosexual character if that's how they truly feel. Also parading around stormwind or silvermoon shouting that your a homosexual to everyone may be out of line, as you have to relate it to real life as well. It might be more hush hush, but not frowned upon.

I think that races like blood elves and night elves are more likely to be bisexual/homosexual because they seem more free and accepting. Races like orcs, tauren, trolls, dwarves and goblins seem more traditional in many aspects and possibly sexuality. The other races not mentioned however feel more like a balance that its there and accepted, but the population is largely heterosexual and that homosexuality is more "don't ask don't tell".

Well, this very young (for a night elf) night elf is just dying to know what goes on in Goldshire!

But, erm, more seriously, how is a young elf to find others with similar inclinations? Especially if there is a de facto "don't ask, don't tell" policy in Azeroth?

I just don't understand why most draenei roleplayers I run into are homosexual or bisexual. You would think in a culture of constant exodus and fleeing from enemies, a race that is threatened to become extinct should they fail against the Burning Legion, that heterosexuality and the birth of children would be celebrated and encouraged.

Particularly since the draenei seem like such a close-knit community (from fleeing on the Exodar together), homosexuality might be discouraged because no viable offspring would be produced from such a pairing. Think small-town values, in a way.

Am I wrong in my assumptions about draenei culture? Someone enlighten me! :)

12/27/2010 12:06 PMPosted by Kendai

I just don't understand why most draenei roleplayers I run into are homosexual or bisexual. You would think in a culture of constant exodus and fleeing from enemies, a race that is threatened to become extinct should they fail against the Burning Legion, that heterosexuality and the birth of children would be celebrated and encouraged.

Particularly since the draenei seem like such a close-knit community (from fleeing on the Exodar together), homosexuality might be discouraged because no viable offspring would be produced from such a pairing. Think small-town values, in a way.

Am I wrong in my assumptions about draenei culture? Someone enlighten me! :)

Well for one Draenei may in fact be truly ageless. In that the biological clock does not tick and they will never face death due to old age as far as I can tell. (Though that begs the question of why they had such an extensive crypt in Auchindon (SP?))

Draenei may be more sexually open out of some higher religious enlightenment, or it could be that Draenei breed when necessary but either have low libidos or or use same sex couplings as population control.

But again yours is as good as mine, it is after all just aesthetic taste and conjecture on both our counts as to how we imagine such so societies.

12/27/2010 12:06 PMPosted by Kendai

I just don't understand why most draenei roleplayers I run into are homosexual or bisexual. You would think in a culture of constant exodus and fleeing from enemies, a race that is threatened to become extinct should they fail against the Burning Legion, that heterosexuality and the birth of children would be celebrated and encouraged.

Particularly since the draenei seem like such a close-knit community (from fleeing on the Exodar together), homosexuality might be discouraged because no viable offspring would be produced from such a pairing. Think small-town values, in a way.

Am I wrong in my assumptions about draenei culture? Someone enlighten me! :)

I agree with this, personally. I think among draenei there would be pressure to form heterosexual unions, if only for the sake of babymaking. Draenei are very much on the endangered species list. There are already very few draenei already, the Burning Legion already had a thing for them, and now the loveable squidfolk have landed square on a planet that the BL has suffered major losses on and are just itching to make an example of.

That being said, I do understand that the heart chooses as it will. It's not something one can really control, and someone else's character isn't mine to have any kind of say in. It -is- just a bit odd, though, how few straight couples one finds among the draenei.

OMG It ate my post.

So I'll sum it up: The Night Elves and Draenei have no societal inclination towards homosexuality. It does not help them in their goals of saving the world/universe, it isn't necessary for companionship as, while both enjoy loving relationships, they're perfectly capable of deriving joy from friendships and more importantly there's no reason to believe they'd openly accept it. We as humans tend towards whatever we enjoy because we live for so short a time. They do not. Their views are going to be different. Not to say they'd be openly against it.

Dwarves, Orcs, Humans, Worgen and Tauren all seem like they'd be rarer to deal with it but again not likely openly shun it. Well, possible, but not as common as simply being quiet about it.

Gnomes, Goblins, Blood Elves, Trolls and Forsaken all have much more varied ideals and societal acceptances.