Homosexual Representation

[aperpheldy]

In the media today, I find that their is a huge lack of "normal" homosexual couples. Often, in TV shows, the gay community becomes the butt of many jokes, or gay and lesbian characters are often cliche. In games, they are simply absent. I am yet to play a game which features a homosexual couple that are just normal people.

Do you think that adding "normal" representations of gay people in game, or in fact the general media, will make society more accepting? Is this a need?

 

[Evilbunny]

In the media today, I find that their is a huge lack of "normal" homosexual couples. Often, in TV shows, the gay community becomes the butt of many jokes, or gay and lesbian characters are often cliche. In games, they are simply absent. I am yet to play a game which features a homosexual couple that are just normal people.

Do you think that adding "normal" representations of gay people in game, or in fact the general media, will make society more accepting? Is this a need?

Army of Two featured two homosexual mercenaries I believe. They were pretty normal I think.

 

[SharPhoe]

Army of Two featured two homosexual mercenaries I believe. They were pretty normal I think.

This was never stated, nor was it implied. People came to that conclusion through subtext alone, so it doesn't really count.

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

Army of Two featured two homosexual mercenaries I believe. They were pretty normal I think.

That was more of an implied thing, and I would hardly call them normal.

 

[ranc0re]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the (EDITSAME sex. We'd be forcing quotas of homosexuals to appear in media, and I think that's just wrong. There are TV stations catering towards homoseuxals. This would be like saying, "Hey, we need to have one of every ethnic group featured in this ad." Which does happen, and is just... blah.

Also, a person's sexual interests SHOULDN'T MATTER. Who cares if you like men and I like women? One's sexual orientation should play no role in selecting who will appear in what.

 

[MercenaryCanary]

Dear sir, I do believe Mass Effect and a new casual MMO do enable you to be wild sex crazed homosexuals.
Signed with polysexual sarcastic love,
Mercenary57

 

[Pimppeter2]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the opposite sex. We'd be forcing quotas of homosexuals to appear in media, and I think that's just wrong. There are TV stations catering towards homoseuxals. This would be like saying, "Hey, we need to have one of every ethnic group featured in this ad." Which does happen, and is just... blah.

Also, a person's sexual interests SHOULDN'T MATTER. Who cares if you like men and I like women? One's sexual orientation should play no role in selecting who will appear in what.

This

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the opposite sex.

Call me a grammar Nazi if you will, but
*facepalm*
pretty much sums up what you just said.

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

Dear sir, I do believe Mass Effect and a new casual MMO do enable you to be wild sex crazed homosexuals.
Signed with polysexual sarcastic love,
Mercenary57

My favourite part was when you misspelt your own name.
I think you may have just invented a new form of sexuality.
What exactly does polysexuality entail?

 

[aperpheldy]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the opposite sex. We'd be forcing quotas of homosexuals to appear in media, and I think that's just wrong. There are TV stations catering towards homoseuxals. This would be like saying, "Hey, we need to have one of every ethnic group featured in this ad." Which does happen, and is just... blah.

Also, a person's sexual interests SHOULDN'T MATTER. Who cares if you like men and I like women? One's sexual orientation should play no role in selecting who will appear in what.

I completly agree that sexual orientation should not matter. I think that having more representation in the media would give young homosexuals a frame of reference. If all kinds of relationships where shown as equal, I think that many gay people would be more comftorble with themselves. I know several people who will never tell their parents their sexuality because of shame.

 

[ranc0re]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the opposite sex.

Call me a grammar Nazi if you will, but
*facepalm*
pretty much sums up what you just said.

...So, homosexuals aren't 'normal' then? How so?

 

[Strafe Mcgee]

I think it's be a great move for some games developers to start using more gay characters. One of the best examples of integrating this into a game would be the 'Find the farmer's son a wife' quest in Fable 2, where you're asked to find... You get the picture. Anyway, turns out that the farmer's son is gay and you get the option for going out into the city to find a man that he would love (for 'good' points) or to follow the fathers wishes and marry him to a girl against his will [for 'evil' points).

Fable 2 not only felt like a much fresher game for it's open attitude towards sexuality but it also illustrated that it is possible to be implemented subtly in game and without a need to resort to stereotypes. We really should see it more often.

 

[Tech Team FTW!]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the opposite sex.

Call me a grammar Nazi if you will, but
*facepalm*
pretty much sums up what you just said.

...So, homosexuals aren't 'normal' then? How so?

I never said we aren't normal.
You said:
"homosexuals are just normal people who have an interest in the opposite sex."
Do you see what is wrong with that statement now?

 

[dragontiers]

The trick with portraying "normal" homosexuals is that they are fairly indistinguishable from others if they are not portrayed having a relationship. Any number of people in games, commercials, etc. could be homosexual and you would have no way of knowing as they don't mention their preference either way. Stereotypical homosexuals are easier to pick out, because they specifically act in a stereotypical fashion, which makes them stand out in a crowd. The only other way to differentiate them from non-homosexuals would be to put them in a relationship situation. This of course opens the creators to criticism of "pursuing the gay agenda" and "corrupting our children" from the more obtuse segments of our society. We just need someone willing to step forward and do that before a "normal" homosexual is seen.

 

[ranc0re]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the opposite sex. We'd be forcing quotas of homosexuals to appear in media, and I think that's just wrong. There are TV stations catering towards homoseuxals. This would be like saying, "Hey, we need to have one of every ethnic group featured in this ad." Which does happen, and is just... blah.

Also, a person's sexual interests SHOULDN'T MATTER. Who cares if you like men and I like women? One's sexual orientation should play no role in selecting who will appear in what.

I completly agree that sexual orientation should not matter. I think that having more representation in the media would give young homosexuals a frame of reference. If all kinds of relationships where shown as equal, I think that many gay people would be more comftorble with themselves. I know several people who will never tell their parents their sexuality because of shame.

Ahhh, I see what you're getting at now. And yes, I do believe that homosexuals should be portrayed without stereotypes as well. If you're going to have a gay character, they don't necessarily have to be of the "flaming" variety.

 

[ranc0re]

No, it's not a need, homosexuals are just normal people who simply have an interest in the opposite sex.

Call me a grammar Nazi if you will, but
*facepalm*
pretty much sums up what you just said.

...So, homosexuals aren't 'normal' then? How so?

I never said we aren't normal.
You said:
"homosexuals are just normal people who have an interest in the opposite sex."
Do you see what is wrong with that statement now?

HOLY SHIT. Wow, things just went over my head there. Should read: "Who have an interest in the same sex."

 

[Worgen]

the problem with complaining that games dont contain homosexual chars is that games bairly contain heterosexual chars, really sexuality in video games is almost always portrayed at the grade school level at most or really just a means to an end. The number of games where you have chars that really can have sexual relationships can be counted on one hand.
Sims series, fable, masseffect.... Im sure there are at least a couple more. oh and Im not counting leasure suit larry or the witcher since neither one really portrats sex beyond a booty call (I guess the witcher might but I havent gotten that far yet)

 

[Aussiboy]

It would be great if the writers and producers did add in more ?normal? homosexual characters into main stream media and there has been some head way into that such as the Scotty and Kevin characters from brothers and sisters a stable married gay couple living there lives.

I think the risen why many gays and lesbians are made out to be the joke character or a heavy cliché is that many T.V. stations are apprehensive to broadcast a show where a gay character is seen in a realistic situation that may make the viewers uncomfortable for what ever resin.

I even know people in my group of friends were if I invited a boyfriend (wish I had one) to a movie night or something and not even go as fare as makeing out or anything just a kiss or something I think that would make one of them a bit uncomfortable.


And on the subject of games it would be nice to see an openly gay character save the world for once I know mass affect let you have a same sex relationship but that was only female/female which is some head way but still Bioware and E.A. kind of triped at the last hurdle there.

 

[kawligia]

Six feet under had a gay couple that was pretty "normal."