Queer representation is improving rapidly in the media, on both primetime and cable television, as is the quality of representation - though it is still often treated as a plot point, characters are often portrayed stereotypically (lipstick lesbians, the sissy, etc.), and used for grabbing ratings and what is considered to be an audience with a lot of disposable income (single homosexual men), instead of being done out of a sense of social responsibility.
Unfortunately, videogames are lagging behind, and poorly. Sex is an issue that is treated childishly in videogames, and even the best representations rarely go beyond the James Bond film standard. Making that step towards proper queer relationships that are presented respectfully and meaningfully will take a while longer. Maybe ten years from now? That's a pretty enthusiastic estimate, but it could happen. This is one industry that develops quickly.
Abedeus said:
Shepard is a lesbian, if you are playing female.
While the Asari do not consider themselves Female/Male, they do look female. And, well, that makes our Spectre a homosexual.
The problem with
Mass Effect is that you cannot have a male/male relationship, but you can have a female/female one. It demonstrates that as far as this stuff is concerned, the mass media is far more comfortable with lesbians than it is with gays - especially when that lesbian relationship culminates in a sex scene that can be validated by the male gaze. Technically the asari only have one sex, but are identifiably female, and highly sexualised in this role - we don't see any sort of discussion about, perhaps, conflicting sexual identities that the asari may have, or see them presented as asexuals or even pansexuals. It's hot, oiled up, blue lesbian women and nothing more.
