LGBT in Video Games

[klausaidon]

I'm writing a Essay in my Critical Thinking Class about how the LGBT(Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community is viewed by the gaming community. I want to hear my fellow gamer's opinion on the LGBT community. Let this be a open forum on your opinion. I want to hear what you all, be it negative, or positive, think about this topic. Feel free to get up your soap box, and get as preachy as you want, give your view on the LGBT community, as well as LGBT themes in video games. This Essay is suppose to be unbiased, so I need a wide range of opinions.

Edit: This is suppose to be a vague question. Say what you want, generally, or specifically, about the subject matter. For example, this doesn't have to be a "Yes, or no" kinda answer, you can pose your own question, or go on a rant, or even talk about how a specific game handles sexuality (Mass Effect, Sims, etc)

Edit 2: Ok, I finished the proposal for the essay. The actual essay isn't due for a few more weeks, but I'll post the proposal here.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=W05U9W8R

 

[badgersprite]

Well, if I didn't like the LGBT community I'd be pretty short on dating options, considering I'm part of that community...

I really don't know what you want me to say, though. Your question statement is immensely vague. What specifically are we meant to be talking about?

 

[Best of the 3]

No different from anyone else. If they flaunt their sexuality (eg: being overly flamboyant for being gay) I still find that annoying. Other then that, no differences.

 

[Dangernick42]

I am a heterosexual male, and I personally have no problem with LGBT people. I don't really enjoy seeing 2 guys making out in public or on TV, but I'm sure it is equally irritating for them(and probably more frequent) seeing heterosexual couples do the same.

 

[Qitz]

I couldn't care less really. I don't have a problem with them and wish the Gov't would pull its head outta its own ass and just give them the rights they deserve but I'm not bothered by them.

So long as they don't get all preachy about it but that can be the same with anyone who tries to pull the "I'm X so I'm better" card.

I had a Gay teacher in College, his Boyfriend was hired there too and had a class with him as well. They were the same as anyone else.

As for the Themes, so long as the game takes it tastefully and doesn't just turn the character into a whiny, overly flamboyant annoyance they can be pretty fun. I did like Tony in Ballad of Gay Tony which may or may not seem contradictory to what I previously said but I didn't find Tony all too annoying, hell some of his lines were funny as hell.

 

[Handbag1992]

Well as a gay male gamer, I feel that the gaming medium has far too few positive homosexual characters. They tend to be overly flamboyant and their sexuality becomes their entire personality.
The exploration of Kanji's sexuality in Shin Megami Tensei 4 was fairly good, but I want a game that does to a gay character what metroid did for Samus, having their sexuality be merely a side note and not taking away from their badassery or relatability.

 

[klausaidon]

Well, if I didn't like the LGBT community I'd be pretty short on dating options, considering I'm part of that community...

I really don't know what you want me to say, though. Your question statement is immensely vague. What specifically are we meant to be talking about?

The question is meant to be vague. I want people to say whatever they want on the subject. Not just if they "Like, or don't like the LGBT", though that is apart of it (Mainly for those who are not apart of the community), but also what they general think about how the community is represented in games, etc. I'll update my post to be more specific.

 

[Worgen]

Id like to see more gay/lesbian/transgender chars in games, I mean I'm a straight male every day of my life, sometimes I like to see things from different angles, besides, I find lesbians adorable, not in a condescending way or anything, I mean I just would much rather see a romantic story about 2 women instead of a man and a woman, sex is optional.

The only game I know of with a transgender char is Neir and I heard they really toned that down for the american release... although I'm not sure if she was a transgender or just had both sexes.

 

[UltraBlumpkin]

I honestly can't recall any game that addressed anything related to transgender. Bisexual/gay/lesbian has been incorporated into some of the storylines of Mass Effect and Dragon Age in the romance parts of the storylines. The player can choose to court different characters in an attempt to eventually sleep with them. So they certainly aren't taboo or ignored completely, but it's not like gay themes run rampant in video games either.

 

[OreoDoublestuff]

I think they're asking how we, as the gaming community, feel about LGBT people and their 'lifestyles.'

As both a B and a T, I've never seen anything but positive views on the subject outside the occasional use of the word 'gay' as a descriptor for an unfair situation or negative condition, and never with any derogatory intent towards gays as a whole. Even those I've seen that have various philosophical 'issues' (for want of a better term) with LBGTs have been polite and non-confrontational about it.

Given the community's roots in both having been seen as a socially unacceptable pastime, and having started with cooperative games, such as D&D and eventually the early MMOs, I think the gaming community stands to be, by its nature, accepting of everyone that chooses to be a part of it.

 

[Zoe Castillo]

--

 

[Zack Alklazaris]

I think that it feels as if games are making it optional to choose to have relations with the same sex just to have the option. It really doesn't ever seem to tie together well or ever feel like the game is leading you towards that directly. Its almost as if someone modded it in.

As for players, Games are about games, not exactly prime flirting time. So regardless of how they or I would like to act in the server it needs to be left at the door.

 

[Knight Captain Kerr]

I'm a bisexual male gamer with female preference. As far as i'm concerned your sexuality, sex and race isn't what defines you. I see very few LGBT characters in games which is a shame because they are missing out on stories they could tell. In fact the only well done bisexual characters I can think of in a game is Leliana from Dragon Age: Origins and a few RPGS where the player character can be bisexual if they want to be. Fallout 2 and New Vegas did a pretty good job with the LGBT characters they had. I'm also happy that the new Elder Scrolls and Mass Effect will allow me to be bisexual hopefully it is a sign of things to come in the industry.

 

[Xixikal]

I think LGBT relationships and characters should be as equally represented a heterosexuals in video games. As long as there are humans in video games, our society should be reflected in mediums like video games, literature and television.
And if you don't like it don't play it.

 

[klausaidon]

Well im bi , I lost my virginity with someone transgender and ive been hanging out with gay people gay people all my life .

On a side note I hate it when people say ? oh I love gay people they are awesome ? because im sorry to tell you no one group of people is completely awesome .

Yeah, personally it always bugged me when ever I told someone I'm gay, they feel that they have to state that they are completely fine with gay people.

 

[Ruwrak]

I really don't care wether you like men, woman or swapped to a more comfortable body.
Seriously >.> What would there be to annoy me?



... Okay apart from the "IM <sexuality here, yes even the straight folk can do this>! LOOK AT ME!!!! ACCEPT ME!!" type of attention nagging peoples.

 

[Thaluikhain]

I don't see the need for the need of a LGBT community, as distinct from the default heteronormative state. I see the need for it, in that society pays lip service at best to the idea of tolerance and acceptance, but I don't see any particular reason why that should be.

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

Id like to see more gay/lesbian/transgender chars in games, I mean I'm a straight male every day of my life, sometimes I like to see things from different angles, besides, I find lesbians adorable, not in a condescending way or anything, I mean I just would much rather see a romantic story about 2 women instead of a man and a woman, sex is optional.

The only game I know of with a transgender char is Neir and I heard they really toned that down for the american release... although I'm not sure if she was a transgender or just had both sexes.

There kindasorta is Poison from Final Fight, released in 1989, she was originally a girl but then Capcom sat back and thought that hitting a girl is kinda back, so depending on which regional release you're playing she's either a pre-op or post-op transgender (and yes, that has even more unfortunate implications). But I think that by now she's been quietly retconned into being a full female again as by now punching girls no longer is an issue in gaming.

That said, I agree with the sentiment that gaming could use more LBGT characters, and just have that be an ~aspect~ of their character and not the focal point, well, unless it fits in the story.

There already are a few characters like that, such as Eagle from the very first Street Fighter and Capcom vs. SNK 2, who is gay. Funcom's The Longest Journey also features about three non-straight character and not a big deal is made about that point. So if you do some digging around you can find plenty of LBGT characters, but very few of them have been in games that topped the charts and even less have been main characters.

 

[Handbag1992]

Being Strait is fine
Being gay/lesbian is fine
Bisexuality doesn't exist, it's just someone resisting the knowledge that they are queer.
Transsexuals have a mental disorder. I've never been sure why they were lumped in with the gay and lesbian community, but if you want to put a knife to your penis then you are fighting your natural biology.

Heterosexual male detected.

Sexuality is a sliding scale, some people are closer to the middle of the scale than others and are attracted to both sexes.
Natural biology is a load of crock. Nature often gets things unbelievably wrong, see: birth defects and auto-immune disease for examples.

 

[Vivace-Vivian]

I think LGBT relationships and characters should be as equally represented a heterosexuals in video games. As long as there are humans in video games, our society should be reflected in mediums like video games, literature and television.
And if you don't like it don't play it.

Thank you.

As far as the topic goes the LGBT 'community' has its parts I don't like. But I certainly don't disslike a person simply because of their sexuality.