A Single Unified LGBT Character Thread

Than I haven't read it, but I don't think I would worry too much about your portrayal of the villains as LGBTQIA characters since you seem to have both varied villains and LGBTQIA characters. But I don't know how the portrayal is.

edited 4th Apr '16 7:29:28 PM by phantom1

OK. Fair enough. I just got this sudden fit of low-grade authorial paranoia. I could blame this on my boyfriend joking about certain Tumblrites eating me alive a while back—gee, thanks, boo >~>—but really, it's all me today.

Here comes an attempt of advice:

There's nothing wrong with making a villain/antagonist who's happens to be gay/trans/etc. But there is a problem when they're the only gay/trans/etc characters in the story. If you're gonna have a character who's gay/trans/etc and is the "bad guy", balance it out and have a hero who's also gay/trans/etc.

Hope that's helpful.

Okay, I've got a little "problem" with a character of mine and I think maybe I could find help in this thread.

First off, I'm developing an action RPG game with non-violent combat (the enemies attack you like in any other game but the hero is an Actual Pacifist so he never fights back). Also, the protagonist is deaf so there's no dialogue, so all the information about the world and the NP Cs is found mostly through observation (some items haveflavour text but they're from the Po V of the main character so they're limited to what he knows).

Now, one of the main antagonists if not the most important, is a general in a Mesoamerican-fantasy version of The Great War. He is also a trans man. From what I know about those cultures, the ancient mayas and aztecs either held trans people in high regard, or they didn't care about their identity as long as the trans person still played their given role within the society (e.g. a trans man was expected to be a warrior during times of war).

The problem comes with how to present the character to the audience, in this case, the players. In universe, there is no reason why the main character would draw attention to the fact that this General is trans. Also, I'm trying to keep the information minimalist so the players piece the world together as if it were a puzzle. In other words, I want to be subtle.

One possible solution I had come up with was to use the same model of any other male (similar clothes, the magificent mexican moustache, different hairstyle) and always refer to him using masculine pronouns, but to use the same 3D mesh I use for female characters (small and slender build, wider hips, have breats).

The question is, is this acceptable? I want to approach the subject in a respectful manner but my experience is limited by virtue of being a mere cisgender man. So here goes, what should I do with this character?

edited 4th Apr '16 10:35:27 PM by Cid

Disclaimer: Not trans. Take with a pinch of salt.

Would you be worried that your players will think of your transman as just a cis woman pulling a Mulan? Or a cis woman who happens to like pretending to be a man?

Because, really, I would love to see a trans person played without the story dropping anvils on my head about 'look this trans guy has gender issues NOW START CRYING ALREADY!'

You can drop hints of him being trans though. Would your main character ever come across private information about him? His diary could mention his bouts of gender dysphoria - he doesn't have to get them all the time constantly, just occasionally or on a regular basis. If he has maids cleaning up his room, they could talk about finding breast bindings. Would official records of him read "male" or "female"? What sort of people would know him long enough to know he's biologically female - parents, childhood friends?

Just use a light touch.

edited 5th Apr '16 4:50:03 AM by hellomoto

His model is probably going to need significantly more muscle than a female model would usually have. Just because he doesn't have male hormones in his system doesn't automatically mean he's just as slender as your average cis woman, especially given his profession and the setting. He probably exercises like any warrior, and probably wouldn't be a general if he didn't possess physical strength on at least the level of your average elite warriors. That would not only mostly deal with the Unfortunate Implications that a trans man can't be as physically strong as a cis man, but make it easier for people to actually figure it out that he's a trans man and not a Sweet Polly Oliver -type character. (well, at least the part of the audience that actually knows that trans men are an actual thing. The mainstream part of our culture can always be counted on to be ignorant, if nothing else)

Regarding characterization (and yes, none of this requires dialogue): Some trans men I know are pretty macho, specifically for the purpose of appearing manly, and given that this character is a military commander, of the past kind and not the modern Armchair Military kind, I'd suppose he'd be kind of this "perfect warrior, or at least attempting to be" type. He would have started out a little bit insecure about his strength, as the cis male warriors don't have to work out as much as he has to in order to build up their strength. He'd probably try to compensate in the amount of effort he puts into being a warrior. Maybe make him a kind of a Determinator who absolutely refuses to back down from a fight or surrender, no matter how much of a beating he's taken or how much the odds are stacked against him?

Essentially, being a trans man gives him a sensible reason to attempt to be as manly as possible, which in this case would mean "combat-obsessed Proud Warrior Race Guy". Which I suppose is what you're intending with his character, as he would be a perfect contrast to the protagonist. Actual Pacifist and Blood Knight. Also, a military leader like him, especially in an Aztec-like warrior culture, would be yelling or speaking really loudly most of the time, which also creates a contrast, since the protagonist is also deaf and as such can't hear him. I assume that wasn't intentional, but it works.

edited 5th Apr '16 6:01:45 AM by ArilouLaLeeLay

@Masterofchaos: Again, I have quite a few.

I agree that having a slightly less stereotypically feminine body type at play would be better, but I wouldn't be so sure about some of those assumptions. Having the character be perfectly self-assured with relatively little attempt at compensation would honestly be more interesting to me. Say this character does indeed have some subtle traits indicative of their biological sex. Why not have them simply take those facts in stride and have them show no impact on their confidence in their own masculinity. Little facial hair? So what. Not as tall as the other generals? He's a consummate soldier. All else is irrelevant. If some people don't pick up on that, well, that's unfortunate. But I'd avoid stereotyping here, even if it is, like a number of such clichés, sometimes true.

I agree.

Would a bully telling the transman "you fight like a girl" or other signs of toxic masculinity that includes direct references to being a 'pussy' be far too hamfisted?

Not necessarily, as that does happen. But, like most things, context is key. If trans people are generally embraced in a given society, transphobic behavior like that will be frowned upon or maybe even punished in some way; but in a transphobic society, that kind of crap can be expected.

Is it possible for a male character to come off as slightly feminine without being too female-like? In terms of physical appearance.

What does "too female-like" mean?

Why is this in the LGBT thread? A man's appearance or 'femininity' has nothing to do with his sexual orientation or gender identity.

He could just wear long hair or have a pretty face. Look at Bishounens ^note Chrome tried to correct this word into Snobbishness, I think the spellchecker is sexist, they are easily recognised as "male" and "feminine".

edited 7th Apr '16 4:54:24 AM by hellomoto

I'm not really sure what you're worried about. There's no chance of a reader confusing him for a girl if you refer to him using masculine pronouns, regardless of how feminine he's stated to look like.

Sorry. I just didn't know where to ask this question at, I didn't mean to offend.

Sorry.

so I am good then?

edited 7th Apr '16 11:25:54 AM by Troperfrom95

What medium is it, visual (eg comic book) or prose (eg novel)?

edited 7th Apr '16 8:47:30 PM by hellomoto

Spingsteen's cancelled a NC tour over the new laws.

I think you may have confused this thread for the one in Yack Fest.

Yes and we are discussing that there.

...I thought it was weird someone posted it there and I couldn't find the link I posted.

Ideas for "queer" characters:

An aromantic pansexual person whose crush is a asexual intersex person.

A polyamorous triad consisting of a pansexual person, an androsexual person, and a bisexual person.

Twins who are a gynesexual trans-man and a demisexual trans-woman. (Demisexual means they only experience attraction after forming strong emotional connections with people.)

Who is the demi-sexual woman attracted to when she experiences attraction (I mean like men, women, both, also intersex people?)

edited 9th Apr '16 1:51:45 PM by phantom1

I'm thinking pansexual because I didn't feel the need to specify.

edited 9th Apr '16 2:37:46 PM by nekomoon14

Oh okay fair, I do not know why I didn't use gay, bi, pan or straight since you specified she was binary trans. But yeah pan makes sense.

@hellmoto: comic.

Ah, so you have to draw him. Grab inspiration from bishounens easily found online and ignore those misandrists who say he looks like a wuss.