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cupkeyk
2007-10-12, 10:58 PM
I am not sure if this is going against any of the forum rules though.

There is a thread in 4chan about parties and the token gay guy is present.

As a gay-mer myself, I found surprised that there were others. Aside from my boyfriend who I begged/coerced into dnd, I know no other gay-mers.

Unfortunately, gay-mers in 4chan were identified as backseat combatant rules lawyers (basically, they make buffers or faces and direct combat from the sidelines). I unfortunately fit that bill. LOLz

Does your group have gay-mers?

Do they fit the stereotype?

Really, I have always felt isolated as a gay gamer. isolated from other gay men, not from other gamers, oddly enough. The larger population f gay men look upon dnd like the plague

Artemician
2007-10-12, 11:01 PM
Gay people, whether they game or not, are no different from regular people. It is sad that you have to deal with discrimination and labelling by other people, but that's the world for you.

And gamers, whether they are gay or not, are no different from other people too.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavours. Don't let other people get you down! Do the things you want to do, and to hell with them.

Collin152
2007-10-12, 11:06 PM
I disagree. There is a differance. Gamers play games. Others don't. That is a differance, and no amount of sugar sucking will make it any differant.
Differances aren't all bad. Open your eyes, world! Embrace our differences!
We can't let this world be like Anthem! I hated that book!
Heheh, not entirely serious.

SilverClawShift
2007-10-12, 11:07 PM
Gay-mers gay-mer gay-mers gay-mers gay-mers

Ugh. Don't ever say that phrase again. Not cause it's offensive, it's just too darn silly :smallconfused:

In any event, one of the players in my group is gay. He's currently a paladin who's becoming a death delver after dropping into negatives one too many times for his own mental stability. Usually dropping into negatives cause he was headbutting something two size categories larger than him in the face. So yeah, the stereotype doesn't exactly fit.

cupkeyk
2007-10-12, 11:08 PM
Ain't t weird that gay people discriminate me because of my hobby. Oh well. So much for progressive thinking from a marginalized minority.

Fhaolan
2007-10-12, 11:14 PM
I have gamed in groups that are almost entirely homosexual, barring myself. It's very interesting being a minority in that kind of situation. There was one flamer guy, one 'barelyinthecloset' guy, one bi guy, one lesbian, and myself (the lone straight). The group dynamic was fascinating.

Eladrinstar
2007-10-12, 11:15 PM
We have lesbian gamer in our main group.

I once played a game with a guy I think might have been bisexual. He is always flirting with everyone, and I mean everyone, during rehearsels for our school's plays, always lurking in the dark backstage and groping people when they least suspected it. He could have just been messing around.

But when we played the game, I knew something was up. He initiated romantic dialog with a female NPC. He got way close to me and leaned his face into mine. This was typical behavior for him. My girlfriend, expert at photographing awkward moments, swooped in with her phone and took pictures that are probably still on the internet. It was really hard to keep a straight face and continue the dialog. Heh heh, straight face.

And no, before anyone says anything, I'm not homophobic. I'm just a heterosexual male. There is a difference.

SilverClawShift
2007-10-12, 11:16 PM
Ain't t weird that gay people discriminate me because of my hobby. Oh well.

D&D is just a hobby that it takes a very specific kind of person to become interested in.

Winterwind
2007-10-12, 11:22 PM
I have played for seven years with a player now who became lesbian during that time. Actually, she kinda became lesbian due to roleplaying, because after becoming interested in roleplaying she started to hang around in chatrooms roleplaying there as well, played a male character and became engaged with another girl. And, strangely enough, this relationship expanded to real life, even though it took months before that other girl learned the player I'm speaking of was actually female. They have been living together now for quite a few years.

Didn't change our relationship or our behaviour towards her in any way, though, even though one or two players (and, admittedly, myself :smallredface: ) were rather disappointed by it.

de-trick
2007-10-12, 11:23 PM
I'm not touching some of this with a 10 ten foot pole, not a homophobic either, nice to see that people of all walks of life enjoying a game together I think we used to have a metrosexual in are gaming group, good guy(had lots of miniatures)

Kompera
2007-10-12, 11:26 PM
As a gay-mer myself, I found surprised that there were others. Aside from my boyfriend who I begged/coerced into dnd, I know no other gay-mers.
Um, why were you surprised? If you think about it, roleplaying would seem to play to many of the stereotypes attributed to gay men.

1) Lots of dramatic acting;
2) Sitting around chatting with a group of people which is nearly always predominantly male and is very likely to be 100% male;
3) How pretty! Miniatures! Oooh, look at the colors!
4) I've got pink dice! And with 8 sides, too!
5) I'm a flighty elf! Hehe, I bet you thought I was going to say "fairy"!

I do not at all intend to offend with the above. Like I said "stereotypes". They exist, I did not invent them, I do not hold to them. My own personal view is that I could give a rat's ass what any two (or more, I still could give a rat's ass) consenting adults do in the privacy of their own sexualities. I am not my brother's keeper, I only ask that my brothers treat me with the respect with which I will treat them.

Wooter
2007-10-12, 11:29 PM
I don't see why homosexuals would be adverse to gaming. Although judging by the gay people I know, I think that they would be more into the role playing aspect rather than being all munchkiny.

GryffonDurime
2007-10-12, 11:29 PM
When I moved off to college, I finally got my chance at playing Dungeons and Dragons when a friend of mine dragged me off to join a group he played with. Lo and behold, I was the third gay person in the group...our DM is beginning to wonder if he just attracts them like a magnet.

And I don't know about stereotypes...I play spellcasters. Lots of spellcasters. Spellcasters who enjoy telling the universe to sit on it.

Collin152
2007-10-12, 11:44 PM
Heheh, who doesn't like being a spellcaster, gay or straight?

GryffonDurime
2007-10-12, 11:48 PM
Heheh, who doesn't like being a spellcaster, gay or straight?

People who are afraid of power. Obviously.

paigeoliver
2007-10-12, 11:59 PM
I know at least 3 or 4 gay-mers myself. Likely the number is much higher, just not everyone announces their orientation.

cupkeyk
2007-10-13, 12:06 AM
,
4) I've got pink dice! And with 8 sides, too!
5) I'm a flighty elf! Hehe, I bet you thought I was going to say "fairy"!




I got fuschia dice as a gift one christmas. I hated them. I hate pink, especially fuschia. I kept them somewhere and never seen them again. If gray elves weren't all that, I would hate elves too. The high and mighty thing is annoying.

Dhavaer
2007-10-13, 12:10 AM
The first other gamer I met was also the first gay guy I met. Funny, that.

The Extinguisher
2007-10-13, 12:11 AM
I'm a "bi-mer" if that counts?

I don't see what's so surprising about a gay person playing D&D. Gay gamers are gamers too.

averagejoe
2007-10-13, 12:18 AM
I'm a "bi-mer" if that counts?

You know it doesn't. :smallannoyed:

Sorry, couldn't resist. :smallwink:

The Extinguisher
2007-10-13, 12:21 AM
Best of both genders :smallwink:

I've never had a problem with it, but I'm anything but stereotypical, so that could be why.

Vuzzmop
2007-10-13, 12:39 AM
Why on earth should being gay, straight, female or male have to do with a roleplaying game? If you play the game well, you shouldn't be able to twell if someone is of a particular sexuality. I play in a group where all of us are straight, with one, possible exception which I think might take a while to figure out. It doesn't affect the group dynamic in any way, and we all readily play either sex characters and role play as appropriate.

We do however, take every oppurtunity to joke about the femininity of elvish male pcs. Just too easy.

Quietus
2007-10-13, 12:45 AM
I just want to say this :

To everyone using the term gay-mer - STOP.

It's worse that those who've come up with this sick attempt at a cutesy meme are gay themselves, but seriously, you're just going to take your own orientation and turn it into some horrible, twisted joke. It's NOT funny, it's NOT cute, and it makes me want to snap the word in two and burn it.

I refuse to accept this term - who's with me?

Artemician
2007-10-13, 12:48 AM
I just want to say this :

To everyone using the term gay-mer - STOP.

It's worse that those who've come up with this sick attempt at a cutesy meme are gay themselves, but seriously, you're just going to take your own orientation and turn it into some horrible, twisted joke. It's NOT funny, it's NOT cute, and it makes me want to snap the word in two and burn it.

I refuse to accept this term - who's with me?

It's not a joke. Or an insult. Do you see anyone laughing? Or complaining that it offends them? No?

It's just an abbreviation, a portmanteau. There's no negative connotation, and nobody takes it as offensive.

Lord Tataraus
2007-10-13, 12:49 AM
Wow...never thought there would be so many (I will not say that word) gay gamers, but I guess i never really thought of that. We did have a lesbian play with us a couple times but she was weird, really, really weird. Dressed all goth, but acted completely opposite. She wasn't very good either. I don't think a gay guy would be to comfortable in our group though, the lesbian wasn't. I am homophobic, not as in homosexuals are the devil!! Just, uncomfortable. Unfortunately, it offends, which is not my meaning by it. *shrug* Ever have trouble with anti-homosexual attitudes in gaming?

kamikasei
2007-10-13, 12:49 AM
I refuse to accept this term - who's with me?

Honestly, if gay gamers want to use the name, I'm just glad to see such a meaning attached to it instead of having it available as a "huh huh, you game, that must mean you're gay, like a gay-mer" insult for lackwits.

It seems perfectly innocuous to me. I don't get your strength of feeling here.

Reel On, Love
2007-10-13, 12:54 AM
I am homophobic, not as in homosexuals are the devil!! Just, uncomfortable. Unfortunately, it offends, which is not my meaning by it. *shrug* Ever have trouble with anti-homosexual attitudes in gaming?

I... why? It's good that you're aware of it and recognize it as a bad thing, I guess, but why would you be uncomfortable about playing with a gay person? We're talking D&D, not doctor.

Magnvo
2007-10-13, 01:00 AM
There is a thread in 4chan

Rules 1 and 2.

That said, I've never played with anyone I knew was homosexual. The place I play at doesn't seem like it'd attract anyone, regardless of orientation, for that matter, and in school I never asked. I don't care about your orientation as long as you're willing to roleplay, even if you want to munchkin while you're at it.

Just my two cents. Forgive me if I'm not making sense, I'm tired and barely skimmed the thread.

Vuzzmop
2007-10-13, 01:00 AM
I just want to say this :

To everyone using the term gay-mer - STOP.

It's worse that those who've come up with this sick attempt at a cutesy meme are gay themselves, but seriously, you're just going to take your own orientation and turn it into some horrible, twisted joke. It's NOT funny, it's NOT cute, and it makes me want to snap the word in two and burn it.

I refuse to accept this term - who's with me?

Raises tentacle. Why make gay people different to anyone else, its only their sexuality, and its a game, not a guy on guy orgy. Geez.

Lord Tataraus
2007-10-13, 01:07 AM
I... why? It's good that you're aware of it and recognize it as a bad thing, I guess, but why would you be uncomfortable about playing with a gay person? We're talking D&D, not doctor.

Bad past experiences and uncontrollable discomfort. Sure its D&D not doctor, but its long periods of time that I just can't handle. I know my phobias and limits and I try to stay away from them because I can't control my reactions sometimes. For example, I have a bad fear of heights and when I set it off I go into a nervous break-down, not fun. So I stay away from instances where I might set off the phobia, same kind of thing with homophobia. It does not mean I can't interact, its just the hours upon hours of interacting. I guess, sort of what I'm saying is that not all homophobes are for purely conscious reasons and should not be universally condemned.

Ponce
2007-10-13, 01:18 AM
I generally play online. Trying to keep track of online players' sex, gender, and orientation is just too much hassle. As well, there are very few guarantees that who they claim to be is actually who they are.

Course, I have noticed a certain disposition toward ditsy elf princess mary-sues among online players. Then again, maybe I should just be looking for a new server...

Needless to say, I've had all sorts. I've never noticed any kind of... gay dnd stereotype?


Unfortunately, gay-mers in 4chan were identified as backseat combatant rules lawyers (basically, they make buffers or faces and direct combat from the sidelines). I unfortunately fit that bill. LOLz

Can't say I've seen it. Maybe it is just a 4chan thing?

Look, chum: you, myself, and the rest of us, we champions of sword and spell, us followers of the prophet Gygax, we who covet the most holy of holy RAW; we aren't exactly the forefront of mainstream society. DnD players have been getting picked on and their miniatures tossed in the sewer since long before I was ever born. Just remember its only a game, and for your own good, stay away from anyone who thinks its anything more.

Hadrian_Emrys
2007-10-13, 01:35 AM
Heh heh heh... Bi-mer... I guess that would apply to me too. Such a silly term though.

In any case, I find it a riot that a portion of the homosexual community would shun you for being different. The irony tickles my funny bone to no end. Gayme *snort* on brother!

ReproMan
2007-10-13, 01:43 AM
My first College DM was gay. Good guy, ran a solid campaign. I actually didn't even realize he was gay until he hosted a game at his place and his boyfriend was there (I have no gaydar. At all. My first college roommate was gay; didn't figure it out until Winter quarter and he invited me to march with him in the Seattle Pride Parade (A really kick-a** event, BTW, if y'all get the chance) as a supporter.).

...Actually, now that I think about it, my gamer group was almost a mirror-image of the college demographics (1 gay person, 1 bi, 4 straight, 3 white, 1 Asian, 1 half-Black/half-Latino). Huh. Maybe that's the key to the whole situation here: the Demographics. If you live in an area with a disproportionately large gay community (Seattle, San Francisco, many College/University campuses, etc), you're gonna be running into gay gamers more often.

Alleine
2007-10-13, 01:53 AM
I actually think it'd be better if we had a gay gamer in my group. My group is just so... I believe the word is 'puritanical', about stuff like that and I tend not to be. This is strange since I'm one of the three religious people in our 6-7 man group. You know, I'm not entirely sure as to my purpose in this post, probably something to do with what a little diversity could bring to the table. I really don't mind anyone's orientation just so long as I like their personality.

Yeygresh
2007-10-13, 01:58 AM
Bad past experiences and uncontrollable discomfort. Sure its D&D not doctor, but its long periods of time that I just can't handle. I know my phobias and limits and I try to stay away from them because I can't control my reactions sometimes. For example, I have a bad fear of heights and when I set it off I go into a nervous break-down, not fun. So I stay away from instances where I might set off the phobia, same kind of thing with homophobia. It does not mean I can't interact, its just the hours upon hours of interacting. I guess, sort of what I'm saying is that not all homophobes are for purely conscious reasons and should not be universally condemned.

A phobia is a psychosomatic(in extreme laymans, it means 'it's all in your head') disorder. It's an uncontrollable fear that, at best, makes rather wary about something(insignificant or not); at worst, it makes you run and scream until you can't see it anymore.

What Lord Tartarus has explained is Homophobia. What most people think of when they hear 'Homophobia' is the cliche "We don't take kindly to your type 'round here"; which is not Homophobia, it's just a general of homosexuals.

So, Homophobia is not 'wrong', per se, in the moral spectrum of the argument, but wrong in the sense that you have a mild mental disorder.


Originally Posted by Quietus
I just want to say this :

To everyone using the term gay-mer - STOP.

It's worse that those who've come up with this sick attempt at a cutesy meme are gay themselves, but seriously, you're just going to take your own orientation and turn it into some horrible, twisted joke. It's NOT funny, it's NOT cute, and it makes me want to snap the word in two and burn it.

I refuse to accept this term - who's with me?

As said before, it's not a joke, it's an abbreviation. Like calling a person who plays Dungeons & Dragons a 'gamer', rather than a 'Table-Top Dungeons and Dragons 3.5th Edition Role Playing Game Enthusiast'.

kamikasei
2007-10-13, 02:11 AM
Wow...never thought there would be so many (I will not say that word) gay gamers, but I guess i never really thought of that.

Gays are a minority and gamers are a fringe. Gay gamers would therefore be doubly rare. Couple this with the fact that there's not necessarily any reason for you to know that a given gamer is gay.

The numbers of people who say "I'm a gay gamer" or "I know/play with one/many" on threads like this is indicative of very little unless you actually thought there were fewer than the handful described here in the whole world. It's the internet, you can find anyone to meet nearly any condition you want to specify.


I don't think a gay guy would be to comfortable in our group though, the lesbian wasn't.

Hmmm, do you mean they'd be bothered by your own or other players' discomfort, or that you think a gay player would for some reason not fit in?


Raises tentacle. Why make gay people different to anyone else, its only their sexuality, and its a game, not a guy on guy orgy. Geez.

I really don't understand where you guys are coming from. What about the term is so offensive or bothersome?

Nowhere Girl
2007-10-13, 02:14 AM
I'm a "bi-mer" if that counts?

Totally beat me to it. Me too.

So does that mean there are also straight-mers?

This gaming thing is all getting so complicated. :smalleek:

LightWraith
2007-10-13, 02:24 AM
I would be the gaymer in my group if I had a group at the moment. I probably wouldn't be the only one though. Even though most of my friends are straight guys, a few of the gay guys I know game as well (including the ST for the Exalted game I played in a few years ago, even though he wasn't out then, so I didn't know).


Most of my straight friends think it is more strange that I'm interested in tabletop games than anything to do with my sexuality. I have some great friends though. :smallbiggrin:

I agree with Kamikasei though, most gay people (myself included) just aren't that apparent, so there is really no good way to tell what the actually sexual demographic of any given group is.

kamikasei
2007-10-13, 02:29 AM
Totally beat me to it. Me too.

So does that mean there are also straight-mers?

This gaming thing is all getting so complicated. :smalleek:

Look, it's quite straightforward.

You roll the d20, add the appropriate modifiers based on your background, and look up the result on table 7a to determine orientation. Each has access to a different list of bonus feats. Multiclassing doesn't work so well but if you take "Two-Gender Flirting" at first level it lessens the penalties for feats with the [Bi-curious (http://www.qwantz.com/archive/000311.html)] descriptor.

Nowhere Girl
2007-10-13, 02:43 AM
Look, it's quite straightforward.

You roll the d20, add the appropriate modifiers based on your background, and look up the result on table 7a to determine orientation. Each has access to a different list of bonus feats. Multiclassing doesn't work so well but if you take "Two-Gender Flirting" at first level it lessens the penalties for feats with the [Bi-curious (http://www.qwantz.com/archive/000311.html)] descriptor.

Okay, I literally LOLed at that one! Darnit, stop doing that! It's late, and I'll wake my roommate up, and that really ticks her off. :smalltongue:

Glyphic
2007-10-13, 04:14 AM
I happen to be a Le-mure. *wiggles*

Tengu
2007-10-13, 04:38 AM
Unfortunately, the only gay-mer I met (at least I think he might be gay... he was either gay, bisexual, or very, very weird) was a rather horrible player - while his roleplaying was rather good, he was constantly trying to steal the spotlight, seek attention by disrupting the game, act in a Chaotic Stupid way, be the typical loner who does not associate with the rest of the team. He was also very anti-authority (even the authority of a respectful, almost-too-good-to-be-real king) and made badly-disguised puns to real world politics. One of the worst players I had.

Though I realise that it's probably just a single individual. Sexuality does not really influence your roleplaying skills or personality.

Selv
2007-10-13, 05:08 AM
I happened to know that about half my old group were gay. Two were a lesbian couple who played characters who were a straight couple. Another was an older guy whose orientation came up for non-game related reasons during the campaign. Another was a straight male who had a policy of only playing female characters, for whatever reason. I played characters from all parts of the gender/attracted to Venn diagram.

Players sexuality was never an issue for us. Heck, character sexuality almost never came up- which is how I like my D'n'D, personally.

Also: Hooray for Dinosaur Comics.
Also also: (Am I the only one who thinks of molecular chains whenever a word with the -mer suffix comes up?)

squishycube
2007-10-13, 06:05 AM
This topic invokes a reaction in me I often get with subjects that spark up emotions: "meh". I can honestly say that I absolutely don't care about someone's sexuality.

I could blabber on about why I don't care and why I think that it doesn't matter, but I'll pass.

EDIT: I hate to come across as the guy who doesn't care because it's cool. Usually I talk about things I do care about, as to avoid saying "I don't care" too often. But I actually don't care about many many things.

EDIT2: I'll share my experiences as well. I play in a (currently) all male group. There's six of us and the DM, three of whom have had male-male 'experiences'. One of them I'd say is really bisexual, the rest is mainly heterosexual. No 'gay-mers' here, unless the DM who has been single for like forever is actually gay. That would be quite a fun surprise :smalltongue:

Jerthanis
2007-10-13, 06:06 AM
Best of both genders :smallwink:


Hear hear brother.

I've been gaming with my current group since high school, and since coming out as bisexual, nothing's really changed. My personal preferences for playing characters run the gamut, though I favor spellcasters, as I got bored of "then I step forward and full attack" long ago. I still love Rangers to death though. I don't often like focusing on buffing party members. Mostly I like Debuff, control and summoning spells.

One notable thing that I do as a preventative measure is that whenever I play a character, male or female, I play them straight as an arrow. I just feel that it's easier to not remind my fellow players every time we play together about something which is potentially awkward for them. This is notable in part because it's something I didn't do before I was out, playing everything from a lesbian super-spy to a conniving half-dragon omni-sexual. My motives behind this are mainly to avoid the possibility of weirding anyone out... even though my friends are all awesome and totally okay with it, I still feel better knowing that my in character actions aren't making anyone feel awkward out of character.

Tengu
2007-10-13, 06:25 AM
This topic invokes a reaction in me I often get with subjects that spark up emotions: "meh". I can honestly say that I absolutely don't care about someone's sexuality.

I could blabber on about why I don't care and why I think that it doesn't matter, but I'll pass.



Is it because gelatinous cubes, like all oozes, are completely asexual?

Arakune
2007-10-13, 06:40 AM
Anyone came up with this situation?

Guy A: Hey, look at that gay guy! He's a freak! :smalleek:
Guy B: What are you talking about? I never knew you was homophopic :smallyuk: ! Hell, then why do you hang out with me since you know I'm gay :smallconfused: :smallmad: ?
Guy A: Oh, no. Nothing against he being gay, it was more to warn you to don't hit him.
Guy B: And I fail to see why (since he's my taste) :smallannoyed:
Guy A: He play D&D.
Guy B: Ewwwwww!

Reinboom
2007-10-13, 06:56 AM
No to Ryuan.


I know a considerable number of gay gamers and bi gamers, including being one myself. Each of them are a separate different person - y'know - like every other separate different person, and none seam to share likes in similar roles and thus I can't see any stereotype. A gaming personality also tends to be an attractive quality in my college (or university for those not of america).
.. Of course this could just be because of my current location.

Arakune
2007-10-13, 07:01 AM
No to Ryuan.


I know a considerable number of gay gamers and bi gamers, including being one myself. Each of them are a separate different person - y'know - like every other separate different person, and none seam to share likes in similar roles and thus I can't see any stereotype. A gaming personality also tends to be an attractive quality in my college (or university for those not of america).
.. Of course this could just be because of my current location.

Nah, don't be offended (if you was :smallredface: ). It's more that the situation itself should be quite ironic.

Starsinger
2007-10-13, 07:29 AM
I don't think we're really as rare as you think, it's just... media stereotypes put alot of pressure on gay men to be trendy, and despite the popularity it's gained since the dark ages of the 70's (waay before my time), gaming isn't exactly trendy. Not to mention, gaming's always been viewed as the territory of heterosexual men aged 13-21 (Or 30+ living in their mothers' basements...)

And to the people objecting to the word Gaymer, I'm not particularly fond of it, but it's not bothersome. It's not an attempt to be cute either. It's a time saver. "I'm a gaymer" immediately tells you that it's a homosexual who plays games. See? Brilliant how that one extra keystroke saves you a handfull.

Really though, I'd like to play with other homo/bi sexuals.. Don't get me wrong, I like straight people, infact my best friend is straight.. but sometimes you wanna share your hobbies with someone more like you, y'know?

kjones
2007-10-13, 08:09 AM
The word "gaymer" offends me, not because I have a problem with what it means, but because it just sounds so bloody stupid.

I mean, say it out loud. Right now. In order to make it sound different from "gamer", you have to put a lot of emphasis on the first syllable. You can't just say "gaymer", you have to say "gaaaay-mer", and that's just... AAAUGH!

If anyone ever uses that word around me, I will smack them upside the head and say, "Yeah, that word sure is a real time-saver. It just saved me the time I would have spent figuring out that you're a fool."

Dode
2007-10-13, 08:16 AM
No to Ryuan.


I know a considerable number of gay gamers and bi gamers, including being one myself. Each of them are a separate different person - y'know - like every other separate different person, and none seam to share likes in similar roles and thus I can't see any stereotype.
So what you're saying is that I shouldn't ask a local gaymer if he can optimize my dungeon's decoration score?

Eladrinstar
2007-10-13, 09:09 AM
It's the internet, you can find anyone to meet nearly any condition you want to specify.


Neo-Luddites?

Green Bean
2007-10-13, 09:19 AM
Look, it's quite straightforward.

You roll the d20, add the appropriate modifiers based on your background, and look up the result on table 7a to determine orientation. Each has access to a different list of bonus feats. Multiclassing doesn't work so well but if you take "Two-Gender Flirting" at first level it lessens the penalties for feats with the [Bi-curious (http://www.qwantz.com/archive/000311.html)] descriptor.

Sure, it's simple for the player. But does anyone feel pity for the poor DM, who has to deal with three different encounter tables? :smalltongue:

Quietus
2007-10-13, 09:30 AM
Okay, here's the thing - I DESPISE that word, for several reasons. For one, those of you who are suggesting it's a time saver... in face-to-face, as has been pointed out, yes. It lets you know that you can slap a person for being an idiot that much faster, particularly with how much MORE silly it'd sound when spoken.


My major complaint with it is this :

A) It looks RIDICULOUS

And more importantly,

B) Why do we need to know your sexual orientation? You're a gamer. Done. I don't need to know that you *Censored* to pictures of other men at night. I don't need to know that you want to *Censored* that guy in the coffee shop we were just in. Unless you're trying to play up your sexuality as being somehow just as relevant as your status as a gamer, THAT word is unnecessary.

And ultimately, if you DO decide to put your sexuality on your list of things that I need to know within three posts of meeting you, by using THAT term... that's going to lower my opinion of you, not because you're gay, but because you feel the need to flaunt it. I don't run around the internet spreading tales of my sexual encounters and orientation, I bring up my various bits of personal information only when it's relevant to the conversation or asked about. And that's the ONLY reason to use THAT word - to pass on information that should, by all rights, NOT MATTER.

Unless you're trying to hit on me, of course. In which case, stupid words turn me off, sorry.

Atreyu the Masked LLama
2007-10-13, 09:31 AM
Huh. Maybe that's the key to the whole situation here: the Demographics. If you live in an area with a disproportionately large gay community (Seattle, San Francisco, many College/University campuses, etc), you're gonna be running into gay gamers more often.

Ironically, I think I have evidence to prove this theory false. I live in Johnson City, TN, which is, I believe, well known for its large homosexual community, and certainly has 2 colleges in it. The kicker is that of the about 20 people in my various gaming groups, I can't think of any off the top of my head who are homosexual, at least not openly. In fact, over half of them are married and another 8 have been or are in serious relationships with members of the opposite sex.

Reinboom
2007-10-13, 09:39 AM
Ryuan: Oh no, I wasn't offended. :smalltongue:


So what you're saying is that I shouldn't ask a local gaymer if he can optimize my dungeon's decoration score?

Uhm, no? The only hardcore gamer interior designer that I'm familiar with from my school is heterosexual. Her buildings and dungeons are amazingly detailed for mapping purposes due to her tactful abilities with certain softwares. However, I don't believe orientation really has anything to do with other interests other than what is provided via cultural and social pressure.

The reason why certain areas may reveal more of certain rare combinations of people is probably due to the basic probability increase from having an increasing subject group. For each individual person it's not more likely - but there's more individual people so it just seams that much more likely. Also, the bay area (san francisco) has a heavy focus on the gaming industries now which attracts a lot of people (no matter their orientation) who are gamers.

Leon
2007-10-13, 10:14 AM
There is a thread in 4chan


There is the problem.


I don't give a hoot what a person's orientation is, as long as they can get along with other people and play.

Volug
2007-10-13, 10:20 AM
I'm surprised this thread isn't locked yet....

I would like to share my disgust of the word...... "Gay-mers". It offends me as a "GAMER!" its "Gamer" not "Gaymers"..... don't bring your talk about this.... crap into these forums because almost all of us don't want to hear about it... This thread is just wrong in more ways then 1.

Lord Tataraus
2007-10-13, 10:28 AM
A phobia is a psychosomatic(in extreme laymans, it means 'it's all in your head') disorder. It's an uncontrollable fear that, at best, makes rather wary about something(insignificant or not); at worst, it makes you run and scream until you can't see it anymore.

What Lord Tartarus has explained is Homophobia. What most people think of when they hear 'Homophobia' is the cliche "We don't take kindly to your type 'round here"; which is not Homophobia, it's just a general of homosexuals.

So, Homophobia is not 'wrong', per se, in the moral spectrum of the argument, but wrong in the sense that you have a mild mental disorder.

Ah yes, a much better explanation.

@ kamikasei: It's not so much that homosexuals wouldn't fit in, it would just be very awkward on both parts. I imagine there would be a lot of uneasy silence. I don't run screaming from the room, just stutter a lot and be a lot more withdrawn, not too good for a DM. The other players I'm thinking of would not approve of a male homosexual and at least one wouldn't approve of any.

Quirinus_Obsidian
2007-10-13, 10:30 AM
It is hard enough to find dedicated and knowledgeable DnD players. The fact that homosexual or bisexual orientation is used for discrimination by some persons is just imbecile. I personally don't care about someone's orientation. If they want to be friends and play the game well, it's all good. If they are happy with who they are then that is awesome too. :smallsmile:

Starsinger
2007-10-13, 10:50 AM
B) Why do we need to know your sexual orientation? You're a gamer. Done. I don't need to know that you *Censored* to pictures of other men at night. I don't need to know that you want to *Censored* that guy in the coffee shop we were just in. Unless you're trying to play up your sexuality as being somehow just as relevant as your status as a gamer, THAT word is unnecessary.

I don't think anyone would argue that the word is necessary. But that's the beauty of a language isn't it? All the unnecessary words that people use, or make up... But no, you're right. You don't need to know that I'm gay if we're going to game together.
You do need to know that I'm gay if we're going to be friends, because it's part of who I am. Just like you'd need to know that I like classical music, and dislike rap, or that I hate spicy food, but like sushi, that I like to quote movies and tv shows, and that I hate it when people can't laugh at themselves because they're too proud. And ideally, you want to be friends, or atleast as close to a friend as you can be, to people you're going to game with extensively.


don't bring your talk about this.... crap into these forums because almost all of us don't want to hear about it...

Really? That's kinda funny, cuz that's exactly how I feel about your comment.

Quietus
2007-10-13, 10:55 AM
You do need to know that I'm gay if we're going to be friends, because it's part of who I am. Just like you'd need to know that I like classical music, and dislike rap, or that I hate spicy food, but like sushi, that I like to quote movies and tv shows, and that I hate it when people can't laugh at themselves because they're too proud. And ideally, you want to be friends, or atleast as close to a friend as you can be, to people you're going to game with extensively.

I partially agree with this. I wouldn't say I NEED to know, if we were to be friends; I do, however, believe that it's something that would come up eventually. My issue with this particular word is that it brings up information that random internet populace just doesn't need to know, without having a reason for that information being shared. I could care less about who likes whom.

That said, I'd think our friendship would be on the rocks because our food tastes are entirely different; I dislike raw fish, seaweed, and white rice, and I love me some spicy stuff. On the other hand, I can think of a few Japanese or Korean food places downtown where you could order sushi and I can get something szechuan, so there might be hope yet!

We're totally going dutch, though. :smallwink:

Roland St. Jude
2007-10-13, 11:00 AM
Sheriff of Moddingham: Please remember that we have a broad definition of flaming here and take an extremely dim view of personal attack of any kind, and those based on things like sexual orientation and gender in particular. Thanks.

Arakune
2007-10-13, 11:02 AM
I partially agree with this. I wouldn't say I NEED to know, if we were to be friends; I do, however, believe that it's something that would come up eventually. My issue with this particular word is that it brings up information that random internet populace just doesn't need to know, without having a reason for that information being shared. I could care less about who likes whom.

That said, I'd think our friendship would be on the rocks because our food tastes are entirely different; I dislike raw fish, seaweed, and white rice, and I love me some spicy stuff. On the other hand, I can think of a few Japanese or Korean food places downtown where you could order sushi and I can get something szechuan, so there might be hope yet!

We're totally going dutch, though. :smallwink:

What he mean is:

I want to play with you, not marry you! Sure, you play on the 'other team', but that doesn't mean you are a bad person or a freak. But I really need to be aware of all the details of your life when we are in a friendly session of [insert game/event of your choice]?

In short, it all resumes to this: I don't care.

bosssmiley
2007-10-13, 11:03 AM
The first other gamer I met was also the first gay guy I met. Funny, that.

Ditto.

In retrospect we should have realised that all the Raistlin fanfics he wrote indicated something more than merely a love of "Dragonlance". :smallconfused:

Straight, gay, kettle-fetishist: I don't really care. If they roll polyhedrals they're OK by me. (just don't let the kettle-fetishists make the coffee)

Also 'gay-mer': what tin-eared clot coined that phrase? It's nearly as grating as "mobbie" (Hoxton Media T*sser slang for mobile/cell phone) or "very unique". *shudder* :smallannoyed:

Starsinger
2007-10-13, 11:12 AM
I partially agree with this. I wouldn't say I NEED to know, if we were to be friends; I do, however, believe that it's something that would come up eventually. My issue with this particular word is that it brings up information that random internet populace just doesn't need to know, without having a reason for that information being shared. I could care less about who likes whom. Random internet populace doesn't need to know your gender, age, ethnicity, or favorite flavor of Tea either.. but some people like to share information about themselves, it helps weed out racism, sexism, etc. before they become a problem. I mean if I told you I was a Fish, and you hated Fishes, it'd save a lot of time for when it eventually came out that you hated Fishes, cuz then we'd have to argue, since people who don't like you only matter after you've started talking to them for a while


We're totally going dutch, though. :smallwink:
Awesome! I usually treat, but this is much better for my wallet :smallwink:


I want to play with you, not marry you!
Pity.. I was totally picking out china patterns.. :smallamused:


I mean, say it out loud. Right now. In order to make it sound different from "gamer", you have to put a lot of emphasis on the first syllable. You can't just say "gaymer", you have to say "gaaaay-mer", and that's just... AAAUGH!


I don't think I've ever heard the term used IRL.. always as an internet, possibly T-shirt or bumper sticker kinda thing. And honestly, I don't think I'd ever want to hear it IRL.. Actual vocal conversation is the sort of thing that you don't really need shortcuts like that for..

Hadrian_Emrys
2007-10-13, 11:14 AM
Oh come on people, it's like the abuse of lol when face to face. Sure, you want to chuck the speaker through the nearest window, but try to have a sense of humor about it. It's a silly word that saves time in a text format and at least nobody has gotten started on breed-mer pride yet. :smalltongue:

Quietus
2007-10-13, 11:22 AM
Random internet populace doesn't need to know your gender, age, ethnicity, or favorite flavor of Tea either.. but some people like to share information about themselves, it helps weed out racism, sexism, etc. before they become a problem. I mean if I told you I was a Fish, and you hated Fishes, it'd save a lot of time for when it eventually came out that you hated Fishes, cuz then we'd have to argue, since people who don't like you only matter after you've started talking to them for a while

Suppose that's true. Even so, I still don't think that sexual orientation should be used in your introduction to a person. Just seems... like a distinct lack of class. Even if a woman introduced herself to me and within three sentences had to inform me that she was straight, I'd find that to be a distinct put-off... I don't judge people, but there's certain things that you don't throw in people's faces as soon as you meet'em, and this particular word strikes me as an attempt at a meme that will do precisely that.



Awesome! I usually treat, but this is much better for my wallet :smallwink:

Aw, nerts. You know, I screw myself out of more free meals that way.

UserClone
2007-10-13, 11:26 AM
We had a fellow in our group who was (presumably, as it never actually came up) straight, but loved musical theater, and acting in general, was very particular about what he ate, just had kind of a femininity about him. Anyways, the point is, despite the other stereotypically gay things about him, he was a SUPER! ANAL! RETENTIVE! DM! He wanted to know how long and in what increments everyone was going to sleep, argued that there was no way horses could travel farther than people in a day, made us purchase winter blankets and keep track of rations/horse feed, was very crazy about encumbrance (not just the weight, but how are you holding it?), etc. It was EXTREMELY not fluffy. Yet, when the time came, he could really do NPCs well. Meh.

Also, "Mobies" should die, I agree. Though luckily, I live in the US.

Edit: I'll go eat sushi with you ALL DAY! (AND I'm a breeder.:smallwink:)

Reinboom
2007-10-13, 11:30 AM
We had a fellow in our group who was (presumably, as it never actually came up) straight, but loved musical theater, and acting in general, was very particular about what he ate, just had kind of a femininity about him. Anyways, the point is, despite the other stereotypically gay things about him, he was a SUPER! ANAL! RETENTIVE! DM! He wanted to know how long and in what increments everyone was going to sleep, arued that there was no way horses could travel farther than people in a day, made us purchase winter blankets and keep track of rations/horse feed, was very crazy about encumbrance (not just the weight, but how are you holding it?), etc. It was EXTREMELY not fluffy. Yet, when the time came, he could really do NPCs well. Meh.

I actually tend to build my characters with those factors kept in mind, er, except the horse thing, just because I always expect exact rulings on each little thing (anally, of course).
Has yet to occur. Kind of disappointing :smalltongue:

Perhaps he would've worked better as a subgm?

Starsinger
2007-10-13, 11:39 AM
We had a fellow in our group who was (presumably, as it never actually came up) straight, but loved musical theater, and acting in general, was very particular about what he ate, just had kind of a femininity about him. Anyways, the point is, despite the other stereotypically gay things about him, he was a SUPER! ANAL! RETENTIVE! DM! He wanted to know how long and in what increments everyone was going to sleep, argued that there was no way horses could travel farther than people in a day, made us purchase winter blankets and keep track of rations/horse feed, was very crazy about encumbrance (not just the weight, but how are you holding it?), etc. It was EXTREMELY not fluffy. Yet, when the time came, he could really do NPCs well. Meh. That is insane. I've yet to be in a game where I've had a DM of any such retentiveness. All of our problems were at the speed of plot as it were.. we were hungry when he decided we needed to eat. We needed winter blankets when we were stranded in frostfell. We assumed that we bought 5,000 GP worth of diamonds before we needed them, and just cast Resurrection, erasing the GP off a character sheet.


Edit: I'll go eat sushi with you ALL DAY! (AND I'm a breeder.:smallwink:)

I have all these straight guys wanting to go out to eat with me... :smallamused: I'm not sure if I should be upset or flattered...

averagejoe
2007-10-13, 11:56 AM
You do need to know that I'm gay if we're going to be friends, because it's part of who I am. Just like you'd need to know that I like classical music, and dislike rap, or that I hate spicy food, but like sushi, that I like to quote movies and tv shows, and that I hate it when people can't laugh at themselves because they're too proud. And ideally, you want to be friends, or atleast as close to a friend as you can be, to people you're going to game with extensively.

I'd actually disagree with the general basis for this. I have a few friends I don't know this much about, and whenever I do find out it's because we're thinking of going out to eat and he/she mentions, "I like sushi." I just think that there are more important things about a person than what they like, and I don't particularly care for pointless conversation. I mean, it sounds way too much like I'm making a statement when I say, "I don't care whether you're gay," but for me it is very literarally true. As in a, "Why are you telling me, I don't care," sort of way. (Okay, I wouldn't be that crass, but you know what I mean.) Like food or music tastes, it's just a piece of boring yet occassionaly neccessary information on someone whose company I enjoy for completely separate reasons.

kamikasei
2007-10-13, 01:31 PM
Also also: (Am I the only one who thinks of molecular chains whenever a word with the -mer suffix comes up?)

I'm just waiting for some open-relationship advocate to show up and self-identify as a poly-mer.

Also, Starsinger beat me to the replies I was going to make to Quietus and MasatoHyuga.

Nowhere Girl
2007-10-13, 02:00 PM
This is thread is made of lulz. :smallbiggrin:

Also, gay-mer is a way dumb term, but at least I know it exists now. :smalltongue:

UserClone
2007-10-13, 02:06 PM
Does that make committed-relationship advocates mono-mers?:smalltongue:

Arakune
2007-10-13, 02:07 PM
Pity.. I was totally picking out china patterns.. :smallamused:



:smallconfused:

Why china?

UserClone
2007-10-13, 02:07 PM
Also, though it's technically double-posting, one would think that gamers who can never remember the names of other gamers/people/PCs/NPCs would be considered misno-mers?

Quietus
2007-10-13, 02:07 PM
This is thread is made of lulz. :smallbiggrin:

Also, gay-mer is a way dumb term, but at least I know it exists now. :smalltongue:

No, no it doesn't exist.

Lolzords
2007-10-13, 02:50 PM
Didn't read the entire post, disregard this post.

Catch
2007-10-13, 02:57 PM
Yeah, there's usually a player who does nothing but reinforce the rules even though he doesn't understand them fully himself.


PROTIP: Read the first post of the thread before assuming you know what it's about.

Hadrian_Emrys
2007-10-13, 04:24 PM
So long as we're playing games with terms ending in "mer"... suddenly Eomer's actions make sense on more than one level of understanding. :smallbiggrin:

Renrik
2007-10-13, 04:33 PM
Why's everyone talking about discrimination? Can't we have a discussion about gay gamers (or the homosexual community in general) without constantly reminding everyone that we ourselves are not homophobes?

That said, I'm now going to be a complete hypocrate and remind everyone that I myself am not a homophobe. Or gay.

I've never played with a gay gamer. Wel, my cousin might be bi, but that's really more hypothetical than practical. And another person who claims to be a bisexual wants to play D&D with me but I haven;t had the time, and from what I've heard of the other guys who play the game with him, he sucks at DMing. And playing.

But we have had gay characters. Well, I haven;t, but I was in a party with a gay character, a bisexual character, and a female nymphomaniac. Which didn't really affect me, because my character was a catholic preist, and therefor celibate. By the way, straight guys playing gay guys and constantly having their characters flout their gayness by hiring male prostitutes in D20 Modern is among the most paiful experiences I have ever had a gaming table. That and "Pamela Spears", the nymphomaniac blonde with the obscenely large breasts played by a lonely, lonely, 15-year old highschooler that has never touched a girl. Sadly, my alchohalic, terroristic, horribly offensive ethnic steryotype of a catholic preist was the most beleivable character in that game.


V So, so much worse.

Dode
2007-10-13, 04:37 PM
Experiences like the above post pretty much burn away the idea of disgust at the mere idea of same-sex preference. We've seen so much worse.

Roderick_BR
2007-10-13, 05:45 PM
The only gay person I played with used to play illusionist gnomes, back in AD&D. I'm not really sure if he was "fully" gay, as we just heard he had one experience, and soon moved out of town. I'm ashamed that some of the others members of the group made fun of him (not to his face, at least). Other than that, I know some gay people that plays RPG mostly on the internet, so I don't know how they are.

Kompera
2007-10-13, 08:08 PM
Pity.. I was totally picking out china patterns.. :smallamused:
That got a LOL. :smalltongue:

Edea
2007-10-13, 08:45 PM
I wonder if there are any gay characters in OotS. In any case, being gay myself, I get along just fine with everyone else in my gaming groups. It's not exactly rocket science to roleplay any sexuality one wishes to IC, and it usually doesn't matter or even come up during play. It's very simple: don't be a Queen Bee. I like the slutty lesbian elf characters, tbh.

Dhavaer
2007-10-13, 08:52 PM
I wonder if there are any gay characters in OotS.

Isn't one of Haley's advisor-things her latent bisexuality?

kamikasei
2007-10-13, 08:59 PM
I wonder if there are any gay characters in OotS.

There's that one guard in Cliffport (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0387.html). Plus, presumably, a certain minority of all the other characters we've seen but who haven't had much screen time.

Eladrinstar
2007-10-13, 09:01 PM
but loved musical theater, and acting in general,


*sigh* Contrary to popular belief, theatre doesn't turn you gay. *points at self*

Arakune
2007-10-13, 09:11 PM
That got a LOL. :smalltongue:

and again, why china :smallconfused: ?

Renrik
2007-10-13, 09:32 PM
*sigh* Contrary to popular belief, theatre doesn't turn you gay. *points at self*

*points at Eladrinstar and self*

Actually I can only think of one confirmed homosexual who was a longtime player in our school's theatre program. There were one or two that we had suspicions about, but nothing substantial. There were about eight homosexuals that tried out for Quilt, a musical we did on AIDS, and two or three of them got parts, but then quit becuase our director decided to focus on the fact that AIDS affects people of all nationalities, sexualities, and classes instead of turning the entire play into a huge grandstand for the small-but-annoyingly-loud homosexual community at our school. The irony is that after our director announced the play, a whole bunch of parents called saying she was endorsing homosexuality. She dais she wasn;t, and gave them many reasons why their claims were insubstantial. They left her alone. Then, she made a few alterations to the script, which was written in the early eighties and had about 90% homosexual characters, so that it wouldn;t appear as if they school were steryotyping homosexuals as having aids. That said, she kept the two main characters with AIDS as gay as they were in the original script, and added in a scene or two about being tolerant towards homosexuals. When she did this, the small-but-annoyingly-loud gay community at school came down on all our cases for making some of the gay characters in the play straight, and the three gay kids in the cast quit (except for the regular troupe member, who stayed becuasse he supported the director's descision.)

Anyway, enough of that rant. We're going to be doing Cats this year, and so even though we lost a bunch of our best actors to graduaton, it's going to be an awesome year in high school theatre in central Minnesota.

Aquillion
2007-10-13, 09:40 PM
I wonder if there are any gay characters in OotS.Let's see.

V is a possibility, though we have much bigger worries there. We know that V sees nothing wrong with it thanks to this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0365.html) strip, though.

From that strip, we also know that Nale and Sabine have 'experimented', but they seem to be in a (normally) heterosexual relationship.

Belkar is more interesting. He'd presumably be in the closet or in denial, but it would explain a lot about his reaction to V (he seems to care more than the rest of the OOTS what V's gender is.) He has made catcalls and other things, but those could all be compensating for his own internal conflicts and unwillingness to admit it to himself... or something. Anyway, Belkar really has bigger issues than repressed homosexuality in any case. (Speaking of stereotypes and musical theatre, he does know the complete words to Meet Me in St. Louis (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0383.html). Hmm. Hmm, indeed.) I think it's fair to say that there have been slight hints in the story that Belkar might, at least, be somewhat confused about his sexuality.

Haley, as mentioned, has latent bisexuality in her somewhere. That notwithstanding, her, Elan, Roy, and Celia are all in committed heterosexual relationships, while Durkon had Hilgya.

Most of team evil and the paladins have given no hint of their sexuality. Redcloak? Lien? Miko? Hinjo? O-Chul? Sangwaan? We do have some hint of Xykon's sexuality from the fact that he is "not one of those disgusting biophiliacs."

Shojo apparently has no children of his own, and never married, which is slightly unusual at his age. This would have at least sparked rumors, one would think.

Julio Scoundrél has children in every port in the known world, so he's probably out.

The Order of the Scribble are mostly accounted for. Soon was married, Dorukan loved Lirian... did Serini love Kraagor, or was that just respect for a comrade? She seems to have had a crush on Girard (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0196.html)... but that doesn't tell us about Girard himself.

Tsukiko seems to prefer male skeletions, but I'm not sure it makes a difference at that point.

And we don't even know if MITD has a gender.

Who else is left who could be a possiblity? The Flumphs? The lawyers?

Azerian Kelimon
2007-10-13, 09:44 PM
It's actually very annoying to knwo that such a belief exists. As a consummate amateur actor, I've never heard of it in 18 years of memory, but then it might be because I'm very "out of this world". It takes mucho effort to center me on sumthin'. But what should be acknowledged about acting is that it allows you to expand horizons, certainly. If you have to play a polar mirror of yourself, or a different-but-similar character, you usually learn to have more acceptance of new things, s'long as you don't take the wrong turn at it.


PS: BTW, considering how it was discussed if D&D atracted more homsexuals, has anybody noticed that the percentage of hopeful idealists and complete cynics seems to be much higher in D&D?

Starsinger
2007-10-14, 05:01 AM
Yeah, there's usually a player who does nothing but reinforce the rules even though he doesn't understand them fully himself.

Me: Ok, I cast disintergrate on the drow.
Gaymer: *stupid face* Arcane spell failuuuuure....
Me: I've told you a thousand times, my elven wizard DOESN'T wear armour.
Gaymer: But still...

This, right here, Quietus, is why I like people to know I'm gay off the bat if I'm going to be interacting with them heavily, it saves me from having to do something like this... Zen of Anger, that has nothing to do with homosexuality and you know it, there are thousands of words in the English language you can use to express your displeasure with something. Maybe you could try something that doesn't incidentally offend other people? I'm particularly fond of stupid myself.


Also, Starsinger beat me to the replies I was going to make to Quietus and MasatoHyuga.

I ninja'd a post? Suh-weet! :smalltongue:


and again, why china :smallconfused: ?

It' s a wedding thing... the to-be married couple usually picks out a china pattern (porcelin, not country) so they have a set of "fine china" for when they entertain important company, and for other special occasions.

Kompera
2007-10-14, 06:37 AM
It' s a wedding thing... the to-be married couple usually picks out a china pattern (porcelin, not country) so they have a set of "fine china" for when they entertain important company, and for other special occasions.
Yes, kind of. In practice it's not usually the couple who picks out the china pattern, but the woman. Much in the same way that we're pregnant really means I'm pregnant or my wife/partner is pregnant. :smallamused:

UserClone
2007-10-14, 06:41 AM
I'm particularly fond of stupid myself.
Wait, I'm stupid. Does that mean you are fond of me? Or fond of using the term for "my kind" to express displeasure?:smallamused: Also, I prefer classic blue-and-white china.:smalltongue:

OzymandiasPBS
2007-10-14, 06:45 AM
Let's see.

V is a possibility, though we have much bigger worries there. We know that V sees nothing wrong with it thanks to this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0365.html) strip, though.

V is, I remind you, "married"; this tends to imply (thanks to the sad, sad world we live in) that V is in a heterosexual relationship, though it is possible that marriage in this context could be used simply in the sense of two people committing to each other and so on, without any gender implications...


Starsinger, I have to agree, it can be kind of annoying. Most of my friends apologise when they use "gay" like that now, which can be even more annoying, however...

Xuincherguixe
2007-10-14, 08:19 AM
Heh, this thread is amusing.

There was one guy I knew who I played Shadowrun with that was gay, but at the time I didn't know it. When I found out he had come out of the closet years after I stopped talking to him (there was no particular reason for the falling out, it just happened) it kind of surprised me and yet not.

Back when I was in an IM campaign two of the guys were in a relationship together (the one invited his partner). One was a bit of a power gamer, the other had a character that didn't really work so well in terms of personality. But I didn't have a problem with them as people.

I'm not gay, but I can see how people might come to that conclusion. I can be more than a little unsettling at times. It would be pretty stupid if I got pissed off because people thought I was gay, and yet I continue to do things that people would think I was gay for doing.

As far as actually being around gay people, it can be a little uncomfortable for me, but I recognize that's my problem. And I try not to make them feel any more uncomfortable than I make anyone else feel. Which is to say I like messing with people but not hurting feelings. But there's a lot of things that make me uncomfortable and I still go into those kinds of situations. I really need to do it more often I think.


For what it's worth, I'm usaully the most disturbing person in any group ^_^

Kaelaroth
2007-10-14, 09:00 AM
I am a gay-mer... as some of you fools call it... but within gaming sessions it has never once been a problem. It actually really helped my bi-sexual sex-king, blood-god semi-vampiric epic sorcerer who had both commitment issues and immense claustrophobia, which when coupled with his love of fire and dragon hunting didn't go down immensely well... But that's another story.

Outside of gaming, being young, at a single sex school and homosexual sucks. That's all there is to say on the matter.

OzymandiasPBS
2007-10-14, 09:12 AM
Outside of gaming, being young, at a single sex school and homosexual sucks. That's all there is to say on the matter.

That depends. I've not found it so bad, something in part to do with the precise nature of the school (and, probably, with the nature of my circle of friends...)

Kaelaroth
2007-10-14, 11:04 AM
That depends. I've not found it so bad, something in part to do with the precise nature of the school (and, probably, with the nature of my circle of friends...)

Oh well... you're lucky then. And rather older than me.

OzymandiasPBS
2007-10-14, 11:28 AM
Oh well... you're lucky then. And rather older than me.
Can't be too much older, really; maximum of, say, 5 years - before that, and even then perhaps, you are kidding yourself if you think you know your sexuality.

Quietus
2007-10-14, 11:38 AM
This, right here, Quietus, is why I like people to know I'm gay off the bat if I'm going to be interacting with them heavily, it saves me from having to do something like this... Zen of Anger, that has nothing to do with homosexuality and you know it, there are thousands of words in the English language you can use to express your displeasure with something. Maybe you could try something that doesn't incidentally offend other people? I'm particularly fond of stupid myself.

See, I must be missing something in that quote, then. I look at it and go "Wow, that guy is a flaming idiot, and I wouldn't want to play with someone who acts like that". The fact that the person is gay really doesn't matter to me. So I'd say, personally, I'd find knowledge of a person's general ability to not be a bloody idiot FAR more pertinent than which gender they prefer to share a bed with.

Then again, you wouldn't know that about me if this topic hadn't come up, so I suppose that there's a point for your side of this debate in that.

UserClone
2007-10-14, 11:47 AM
Er, Quietus, Starsinger's complaint seems to lie in the fairly obvious fact that Zen seems not to have read the OP, and instead is looking at Gay-mer as a crude, insensitive, all-encompassing term for gamers who are jerks. That in and of itself, IMO, makes Zen at LEAST as much of a flaming idiot as the "Stupid-er" he describes. You also didn't seem to notice this.

EDIT: SS, for that one, you are TOTALLY treating.:smallwink:
EDIT2: SUSHI=YUM!
EDIT3: Actually, Catch noted this exact fact directly in the next post after Zen, so how did you happen to miss it, anyway?

Atreyu the Masked LLama
2007-10-14, 12:18 PM
*points at Eladrinstar and self*

Actually I can only think of one confirmed homosexual who was a longtime player in our school's theatre program. There were one or two that we had suspicions about, but nothing substantial. There were about eight homosexuals that tried out for Quilt, a musical we did on AIDS, and two or three of them got parts, but then quit becuase our director decided to focus on the fact that AIDS affects people of all nationalities, sexualities, and classes instead of turning the entire play into a huge grandstand for the small-but-annoyingly-loud homosexual community at our school. The irony is that after our director announced the play, a whole bunch of parents called saying she was endorsing homosexuality. She dais she wasn;t, and gave them many reasons why their claims were insubstantial. They left her alone. Then, she made a few alterations to the script, which was written in the early eighties and had about 90% homosexual characters, so that it wouldn;t appear as if they school were steryotyping homosexuals as having aids. That said, she kept the two main characters with AIDS as gay as they were in the original script, and added in a scene or two about being tolerant towards homosexuals. When she did this, the small-but-annoyingly-loud gay community at school came down on all our cases for making some of the gay characters in the play straight, and the three gay kids in the cast quit (except for the regular troupe member, who stayed becuasse he supported the director's descision.)

Anyway, enough of that rant. We're going to be doing Cats this year, and so even though we lost a bunch of our best actors to graduaton, it's going to be an awesome year in high school theatre in central Minnesota.

Just don't make some of the characters in Cats humans or you'll have a small but vocal furry crowd on your teacher's tail. :smallbiggrin: :smallsmile:

Aquillion
2007-10-14, 12:36 PM
V is, I remind you, "married"; this tends to imply (thanks to the sad, sad world we live in) that V is in a heterosexual relationship, though it is possible that marriage in this context could be used simply in the sense of two people committing to each other and so on, without any gender implications...V is not human, and does not live in our sad, sad world in any case... and, for that matter, there are in fact countries and states in our world where gay couples can legally be married, and even outside of those there are plenty of gay couples in our world who would describe themselves as "married" no matter what the law says.

And we know, from the link above, that V sees absolutely nothing even noteworthy about gay couples, and doesn't seem to think that gender is important at all (to the point of missing gender-based jokes or humor that the other characters see, such as when Roy put on the belt.) This implies that V comes from a civilization where it isn't important, and where gay couples can indeed marry.

OzymandiasPBS
2007-10-14, 12:38 PM
V is not human, and does not live in our sad, sad world in any case... and, for that matter, there are in fact countries and states in our world where gay couples can legally be married, and even outside of those there are plenty of gay couples in our world who would describe themselves as "married" no matter what the law says.

To my knowledge one state (in the US), and 4 countries (all European). This could be outdated now. And yes, many do describe themselves as married, I don't forget that, but even so.


And we know, from the link above, that V sees absolutely nothing even noteworthy about gay couples, and doesn't seem to think that gender is important at all (to the point of missing gender-based jokes or humor that the other characters see, such as when Roy put on the belt.) This implies that V comes from a civilization where it isn't important, and where gay couples can indeed marry.

Not really; cultural desensitisation to the issue doesn't mean that marriage is extended to homosexuals - marriage could be pared down to purely childraising couples for instance.

Point taken though; hm... back to the enigma of V being total.

Renrik
2007-10-14, 02:19 PM
^^^ Sweet merciful god forbid. Actually, the anime-loving furry lobby at our school is made of basically all the same people as the small-but-annoyingly-loud gay lobby at our school. I don't mind the homosexuality so much as the implied desire for bestiality from the furries. Because coming from a rural area in central Minnesota, I am very much against bestiality.

Still, I get to be Bustopher Jones, Gus the Theatre Cat, and nameless chorus cat #9. Most of our good actors graduated last year, so they're spreading the regulars in the troupe thin by giving us multiple parts. We even had to draft two staff members to fill out the ranks for Old Deuteronomy and Grizabella.




Concerning V: Elves are all gender-ambiguous treehuggers, and as such cannot be either gay or straight, as they reproduce hermaphroditically with other members of their vile species to form demented pod-like growths on their backs, which bud off and form tiny elfling spawn that live by slurping, through their strawlike probisci, the pulped and liquified remains of humans and dwarves, regurgitated to them by the communal Overseer of the Spawn in the digusting, elf-infested woodlands those hideous monstrosities call home.