LGBTAitp 29: the Rainbow Outreach Program

[noparlpf]

Sadly, from my understanding that's actually true. No matter how reprehensible or clearly guilty the defendant is, the defence lawyers have to come up with some means of defence. Doesn't matter if they hate the guy and everything he stands for, their job requires that they defend him any way they can think of.

But it's not actually a defense, it's just ridiculous.


On fighting games: Seems to me like most of the time you'll just get massive guys like three meters high and packed with muscles, next to small girls with huge breasts. Some of them are actually quite ridiculous.

[KerfuffleMach2]

I think... Street Fighter, and maybe Mortal Kombat, at least had pretty cool female characters? Huge boobs, and in at least one case grotesquely massive thighs, but a decent number of female butt-kicking characters. I also know there's some game that has a transwoman character, but all I know about it is what's shown in Manly Guys Doing Manly Things.

The transwoman character is named Poison, and she's from a Street Fighter game. I forget which one, though.

Guilty Gear has a crossdressing male character named Bridgett.

Blaz Blue has some good strong-female characters. As does Marvel vs. Capcom.

And there's always Super Smash Bros. It's all Nintendo, so you won't really find too many offensive things there.

[Astrella]

Ugh...I've been having a pretty lousy morning.

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A lot of the links that have been going around have been getting me thinking. It actually started with that Matrix-Patriarchy comic, and then when I read Natalie's blog about the biggest trans myths (exact names escape me at the moment), it all sort of came together.

I used to be really wrapped up in that way of thinking, and it almost...If it hadn't been for this thread, and constantly seeing it popping up on the forum and getting curious, something really bad might have happened in my future.

I used to believe in the whole, "You're really a man," thing. Even though I wanted to be a woman so bad it hurt sometimes, I couldn't think of it any other way than biology. The first time I looked up SRS (when I was 13 or so), I remember I was disappointed that it couldn't allow you to get pregnant afterwards, and I decided it "wasn't real." When a physics teacher I had in college a few years ago began a class trying to be as inclusive as possible, and said he would call people by the pronoun of their choice, I can remember thinking that it was stupid, because even though I wanted to be a girl, "I [was a] boy, so I have to be called he." The onyl way for me to get what I wanted and for it to be real was a supernatural transformation, which was of course impossible, so I sank deeper and deeper into fantasizing about how that could be possible, to the exclusion of living my life. I'm surprised I actually graduated from school, my grades slipped so much in my last couple years...

I just can't stop thinking about how freaking close I came to missing out on something that has made me happier than I've ever been (yes, I'm aware of the irony about saying I'm happy when I'm complaiing about being depressed-ish). It's quite possible that you guys all saved me. I can never thank you enough for that!

Sorry for the depressing rant (spoilered for those who don't care to read it), but it's been hanging over my thoughts recently, and I needed to get it out.

You're all the greatestest . I'm going to go work on our Werewolf game in order to think about something else, now...


~Phoenix~
And Lena, even though it's been your links that led to thins, don't feel bad, please. I enjoy reading the things you link, because they help me understand better. It'll pass, and I'll be better off for it :) .
EDIT: And wow, I did it again! I got post #197 (my previous post, not this one)! I don't plan it that way, I swear it just happens >_< !

Hm hm, I'm really glad the thread helped you out like that. I can also understand that cause meeting Faulty was basically the catalyst to me starting to figure stuff out as well, so if I hadn't met her things might have gone really differently.

I think... Street Fighter, and maybe Mortal Kombat, at least had pretty cool female characters? Huge boobs, and in at least one case grotesquely massive thighs, but a decent number of female butt-kicking characters. I also know there's some game that has a transwoman character, but all I know about it is what's shown in Manly Guys Doing Manly Things.

I think you mean Poison?

[Serpentine]

And there's always Super Smash Bros. It's all Nintendo, so you won't really find too many offensive things there.

...
Birdo.

[KerfuffleMach2]

...
Birdo.

Ah, but Birdo isn't in Smash Bros.

Not yet, anyways. Might pop up in the next one.

[Thajocoth]

...
Birdo.

While initial wording of things may have been a little insulting, Birdo is now fully accepted as female despite initially being physically male. I don't know if she canonically had an operation (or a magic equivalent) or not, but this acceptance of who she is despite her initial physical characteristics, seems like a message of tolerance to me that might not have been as meaningful if she was not initially so misunderstood.

Like, the world she lives in didn't accept her at first, but she didn't try to change meet the expectations of others. Eventually the world's view changed to accept her.

[Coidzor]

On fighting games: Seems to me like most of the time you'll just get massive guys like three meters high and packed with muscles, next to small girls with huge breasts. Some of them are actually quite ridiculous.

They're like a flanderization of all of our basest urges turned to the LCD.

So I like to sort of take them as a parody of humanity writ large.

[Thajocoth]

Ah, but Birdo isn't in Smash Bros.

Not yet, anyways. Might pop up in the next one.

She appears in the Super Mario Bros 2 inspired level in Smash Melee as an obstacle that shoots eggs into the fray. She's not playable, but she does appear.

[noparlpf]

They're like a flanderization of all of our basest urges turned to the LCD.

So I like to sort of take them as a parody of humanity writ large.

Yeah, problem is parodies are supposed to be intentional.

Oh yeah, and the manga History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi uses that same sort of style I was thinking of.

[KenderWizard]

*hugs back*

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Unlike most people who don't like the festive season, I'm not concerned about family reunions and such. In fact, it's been a couple years I spend the crucial evenings with friends instead, and I have a pretty good time there. The only difference between friends and family, actually, is that the former is like a party that happens to take place during holidays, and the latter consists of my mother organizing something resembling (but not being quite) a Christmas evening.
I don't like Christmas because of Christmas itself. My father died the day after Christmas and people do not give a [REDACTED] about it because it's the holidays, and unfortunate events such as this one just make it awkward, especially when they've already reached their quota of generosity. It's a terrible, shallow holiday. I don't even want or expect gifts, I just want people to leave me the hell alone when I want to and not even dare thinking about instilling me with the holiday spirit. These people don't actually care that much about helping others, especially once the mandatory day is past (and during that day, god forbid you don't look happy enough, because just who is unhappy on Christmas?!). Remember the 2004 tsunami? Though [REDACTED], happened right after Christmas too, and we only remember it when yet another movie comes out, narrating the pain and suffering of the white tourists who survived it. And heck, it's not just the others, I'm selfish, the difference is that I'm not being hypocritical about it.
There's a lot I could say on this subject, but this is not the time or place for this. If you know Dino Buzzati, he wrote a short story on Christmas that expresses perfectly how it makes me feel. In fact, he wrote a bunch of stories I can relate to, and I suggest you guys take a look.

[sarcasm]Not that a Jew who doesn't celebrate Christmas is that unusual anyway, even if they're not religious. What's stranger is that I'm not planning to eat Chinese.[/sarcasm]

So yeah, I'm a grumpy one. I respect everyone's right to like and celebrate Christmas, but if anyone pushes it on me, or worse, tell me to cheer up, I swear someone's going to regret it, and it's not gonna be me.

EDIT: I realize I might come up as really aggressive here and it's not my intention, so let me correct it.
Kender, I'm glad you're looking forward to it, and I wish you a great amount of fun! That's valid for everyone else who's looking toward Christmas, of course.

Bleedin hell, that's no good. I understand. Not completely, but I can sympathise, if not fully empathise. I'm not religious, but I was raised in a Catholic tradition. Christmas for me isn't about religion or consumerism, but about gift-giving (I often make the gifts and cards) and spending time with people, because it's when everyone has holidays. I do understand that it isn't that way for everyone, though, and thank you for your good wishes!

...
Birdo.

Omfg ikr wtf?! I remember reading the blurb for Birdo in something and being like "what!". It was the pronoun-swapping between languages and stuff that got me.

[KerfuffleMach2]

She appears in the Super Mario Bros 2 inspired level in Smash Melee as an obstacle that shoots eggs into the fray. She's not playable, but she does appear.

Oh yeah. Forgot about that. Been a while since I've played Melee.

[Lix Lorn]

Omfg ikr wtf?!

Honey, I love you, but this phrase hurt my brain.

[Mono Vertigo]

Yeah, huh, most of this has never been said in my presence, but it sure as heck was implied in words and acts. Just wanted to clarify. Still encountered too many people who did say "but you should just celebrate Christmas!" (alone with my mother, of course, back in those years, because they were not going to invite me or help me in any way either; I should just celebrate like everybody else, not remind them on the 24th and the 25th that all suffering in the world has not vanished, and not bother them either on the 26th because life goes on).
At least my friends consider holiday celebrations consist mostly in staying up real late and, sometimes but not always, eating something appropriately-themed; no one pushing tautologies along the lines of "it's a happy holiday because it's a happy holiday and that alone should make you happy".

[Faulty]

Poison is complicated. From wikipedia: "Let's set the record straight: In North America, Poison is officially a post-op transsexual. But in Japan, she simply tucks her business away to look female." - Yoshinori Ono

Either way she's trans, but I prefer the Japanese localization backstory.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Poison is complicated. From wikipedia: "Let's set the record straight: In North America, Poison is officially a post-op transsexual. But in Japan, she simply tucks her business away to look female." - Yoshinori Ono

Either way she's trans, but I prefer the Japanese localization backstory.

I'm in North America, and I always assumed the Japanese explanation. Not sure why, but that's what my mind processed when I found out that she was trans.

[KenderWizard]

Honey, I love you, but this phrase hurt my brain.

Soz, lol.

I love you too!

[Lix Lorn]

Soz, lol.

I love you too!

xD I'll forgive you. This time. ;P

Dawww. (hug!)

[KenderWizard]

xD I'll forgive you. This time. ;P

Dawww. (hug!)

((hugs!))

Btw, I know I'm like several months late to this party (but that's a big deal to me because I'm usually years if not decades late to the popular music party!) but I frigging love Call Me Maybe's music video! At first I was like "Sigh, much with the gendernormative white people, slim girl and cut boy!" but then it totally won me over!! This is actually thread relevant. Ish.

[monkyman640]

Btw, I know I'm like several months late to this party (but that's a big deal to me because I'm usually years if not decades late to the popular music party!) but I frigging love Call Me Maybe's music video! At first I was like "Sigh, much with the gendernormative white people, slim girl and cut boy!" but then it totally won me over!! This is actually thread relevant. Ish.

Totally did not see that ending coming

[Mina Kobold]

On fighting games: Seems to me like most of the time you'll just get massive guys like three meters high and packed with muscles, next to small girls with huge breasts. Some of them are actually quite ridiculous.

That, at least, seems to be only partially true with King of Fighters. Being one of the games I had unopened, I tried it. It has some really big males, but there is quite the variety in size and muscle-mass. In fact, half the cover is dedicated to this person, whom I find seriously adorable. X3

The problem comes when looking at the female characters. Only four female-presenting characters in a cast of twenty-two. Of those, one is a schoolgirl dressed rather impractically for battle (but also adorable and with pink hair... conflicting! >_<), while two of the others are respectively showing a lot of cleavage or baring a pretty big amount of midriff. The last one is a pretty cool-looking noble with an equestrian style, but midriff! D:

I have no idea if the story handles that in any way, though, since I have no idea how to find the story-mode. ^_^'

The transwoman character is named Poison, and she's from a Street Fighter game. I forget which one, though.

Guilty Gear has a crossdressing male character named Bridgett.

Blaz Blue has some good strong-female characters. As does Marvel vs. Capcom.

And there's always Super Smash Bros. It's all Nintendo, so you won't really find too many offensive things there.

I forgot about Super Smash Bros., that series sounds pretty fun, if more of a thing I would want to play with friends.

I actually have Blazblue: Calamity Trigger (also unopened), but I actually mostly found criticism of the fact that... Well, almost all its female characters are portrayed with a focus on fanservice. Panty-shots, skimpy outfits and what appears to be an experiment in how close to naked a character can be without actually being so. Which would be fine, if not for the male-presenting characters never doing so. Hear it is still fun, but that "women are eye-candy, men are competent and Genderqueer sounds like a regular candy" impression kind of irks me. Sorry! m(_ _)m

Poison is complicated. From wikipedia: "Let's set the record straight: In North America, Poison is officially a post-op transsexual. But in Japan, she simply tucks her business away to look female." - Yoshinori Ono

Either way she's trans, but I prefer the Japanese localization backstory.

But I am in Europe! >_<

While I think Poison is entitled to privacy, I do wonder why they would change the details between markets. Hope it is not transmisogyny, but it could be.

PS: Sorry for being all goofy, I am really really sleepy. @_@

[turkishproverb]

I*hugs to turkishproverb and anyone else who needs them*

*hugs for turkishproverb and Musashi*
Full disclosure: I love Christmas so frigging much like seriously wow it's amazing and even thinking about Christmas makes me really excited.

I find it really upsetting when families can't manage to be accepting for just a little while. I know it's hard and never perfect, but I really think it's important for, you know, _some_ effort to be made.

*Hugs* Musashi and Kender*

I appreciate that. I like christmas, but I hate the time of year too.

[KerfuffleMach2]

Yeah, Smash Bros. is more of a group game. Although Brawl, the Wii version, has a pretty cool story mode.

With Blazblue, I'll admit that several characters do fit those stereotypes. But not all. I don't of any fanservice poses for Noel (a female character that uses a pair of giant handguns), and one of Bang's super moves leaves him in just a scarf and cloth diaper. In a badass pose, of course.

I don't think you're gonna find a fighter that leaves out all the stereotypes, but some don't have as many as others.

If you like Final Fantasy characters, look into either Final Fantasy Dissidia or Dissidia 012. Both play like a fighter, but have some RPG elements to them. Dissidia has one good and one evil character from every game up to 12, while Dissidia 012 goes up to 13 and has extra characters from about half of the games.

[Faulty]

While I think Poison is entitled to privacy, I do wonder why they would change the details between markets. Hope it is not transmisogyny, but it could be.

PS: Sorry for being all goofy, I am really really sleepy. @_@

I believe the change in the NA market was to make it more palatable for US players...

[Coidzor]

Yeah, problem is parodies are supposed to be intentional.

Well, as I recall, Dead or Alive *started* as a parody... A fair bit of them at least seemed to be aware and playing with it to a greater or lesser extent of tongue-in-cheekiness. Last I was paying attention to such things anyway.

[SiuiS]

The problem comes when looking at the female characters. Only four female-presenting characters in a cast of twenty-two. Of those, one is a schoolgirl dressed rather impractically for battle (but also adorable and with pink hair... conflicting! >_<), while two of the others are respectively showing a lot of cleavage or baring a pretty big amount of midriff. The last one is a pretty cool-looking noble with an equestrian style, but midriff! D:

While I think Poison is entitled to privacy, I do wonder why they would change the details between markets. Hope it is not transmisogyny, but it could be.

PS: Sorry for being all goofy, I am really really sleepy. @_@

Psychological warfare. Angry manly man will be distracted by cleavage and midriff.

Also. No clue on poison.

Blarg. Feelin' low this last week. Unrelated, but blah.

[noparlpf]

Also posted in Relationships thread but somewhat related to this too plus now I'm worrying too so yeah.

EDIT: This one is actually related to the thread. What's the general consensus on confessing to a same-sex person who is known to be straight? The confessing party is also severely depressed and sometimes self-injurious, and seems to be in the worst throes of early puppy-love.
EDIT: Add in other friend who's driving herself to distraction worrying that she's "not good enough"/"doesn't matter enough" to "save" her friends from their unhappiness. Help?

[golentan]

Also posted in Relationships thread but somewhat related to this too plus now I'm worrying too so yeah.

Well, I think it's usually better to get your feelings out in the open. You can make it clear you don't expect them to reciprocate, but you just want them to know how you feel. It can be the basis for moving on, growing closer, and just generally being more honest and content with yourself and your friendship.

The exception would be if you have reason to believe such a confession would do permanent damage to your friendship or put you in harm's way.

[Mina Kobold]

Yeah, Smash Bros. is more of a group game. Although Brawl, the Wii version, has a pretty cool story mode.

WIIIIII! Why do you have so many fun games I cannot play! >_<

With Blazblue, I'll admit that several characters do fit those stereotypes. But not all. I don't of any fanservice poses for Noel (a female character that uses a pair of giant handguns), and one of Bang's super moves leaves him in just a scarf and cloth diaper. In a badass pose, of course.

I don't think you're gonna find a fighter that leaves out all the stereotypes, but some don't have as many as others.

These two (Last one is even a boobs-and-butt pose) look rather fanservice-y, albeit far far less than some other characters. But aside from that and the fact that Noel is wearing a skirt that should flash everybody at the slightest movement, Noel does look quite cool and demanding of authority. Certainly a character whose fanservice-elements are not a defining trait.

The problem with Bang is, as you said, it is intended to be impressive. The clothing of a lot of female-presenting characters seem very much geared at appealing to the audience's libido (Thongs, half-bras and doing high-kicks that reveal your underwear, etc.), while Bang is supposed to appeal to the audience's Look-at-my-manly-manmuscles-of-manly-musclyness-ido. Which is totally a word! >_>

I do not at all think that these are stereotypes to be avoided at all, merely that they stop being so ubiquitous. If more male-presenting characters were presented as Litchi and more female characters did not, I would be just fine with it. Essentially, I am being a grumpy old feminist here, sorries. ^_^'

If you like Final Fantasy characters, look into either Final Fantasy Dissidia or Dissidia 012. Both play like a fighter, but have some RPG elements to them. Dissidia has one good and one evil character from every game up to 12, while Dissidia 012 goes up to 13 and has extra characters from about half of the games.

I have heard about that, from one of the Extra Credits recommendation videos, and I shall take your advice! ^_^

Now if only I had played more than two Final Fantasy games... Well, that can be fixed! XIII was also one of my unopened games. :3

I believe the change in the NA market was to make it more palatable for US players...

That is both curious and incredibly sad to hear. ;_;

Psychological warfare. Angry manly man will be distracted by cleavage and midriff.

Also. No clue on poison.

Blarg. Feelin' low this last week. Unrelated, but blah.

But the MAN-peeps never do anything different against the midriff characters. And how would you get into highly challenging tournaments if you were distracted that easily? That way, I could get i-Ooh, this game has pretty water! *w*

*HUGS/COOKIES*

That is no fun, I hope the next one will be much better! ^_^

I personally am feeling a bit low too, but that is mostly because I keep feeling guilty about not doing schoolwork. And when I do schoolwork I feel guilty that I am not drawing. And when-Sorry, you get the point, I am neurotic. ^_^'

[Lentrax]

So... On a more positive note, well...

Hmmm. I don't seem to have one.

Anyone have some good news to share?

[Absol197]

So... On a more positive note, well...

Hmmm. I don't seem to have one.

Anyone have some good news to share?

Well, I checked out thte local GLBT Center in Denver yesterday. It's a pretty neat place.

I just had a couple issues with it. Firstly, they've apparently got a youth hangout spot downstairs, but it's only for people 21 and under. So while that seems to be the exact kind of place I'd like to check out, I'm too old by three years. Of course, they might be more lenient about that, but I didn't really ask >_< . The other bit is that all their trans stuff happens on Thursdays, which conflicts with my kung fu practice that I started up again last week.

Huh, I guess this news didn't turn out to be as good as I had initally thought. Oh, well. It's at least neutral news, possibly good-ish. Right?


~Phoenix~