Is Minrah Gay?

[Synesthesy]

I feel that whatever her secret is, it's a thing less important and more 'stupid' then being gay. Something like I don't know, the fact that her favourite singer is Justin Elfieber while the clerics of Thor usually like Amon Amarth. Only that Thor doesn't care and will love you whatever music you like (even if in Valhalla they play metal, of course).

[hroþila]

Being a murderous little savage is bad, too. Usually B showed acceptance, if not glee, when he was called that, though.
So the "bad" factor alone is off of the table, I'd say.

Maybe because he likes to be a murderer and not a homophobe. But the reaction in that case doesn't sound Belkarish, I guess he'd be at most more like: "Nah, I'm fine whoever you like to bang."

Obviously Belkar's moral compass is, shall we say, deeply flawed, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have any standards whatsoever. Belkar doesn't think being a murderous little savage is bad, so he doesn't feel insulted by that label. But he did feel insulted by being called a paladin. It's not about "bad" as in "Evil", but as in "something Belkar personally doesn't think is ok", and in that sense it fits.

[Themrys]

I feel that whatever her secret is, it's a thing less important and more 'stupid' then being gay. Something like I don't know, the fact that her favourite singer is Justin Elfieber while the clerics of Thor usually like Amon Amarth. Only that Thor doesn't care and will love you whatever music you like (even if in Valhalla they play metal, of course).

I agree.

It is unlikely Minrah would be worried about being a lesbian. It is pretty clear that Thor doesn't care one way or the other, and we have seen no indication that dwarven society does, either. (Hilgya's clan would obviously have still forced her into heterosexual marriage if she was lesbian, but it seems we are intended to read them as exception.)

And Rich certainly wouldn't give her some outlandish sexual fetish for a secret - that would change the tone of the whole comic.

So, likely it is something stupid, like preferring tea to beer, or taste in music. It could also be liking trees, but since she was pretty ready to attack the trees, perhaps not that.

From the interaction she had with Thor and her palpable relief at his acceptance of it, my takeaway was that she was sexually attracted to Thor.

Now that you mention it, I think I thought that, too, after reading the comic. Would have to re-read ...

It would make sense for a pretty common-sense, down to earth person to worry that Thor might be offended at that (more sense than worrying about not liking beer would), and also make sense for someone as promiscuous as Thor to be totally okay with, and even flattered by it.

[Goosefarble]

Uhhhhh......

It's "homophone."

Wow. I'm an idiot.

[Dellis]

The thought did cross my mind, reading that panel, but to answer the titular question, I don't really think it's that important.

Until and unless a character's sexual orientation is important to the plot, it is largely irrelevant.

It's not like it makes the character any more or any less interesting or compelling, either. By itself, it's literally a checkmark, adds nothing. (Note - by itself. If an interesting plot point were to develop on that detail, it'd be a different matter).

Give me secrets that shake the plot or
make me laugh over this, any time of day.

It isn't representation that makes a story good.
It's a good story that brings with it representation.

(Assuming representation even matters, but I have vastly different ideas from most on that and proper discussion on the subject here would inevitably lead to forbidden topics, not to mention being only tangentially related to the topic. It is not my desire to derail a topic so.)

[Trilo]

Put me in the camp that thinks that Minrah's secret will never be revealed, or even mentioned again.

A lot of us - maybe most of us - have things about ourselves that we're not 100% comfortable with, even if rationally we know there's nothing wrong with them. For some of us it's our gender identity or sexual orientation, for others it's some mental health thing, for some of us it's a fetish. For others it's just something like not finding dogs or babies cute, or being really into the fandom for a book series or TV show that according to mainstream opinion is hot garbage.

I think Minrah's secret is a stand-in for any & all of these things. Narratively I think it serves two purposes:

1. It rounds out Minrah's character: it establishes that she has an inner life that doesn't have to do with being a cleric of Thor, killing vampires, etc;
2. It reinforces that Thor is one of the good guys by showing that he actively cares about each one of his followers, so much that he'll take the time to reassure them about their insecurities.

I suspect that it's also meant to serve a non-narrative purpose:

3. It encourages us, the readers, to think about whatever harmless things WE'RE secretly embarrassed by, and subtly reassures us that they're probably okay too. And also that it's perfectly fine if we prefer to keep them private. Whatever "they" are.

[CriticalFailure]

Maybe she's a big Twilight fan and thinks it's bad because Vampires are evil undead abominations. Or because Twilight is a franchise widely viewed as "hot garbage." Or both.

[DLcygnet]

On one hand, I should protest a thread that distills a potentially strong female character down to who she's into.

On the other hand, most likely this.

My guess is she's trans.

The hints lead me to think that it's not something we'd think of as flippant, but also not such a huge deal that the story's gonna focus on it. In fact, the story of her transition's already resolved. Thor knows her name, Thor gets it, it's sorted.

Now I'll be expecting a Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity callback (Strip 9 and 233+). But it would seem like this sort of thing wouldn't be such a big deal, though. Just expensive. Heck, with spells like baleful polymorph and other magic girdles (dwarvenkind, etc), why even be limited to the same species?

[Synesthesy]

Actually the Giant has made it clear that he won't talk about gender-changing character anymore, after some real people got offended by the Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity back in the day. I bet someone could find the right quote somewhere.

Was it summon Bandana V?

[RatElemental]

On one hand, I should protest a thread that distills a potentially strong female character down to who she's into.

On the other hand, most likely this.

Now I'll be expecting a Girdle of Femininity/Masculinity callback (Strip 9 and 233+). But it would seem like this sort of thing wouldn't be such a big deal, though. Just expensive. Heck, with spells like baleful polymorph and other magic girdles (dwarvenkind, etc), why even be limited to the same species?

You could even just get an item enchanted with the alter self spell or something. No need for curses or stuff like that, just a ring that makes you match your own mental image of yourself, wouldn't even be that expensive as far as magic items go, especially if you start bringing in cost reducing restrictions like it only working for a dwarf who is a fighter and also a cleric.

[Anymage]

Minrah almost certainly isn't trans, because if she were it could go one of two ways;

-Minrah is post-transition. Which I could see a case for Lien or Felix or most other characters to be that way (and I'd like to see Rich acknowledge offscreen that one such character is trans even though it wouldn't come up in comic), but I don't know that someone who had already transitioned would "be worried about for a while". I don't think a post-transition person would be worried about their state, since by definition they're more unhappy with the way they were before.

-Minrah is pre-transition. In which case she's going to want to find magic to complete the transition at some point, and Rich rightly understands that there's a risk he'll screw it up. Having transness come up around a plot point or especially anywhere around a joke is riskier than Rich would like to do, so I understand him wanting to give it a very wide berth..

The only characters who we can say conclusively aren't trans are characters where we've seen them as children in a flashback. But given the author's tastes, I think it's safe to say that transness as a plot point is not something we're going to see.

[mjasghar]

Her talk about having kids or not having kids etc suggests not
I think the evidence points to a more romantic feeling to Thor than is acceptable in dwarven society or just being into girly stuff: glitter ink doesn’t sound very dwarven, even dwarven female
Maybe being into pink and unicorns and bows is the Dwarf equivalent of goths

[Themrys]

Her talk about having kids or not having kids etc suggests not
I think the evidence points to a more romantic feeling to Thor than is acceptable in dwarven society or just being into girly stuff: glitter ink doesn’t sound very dwarven, even dwarven female
Maybe being into pink and unicorns and bows is the Dwarf equivalent of goths

I am sure dwarves have heard of the turkey baster method, so her thinking about possibly wanting children doesn't rule out her being lesbian.


That said, since she seems to be from the same culture as Durkon and he's not homophobic, it isn't likely she'd be that worried about being lesbian. (On the other hand, that "... not that there would be anything wrong with the alternative" comment ALSO implied that Durkon wouldn't see anything wrong with anyone being sexually attracted to Thor. But I could easier see "Is it okay to be attracted to my highest boss" as being more of a personal morality question than "is it okay to be a lesbian".)

[Mike Havran]

My bet is that Minrah refuses a marriage her family prepared for her and that she had a falling out with them as a result; likely she fled from her family's cave and spent her time before meeting OotS wondering whether she did the right thing.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Not likely, since she is still living at home with her mother.

[Schroeswald]

I personally don't think its anything that she's done, its more who she is, because I feel like that would be fairly common knowledge.

[Kornaki]

(On the other hand, that "... not that there would be anything wrong with the alternative" comment ALSO implied that Durkon wouldn't see anything wrong with anyone being sexually attracted to Thor.

I think I just disagree with this. The only reason Durkon would have to say "not that I see anything wrong with that" is because people might otherwise think he sees something wrong with that. It certainly suggests the topic is socially sensitive, when you think about how this type of phrasing is used in the real world. Maybe it literally means Durkon is OK with it, but it also suggests that's not how dwarven society as a whole works, since he felt the need to point it out.

[skim172]

Really? Is Minrah "gay"? That's the worst secret you can think of?

That's the problem with humans, always thinking other races are the same as they are.

From a dwarven perspective, there's only one possible lifestyle which Minrah might pursue that could be so shocking, forbidden, and taboo:

Bonsai.



Hideous, isn't it? Just wrong.

Dedicating hours, days, weeks, years - to raising and cultivating the perfect miniaturized embodiment of pure evil - for fun? That's sick. That's something disturbed in the head.

You're not just bringing a tree into your home - you're bringing it in and cultivating it, raising it, loving it - trying to make it look like the best mini-tree it can be - for no purpose.

Farming is a necessary evil, but it's safe - as long as it's properly conducted by trained professionals in carefully controlled conditions, with strict government regulation to make sure no seedlings are smuggled out illicitly to the general population.

When you're a small child growing up in Thane City, parents always caution you to look out for strangers who prey on unsuspecting little dwarf-boys and dwarf-girls, filling their minds with lies of the "zen" and the "inner peace" of bonsai. And then they give them a "freebie": a seed. That's where it starts.

Sure, you think it's nothing, you're just taking a seed and planting it in fertile soil, you're just marveling at the beautiful power of life-giving nature, you're just learning about basic biology - but that's the gateway. Pretty soon, you're taking cuttings, cultivating seedlings, and stealing gold pieces from your parents to buy "plant food".

Exile is the standard punishment for bonsai possession (and gods help you if you're convicted of intent to distribute). You see those poor individuals sometimes, in the streets of towns like Cliffport and Greysky. Dwarves who can't go home - "bon' addicts", "leaf junkies", "garden gnomes" - spending their sad existences working on communal allotments and the local parks and rec boards - indulging in their depraved horticultural addictions.

"Bonsai? Not even once."

[brian 333]

Really? Is Minrah "gay"? That's the worst secret you can think of?

Spoiler

Show

That's the problem with humans, always thinking other races are the same as they are.

From a dwarven perspective, there's only one possible lifestyle which Minrah might pursue that could be so shocking, forbidden, and taboo:

Bonsai.



Hideous, isn't it? Just wrong.

Dedicating hours, days, weeks, years - to raising and cultivating the perfect miniaturized embodiment of pure evil - for fun? That's sick. That's something disturbed in the head.

You're not just bringing a tree into your home - you're bringing it in and cultivating it, raising it, loving it - trying to make it look like the best mini-tree it can be - for no purpose.

Farming is a necessary evil, but it's safe - as long as it's properly conducted by trained professionals in carefully controlled conditions, with strict government regulation to make sure no seedlings are smuggled out illicitly to the general population.

When you're a small child growing up in Thane City, parents always caution you to look out for strangers who prey on unsuspecting little dwarf-boys and dwarf-girls, filling their minds with lies of the "zen" and the "inner peace" of bonsai. And then they give them a "freebie": a seed. That's where it starts.

Sure, you think it's nothing, you're just taking a seed and planting it in fertile soil, you're just marveling at the beautiful power of life-giving nature, you're just learning about basic biology - but that's the gateway. Pretty soon, you're taking cuttings, cultivating seedlings, and stealing gold pieces from your parents to buy "plant food".

Exile is the standard punishment for bonsai possession (and gods help you if you're convicted of intent to distribute). You see those poor individuals sometimes, in the streets of towns like Cliffport and Greysky. Dwarves who can't go home - "bon' addicts", "leaf junkies", "garden gnomes" - spending their sad existences working on communal allotments and the local parks and rec boards - indulging in their depraved horticultural addictions.

"Bonsai? Not even once."

Awe inspiring, elegant, and so obviously the correct answer, now that you've pointed it out.

I wonder if Chia is held in similar regard?

[FredJackson]

My bet is that Minrah refuses a marriage her family prepared for her and that she had a falling out with them as a result; likely she fled from her family's cave and spent her time before meeting OotS wondering whether she did the right thing.

I want her to do that,to do what she wants to do,and reject what she doesn't want to do.

[skim172]

Awe inspiring, elegant, and so obviously the correct answer, now that you've pointed it out.

I wonder if Chia is held in similar regard?

Chia is legal, but it's strictly regulated, highly taxed, and requires a valid ID to purchase.

There used to be Chia and non-Chia sections in restaurants, but now it's banned in public spaces due to the discovery of the harmful effects of secondhand Chia.

The packets are now labeled with a warning from the Tree Surgeon-General.

[Ruck]

Put me in the camp that thinks that Minrah's secret will never be revealed, or even mentioned again.

A lot of us - maybe most of us - have things about ourselves that we're not 100% comfortable with, even if rationally we know there's nothing wrong with them. For some of us it's our gender identity or sexual orientation, for others it's some mental health thing, for some of us it's a fetish. For others it's just something like not finding dogs or babies cute, or being really into the fandom for a book series or TV show that according to mainstream opinion is hot garbage.

I think Minrah's secret is a stand-in for any & all of these things. Narratively I think it serves two purposes:

1. It rounds out Minrah's character: it establishes that she has an inner life that doesn't have to do with being a cleric of Thor, killing vampires, etc;
2. It reinforces that Thor is one of the good guys by showing that he actively cares about each one of his followers, so much that he'll take the time to reassure them about their insecurities.

I suspect that it's also meant to serve a non-narrative purpose:

3. It encourages us, the readers, to think about whatever harmless things WE'RE secretly embarrassed by, and subtly reassures us that they're probably okay too. And also that it's perfectly fine if we prefer to keep them private. Whatever "they" are.

Great post.

[Dr.Zero]

Bonsai.

It's a fun post, but as others have pointed out, M reacts as bad as D at the view of trees in Valhalla, and reacts as dumbly as D to Thor's (unknown to us) explanation.
She might be a great actress, but aside that, seems unlikely.

[skim172]

It's a fun post, but as others have pointed out, M reacts as bad as D at the view of trees in Valhalla, and reacts as dumbly as D to Thor's (unknown to us) explanation.
She might be a great actress, but aside that, seems unlikely.

Such are the complexities of addiction. Minrah recognizes the tremendous deleterious effect that trees represent in general, but rationalizes her own usage as acceptable and harmless. This kind of cognitive dissonance is common among tree-fiends.

The part about Thor telling her it's cool is incredibly disconcerting, however - how could Thor possibly excuse this type of behavior? I'm... I'm disgusted. Thor ... how could you?

[CriticalFailure]

Well, Minrah is clearly deeply ashamed by her love of bonsai because she knows that the trees are the enemy. And yet she can't resist.

[Riftwolf]

Maybe multiclassing out of a full BAB class is considered madness. Think of what it does to your Power Attack!

[Leftour]

Doesn’t like beer is my favorite suggestion so far. I wonder if the dwarves have 12 step meetings for those who don’t drink.

The problem is that Thor could not possibly be cool about that.

[Themrys]

The problem is that Thor could not possibly be cool about that.

Why not? More beer for him.


You know what, I am going to just headcanon Minrah as lesbian. I don't think that's what she's worried about, but she could totally be gay and have an embarrassing love for bonsai or whatever.

[BisectedBrioche]

My guess is she's trans.

The hints lead me to think that it's not something we'd think of as flippant, but also not such a huge deal that the story's gonna focus on it. In fact, the story of her transition's already resolved. Thor knows her name, Thor gets it, it's sorted.

This is precisely what I was thinking.

It could also be that she has some interesting ideas on what constitutes honour (we've already seem that Thor can get pretty creative with it), but wasn't sure if they'd fly.

Minrah almost certainly isn't trans, because if she were it could go one of two ways;

-Minrah is post-transition. Which I could see a case for Lien or Felix or most other characters to be that way (and I'd like to see Rich acknowledge offscreen that one such character is trans even though it wouldn't come up in comic), but I don't know that someone who had already transitioned would "be worried about for a while". I don't think a post-transition person would be worried about their state, since by definition they're more unhappy with the way they were before.

-Minrah is pre-transition. In which case she's going to want to find magic to complete the transition at some point, and Rich rightly understands that there's a risk he'll screw it up. Having transness come up around a plot point or especially anywhere around a joke is riskier than Rich would like to do, so I understand him wanting to give it a very wide berth..

The only characters who we can say conclusively aren't trans are characters where we've seen them as children in a flashback. But given the author's tastes, I think it's safe to say that transness as a plot point is not something we're going to see.

I can attest that being post transition (if, indeed, there is such a thing ) doesn't fix everything (as someone who's dealt with a lot of internalised transphobia and lesbophobia), and there's a lot of possibility of guilt and self doubt, without getting into the nitty gritty of it.

[Rrmcklin]

Considering Mr. Burlew has made it clear multiple times he thinks he's positioned the well when it comes to trans representation for the comic, no, that's not going to be the answer.

Though, really, I don't think there's going to be an answer, period, because I thought it was obvious whatever her secret is is never going to be revealed.