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September 24, 2002

Cross-Gender WISH

What do you think about cross-gender characters (i.e., men playing female characters and women playing male characters)? What about GMs playing them as NPCs?
I really have no issues with men playing female characters or women playing male characters.

I've seen it done well and I've seen it done not-so-well. I've also seen the guys with fetishes - only playing female characters, and those overly endowed and wanting sex all the time.

I've been fortunate enough to not see the reverse with the women I've seen played. I haven't played with a huge variety of women, but they've managed to stay away from the stereotypes.

As a GM, I think I've done a decent job of playing male NPCs. I have one as my main NPC in my ATF game. I think I've done an okay job with Tallis, and with his cohort, Zel.

As brief NPCs, I don't have a complaint about any male GM I've encountered doing a female character. I can't recall any GM doing a long-term female NPC, so I'm not really qualified to comment.

And if someone can play an elf, dwarf, or mutated space alien, why can't they play cross-gender?

What I'd love to see is someone play a hermaphrodite or neuter as a long-term character!

Posted by Julia at September 24, 2002 09:01 PM

Comments

I've done neuters. I haven't done hermaphrodites because the common thinking is still to be raised as "one or another" gender. Frankly, if we want to get into the "weird-out zone" I'd like to run someone of a fifth or sixth gender... ("What? Oh, no, I don't like her. I can't be alone with her. I have to be alone with six or seven people, the way you humans figure it.")

Erm.

Posted by: MT Fierce at September 24, 2002 10:57 PM

I find myself for some strange reason enormously tempted to play a eunuch... it'd work in one of the campaigns I'm currently in. Too bad I already have a good character going in that campaign. She isn't overly tough, though, so she could end up dead...

Posted by: Dorothea Salo at September 25, 2002 09:59 AM