I, for one, firmly believe that you don't need first hand experience in order to role-play a concept convincingly. You do, however, need to do research. That's the important part, especially if you're dealing with something controversial or sensitive.
Even if you're not, it just adds much more depth to role-play by taking the time to invest in expanding your own knowledge along the way. If someone role-plays a sailor they don't have to have first hand experience but I'd roll my eyes if they didn't know what port and starboard meant.
Even if you're not, it just adds much more depth to role-play by taking the time to invest in expanding your own knowledge along the way. If someone role-plays a sailor they don't have to have first hand experience but I'd roll my eyes if they didn't know what port and starboard meant.