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(06-24-2015, 03:04 AM)Natalie Mcbeef Wrote: So I have a question, if you are LGBT (which I am, I might add), what does that have to do with RP?
Gay RPers? Do you only RP gay characters? I can see an LS for maybe figuring out how to RP an LGBT character for people who OOCly aren't, but I'm not sure how sexuality would change your RP. I RP characters of lots of different situations, some of which I am not personally.
I echo this sentiment. As I've previously stated, as a altaholic I RP all kinds of flavors, that range from personality, to battle classes played, to social statuses, and yes, to sexual orientation to. As of the current account, I've RPd a lesbian (she died at the beginning of the year), a gay, an asexual, and even an homophobic.
I cannot find that good thread of RP advice about OOC bleed that was made last year, but one good advice it held there, was to avoid making characters that are too close to how we are IRL. It is a very good magnet for drama that only long-time veteran roleplayers would know how to avoid. Especially if you are new to RP, my advice is to start from something that is to the other side of the spectrum compared to your real self. Though of course, it has to be a character you like, so I guess that if you dislike straight characters, then you're stuck with LGBT-only characters. But so far of the many LGBT RPers I've met, only one hated straight characters, so it's a rare occurrence.
Again, RL qualities, traits, statuses, whatchamacallit should not raise fences in what you can RP and who you can RP with. The moment you try to make it a Focus, people will start to worry. I think what lures drama in LGBT LSs is that they are self-labeled LGBT LSs, catering to a certain sexual orientation, so people go there thinking the focus is sex. If I made a Left-handed LS or a Vegan LS or a Feminist LS (yes, being gay or vegan or feminist to me is the same as being left-handed, it's just a part of you, not a key factor or your soul essence), people would come to them thinking the activities and talk to be had in them would be focused on those labels. After all, you don't go to the Tennis Club to play soccer or talk about comic books.
And as for the need to stand out until there is absolute acceptance from every single man on Earth, I'd like to repeat a post that I've shared about feminism in a old thesis I made back years ago (yes, I'm a woman and I'm against feminists, shocker!). There cannot be absolute equality for as long as we have something different. To be perfectly equal, we would need to look something like this:
![[Image: toy-story-aliens-despicable-me-minions.jpg]](https://armigatus.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/toy-story-aliens-despicable-me-minions.jpg)
Should Vegans feel discriminated for as long as there is any carnivore animal on Earth? I hate to do things that may make people dislike me, and I've had to go through therapy before to accept that there will always be someone who doesn't like me. It's true, people with different sexual orientations are still on the beginning when it comes to conforming and being accepted by the majority, but I'd like to think that this is not the case for this RP server. There may be someone out there who dislikes them still, either OOCly, or in my case, ICly (just one character. He's extremely traditionalist and disapproves any interracial, interclan, or non-straight relationships.). But it's the part of the variety of the human species, and I believe that discrimination is definitely not a problem on Balmung. Hell, in some cases, there is an issue of lack thereof of discrimination (Duskwight fellows, preach it).
So yes, join a LGBT LS if you want to have chatter/activities catered on that. But if you're looking for one (addressing people in general, not the OP as I know he made a LS now) as a shield against abuse or discrimination OOC, know that this is a non-issue, as many have already stated.
To be an interesting, intriguing, well-written character, there needs to be something to allow the audience to relate to them. That is what the problem is with who wants their character to be "perfect". Perfect characters will never be strong, and strong characters will never be perfect, because WE (those who read, who watch, who RP) are not perfect.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.
"What makes a strong character is how they deal with their flaws, their fears, their turmoils, their troubles that get in the way. That's what makes them relatable." -- N.C.