Yes and no.
It is when it is presented as the only kind of relationship or that which is preferred.
So like the story/play of Romeo and Juliet, it would not be considered heteronormative.
Or the story of Jonathan and David, it definitely doesn’t imply there can’t be something other than heterosexual. Same with Achilles in Homer’s story.
Where the hetereonomative comes out is in dismissing entirely that it’s possible there is some same-sex attraction. When presenting those stories.
Have you seen me dance all glittered up? Your life will never be the same!
The problem is there. Gay couples are never inserted in a place of passion or something that flows naturally. You said it yourself; poorly written minor gay characters are placed where their sexuality isn’t a remote concern or flows naturally with the pace.
Badly written straight romances are not inserted with a political or valued statement. Should all LGBT characters be considered political? No, but the way media always presents them makes them come off that way. When a gay couple or character is made. Subtlety is KEY to make them believable characters.
Let the players discover it. Not just outright state it,. show don’t tell. Taking away the discovery from people who can deduce interactions makes it feel more earned for the character. Its why people become so up in arms against Open announcements. When the first interaction of a character is “I’m Gay” or some other spin to it. You’re stating that their sexuality is more important.
If we are to have believable LGBT characters. We need to treat them as an individual with more than just a sexual preference. Add nuance and value and be able to piece it together. Acceptance comes when people start noticing key traits. Perhaps how they act around female advances, or their responses to a specific character is made.
Psst… that’s what happened the players found it through data-mining.
And it’s just a male character saying “my husband”. Again, going with what you said.
How is this not nuanced? We don’t even know the race of the character. What’s behind the quest. How we get there. etc.
Was it the color of the safe space that triggered you?
Hmmm?
I’m pretty sure you’re a young dude at this point. How about you join the military and deploy to that “safe place” and figure out what really matters in this life.
That is the question here. How this will be presented. Going off face value of the line of dialogue, this is the first interaction we have with these characters. It implies that we’ll be harassed at first about how we are not welcomed… He gets talked down and excused by his husband.
This could be the first interaction we have this character in question; and it sounds like if we’re working with this character more often. His partner will be more involved. Which only further cements the idea of a statement, rather than allowing us to be more invested in the individual’s other traits.
You fit the stereotype of a drama queen, that’s for sure, Darlin.
who cares ?!
I don’t care what a person is. Stop labeling people as “different” and accept people as they are. I hate this labeling and “we have to make a big deal because they’re different”
OMG like no one in my life has ever talked about their wife/husband within a first sentence when working or meeting them when it was connected.
To call it harassment just gives away an underlying bias you have.
Cute.
Are you trying to flirt with me? I mean I’m flattered but…
I think you can’t handle that you can’t win on your normal trollish ways and are looking pretty stupid at this point. I mean harassing a veteran of the US? Who has seen combat?
You say I need a safe place but it’s clear you’re asking for it.
Yeah, that’s what I was doing. You sure showed me.
More than likely because it used to be “lets make a big deal about them being different and kill them for it”.
Don’t just ignore the rest of my detail here. Dealing with sensitive subject matter needs to be presented less boldly. Discovery is the desire here so players can build a value with the characters and learn about them without this false notion of forced representation.
And for hell’s sake; the character’s husband yells at us about us being outsiders and not being welcomed to the Night fae’s Realm. He sees us as invaders and demands us to leave. How can you deduce a bias of sexuality when going over his dialogue.
I didn’t, I probably took harassment out of context though. EDIT: Correction I did take it out of context.
But here’s the crux of why we’re not on the same side.
I don’t see it as “sensitive subject matter”. Again, this could be because of my own personal experience and seeing buddies blown up, shot to death, etc. You learned everyone bleeds and dies the same, so when I see folks getting all worked up about a line of text… I see them and that as being the sensitive folks.
So sensitive subject material might be differently defined based on who you talk to. I don’t think relationship status is all that sensitive to begin with.
Seeing how just lines of dialogue caused this amount of ruckus displays that it still is. The problem here is that trying to be open and introduce LGBT themes that may be lost on those who aren’t attracted or involved in such. We live in a day and age where there’s still an ongoing push to get global acceptance.
You may be entirely cool with these themes. But we can’t speak for the masses. In the end, LGBT is the minority here and trying to show off an attraction that majority of those people won’t understand needs to be presented in ways that can make it feel as natural as any other couple would.
I do not believe going the bold route will be received well. Giving players the chances to dive into a character’s personality and values will help build the character up. So when we meet their husband / wife (if the character was female). We don’t just go off the deep end as quickly. We learned about them and watch their subtle interactions with other characters.
When players make the discovery, it isn’t as jarring or forced. It can help piece two and two together why one character would be so kind to someone who, on the surface was cruel and spiteful.
If I were to change the line of dialogue. I’d try to make the interactions use their native language as he scolds him for harassing you. Refer to him in some other tongue so players have the interaction to ask. “What does [x] mean?” Or have little idle conversations if the player lingers around to see how they speak or interact.
Perhaps the players can learn the language sort of in a book. Key words or details that can piece together what the Night Fae say to one another. So there is that sense of discovery without making it feel forced.
A lot of your post is rooted in cognitive distortions. Mainly absolutism/polarized thinking, generalization, and filtering.
Namely: “LGBT is the minority here and trying to show off an attraction that majority of those people won’t understand”
As an American and veteran, I do believe in our foundation that protecting the minority voice is important. Also, we know through research, most people do know what attraction is, so there is no importance placed on having to “understand”.
“understand needs to be presented” = Need is an absolute. It does not have to, must to, or need to. It just can be.
“I do not believe going the bold route will be received well.” That is your opinion here is your support.
Uh no, not needed. Why? Because if this was a straight couple you wouldn’t propose any of this nonsense. So their approach is rooted in 1. Equality, 2. Normalization, and 3. Understanding the general populace knows what the concept of homosexuality is.
“When players make the discovery, it isn’t as jarring or forced.”
You have made an assertion here, without proving anything is forced. I’ll make this simple, there is no evidence to suggest it is forced. If I were to ask a co-worker, “What is your lunch today?” and they respond “Oh BBQ chicken my husband made.” What would be jarring or forced about that? The only argument to say it is forced is to say, well I didn’t want to know/see it in the first place, which comes from what vein or bias? Would you ask the same of a heterosexual couple? If you say no, then that’s discrimination. If you say yes, then you have problems with intimacy and/or relationships in general. I would advise going to therapy for it.
Thank you for your suggestions but we are not the writers. Your idea, however, forces people to have to look for it and can be construed that this is something that should or has to be hidden.
Japan has always been doing that, they aren’t having problems. Your point is moot.
Tries to make fun of LGBTQ community
While straight gamers are found to be abusive incel pedos who cant see women as human being
Thank god I am gay lol, the straight gamers are absolutely not ok
You do realize that the high point (and probably the only reason most ppl watched them to begin with) was the way that they made fun of this very forum, right? And I gotta say it was OK while they were just lighthearted, game only commentators…but imo they crossed a line in that last video. They stopped being family content. Not judging whether their opinion is right or wrong, but by giving it at an otherwise apolitical medium they alienated part of their viewerbase. I.E. I dont want my 6yo son or daughter asking me what taliesin meant, its MY precedent to decide at which age my children can learn about such things.