Forums » RP Discussion » Playing Different Genders/Orientations

I've never made a discussion thread before, but as I was thinking the subject over today, I decided this was a good enough topic to introduce myself with.

I'm Bananasaurus (in real life, Amy), and although I've played characters matching my gender identity, physical gender, and orientation, my most interesting and well-developed characters are often male, both heterosexual and homosexual. I've also enjoyed exploring in playing non-gendered or genderqueer characters, as well as bisexual females, but I've yet to play a homosexual cisgendered female for some reason.

Steering clear of the more racy components some people attribute to other sexualities (something I abhor, by the way. Hypersexualizing non-hetersexuals is a troubling trend in RP communities it seems.), is it common for role-players to RP outside of their own genders/sexualities? Why or why not?

Some have said that it's difficult to relate to someone who is not attracted to the same people or has the same external organs, and I can see why that may be, but from my stand-point I find it fascinating.

I don't know about orientations, but there was recently a very illuminating discussion of character gender vs. RL gender in this thread: http://www.rprepository.com/community/forumthread.php?t=8366

Maybe it will be interesting to you?

Also, hi! You're right that this is a really interesting issue, and I'm pretty impressed you decided that would be how you introduced yourself. You're a hard-hitting kind of journalist, I see!

I play characters of all genders/sexualities, whatever seems to fit the character as I imagine them during the creation process.

I have male/female/in between (not yet any trans) characters, and homosexual/heterosexual/bi/pansexual and asexual characters.

It's probably helped by the fact that I don't really identify with having a gender and am pansexual (meaning I don't care about the gender of my partner either), so I can sort of see things from all sides of the field.

I've played characters that are both homosexual, heterosexual and a few in between if you go by the Kinsey Scale, both male and female. To me it all depends on what is most appropriate for the character concept that I have in mind, although I have occasionally made it a bit more realistic by dice-rolling for orientation and/or gender identity rather than picking it myself, to add an element of randomization to it.

I'm a hetero' female IRL, but pronouns of various types online does not bother me.

I actually find it easier to roleplay the opposite gender, and apparently I do it effectively enough that I'm often confused for a man despite being no where near butch. I'm not entirely sure why I struggle to connect with my own gender through characters, I just find it harder to get into a female character than a male.

I try not to concentrate on the sexuality of characters too much, as I feel like trying to define the character through sexuality is a little limiting (especially if you're trying to avoid the typical cliche). I do, however, find myself preferring - or connecting more - with characters of a homosexual persuasion, though again I'm not sure if it's because I identity as bisexual.

boop.

While I am female IRL, I play various amounts of characters that are either male and/or female, however! When it comes to the gender, their orientation differs... For some reason, all my Male characters are bisexual while my female characters are straight. xD But there is a chance my female characters will swing the other way if there was a male involved. Hurr.

So yeah, I'm pretty much comfortable in playing characters of whatever gender, I don't mind what; from bitchy females to asshole males, I have no limits~

None of my characters resemble me or my personality, they are all different in every way. Actually, I try not to match them to mine because... Well, it wouldn't seem right to me. Actually, feels kind of awkward in playing as myself, in my opinion.

And is it common? I'm going to have to say yes.

I've noticed tons of male characters that are of homosexuality be played by mostly females... Who are straight IRL. Why? I haven't a clue. I am not trying to generalize anyone out there nor offend but that's from what I've mostly seen from my RP experience.

This, so, so much. I try to make my characters as different from me as possible to avoid the whole self-insertion cliche.

I actually have played many male characters over the years, all the way back to the days of yahoo mail roleplay and when avidgamers was a very popular place to find roleplay (even neopets). Funny enough my original reason from today's reasoning are completely different then why I decide to play genders or different orientations than I did back then!

Way back in the day when I started, I use to have nothing but female characters. It was an era where if you were found out for playing anything but your gender (and were found out) you usually got otrisized (I'm sure I spelled that wrong,forgive me) by the community as a whole. However, I noticed back then as well there were a lot more females characters than males, so I made a male character for a DROP (Dragon or Pern roleplay) and found the challenge of playing a gender that wasn't mine a completely new concept!

Not only was it offering various challenges because I had to think of a male, I had to think to his sexual orientation. Which incidentally at the time was straight.

Now a days I like playing male characters cause they're easier for me to relate to and organize my thoughts into. For the longest time I only had male characters because it was a chance at playing a different style than what I ever did with the one or two females I decided to play. Something about how you think differently and it offers different patterns I've come to notice was what became addictive. Though that could be some of the OOC stuff of folks assumed you were just going to be a jerk so when you were it wasn't taken against you. *shrugs* I dun know!!

But I do love the idea of challenges and I've always liked trying something different!! It's what makes the world go round and the thought process deeper!!

I seem to stick to playing female characters. I have a few male ones of various orientation but they never seem to survive the first three initial roleplay attempts. Here and there I've practiced with friends trying to get them going but alas, I completely fail with that gender. The females I play vary sexually from straight, to bi, so on and so forth without much trouble. The only oddity is...they are often more "girly" than the tom-boy I am. Still I debate on trying again all the time on the male aspect. Maybe one day though since I hate giving up easy.

It's pretty much all I do. I grew up with an elder bother and around a bunch of boys as a tomboy myself. Boys are easier to play for me. Females I have a very hard time with.

The characters I usually play are generally pretty sexual, but not to a point it becomes absolutely crazy. They're also equal opportunists, so either gender works for them.

All of my boys are very different personalities, too.
One is extremely dominant, charming, and open to just about anything.
One is as shy and submissive as they could possibly come and it just so sweet it's a little ridiculous.

So... I'm a little all over the place with my guys :>

I've been RPing for over a decade and I can probably count on one hand the number of female characters I've had, while the amount of male characters is.. far too many to keep track of, haha.

I could never see myself playing a female. I think for the same reason I barely play any furries. I find it difficult for me to put myself into a foreign body and feel that I would not be able to properly act out on that gender or species. For that, I tend to stick to my "Safe zone" of male humans. I think the first character I ever made on furcadia was a female and I played her so bad people just KNEW I was a guy, and it was off putting. Then again, I was like 13 then.

Still, I currently have no interest or motivation in making a female. But, that's just me. I thought i'd give my two cents, and now I shall disappear back into the shadows.

I'll play anything of any orientation. I'm just not equally skilled at all of them!

I prefer to play females. c: I've played male characters in the past, but I tend to get really paranoid about my ability to rp them. It usually gets to the point where I simply give up and abandon the character altogether because I'm over thinking it and getting myself worked up over nothing. xD In my 'attempts' I've played straight men, bisexual and homosexual. All were strange and weird to me, and not in a bad way, I just felt as if I couldn't play a man in any orientation role convincingly enough!

Women, however, I feel comfortable playing no matter the role. ♥ My rpr is full (all 20 slots tee-hee) and all are female of various orientations and personalities.

Now, I wouldn't mind trying to challenge myself to play a male...but I doubt it'll ever happen, and if it did I doubt the character would stick.

Yikes! Sorry it took so long for me to reply to this again. Got so wrapped up in RP and RL that I forgot I'd made it. xD

Hi! Yes, I saw that thread but it didn't really discuss orientations, just gender identities. I was interested in seeing what other people enjoyed playing or felt they played most successfully. I love asking people questions that get them to think about stuff they don't normally think about. I mean, I WAS on the yearbook committee in high school. I'm practically a professional! :p

Right? I have no idea why but tapping into a feminine persona for an extended period of time seems more taxing for me for some reason. Kinda troublesome since I'm an actress. xD

That's cool. I don't feel as self-conscious anymore. x3
I actually only recently began playing completely homosexual men and I've found a similar trend. A lot of the times, I see straight or bisexual women playing very "twinkish" gay men. I don't know if it's the interesting aspect of exploring the social stigma with being a male homosexual, or "dream persona" play/playing yourself as you truly want to be, or what.

Dude, I think it was mainly because you were 13. It's pretty much near impossible to tap into other gender identities when you're still figuring out your own or going through puberty. My first male Furcadia character was just... just awful.