Kickstarting Inclusion – Crowdfunding for Transgender Representation

Positive transgender representation remains largely missing from gameplay narratives. However, developers looking for transgender representation have gradually turned to a new source for inclusion – transgender gamers and their supporters.

[SpiralTear]

There is a very rough tug-o-war between addressing issues this way.

On one hand, yes, I think transgender representation is rather low in games. The most notable examples are Birdo and Poison, neither of which were even considered trans until someone came out and just said it. Then the internet just went crazy with it. Also, GamesRadar UK's comments were really stupid.

On the other hand, representation for the sake of representation is no way to show acceptance and diversity. The reason that transgenders (or any sexuality) is treated with such sensationalism is not because it's controversial, but because people TREAT it as controversial. I personally don't think we should treat transgender as something "abnormal" or "different." Wouldn't the best way to accept someone's unique lifestyle is to not bring attention to it, and simply treat them like any other person?

So we're torn between this idea of representing transgender individuals and giving them spotlight, but to treat something as acceptable is to treat it on equal terms as others, ridding it of sensationalism. Should we be rewarding and covering characters like this, or should we be treating them with the same level of interest as those who aren't transgender?

It's a difficult argument either way.

[3-4-5]

* Just because something exists doesn't mean it should be forced to be included in a game.

You know how many things and ideas don't get put into games??

Forcing a certain idea or thing into a game JUST BECAUSE, without an actual purpose doesn't always work out well...

Are they trying to force dev's to put transgender characters in EVERY GAME, or what?

Are they making their own game ?

Isn't that like telling an artist they HAVE to paint OAK Trees because they aren't getting enough representation ?

[mixelon]

Nobody is telling anybody they have to include anything in everything.

Theres a middle ground between "no representation" and representation everywhere.

[SpiralTear]

Exactly. This shouldn't be a spectacle. If folks want the representation to be more normalized, it should be treated as such: naturally and not forced.

Trust me: if there was a transgender character in a game, it would change my opinion of the game exactly 0%. I judge my games as games. If a game plays badly, the gender representation means nothing. That's the definition of equal acceptance: put everything on level footing.

[RedDeadLB]

Oh how I hate the fact that these LBGT, Feminism, racism, PETA etc fights are transferring to games as well.

As a person who honestly doesn't give a shit about other people's choices and lives, I'm really starting to hate what gaming might become soon - a political playground for imbeciles to force and publicize their own personal agendas. That's not what games are supposed to be.

[Soulscare]

Took the words right out of my mouth. If the game industry had been insulting to these people in the past, then yeah, I'd get it. But why do they wish to say "You need to start including this in your games."... No, don't let a game be affected by this crap. If a character is designed to be LBGT or something, then it should be that because it would help the story telling, not because today's society says we have to please everyone.

[hazelamy]

you know it's funny, wait did i say funny, i meant pathetic.

the manchilds defend the lack of women by saying "the characters are written as men"

somebody want to write gay, trans, or female characters and they're just being pc.

if they want to make a game about trans people who the hell are you to say they can't?

aren't you doing what you accuse those who want to see more women in games of doing?

if it's not what you want they shouldn't be doing it?

bigoted gamers showing their bigotry through their hypocrisy?
must be a day that ends with a y.

why is there no bubble down for being a bigot option?

oh yeah, because it would decimate their readership.

[annoyedgamer]

I cannot even read that comment because it is an incomplete thought. Rather it is a list of numerous incomplete and rather redundant accusations with no backing.

Also we all know the aim of these people it to establish a quota that forces ALL developers and writers to include, gay, trans and female characters into EVERY release. Your noisemaking is not hiding the true intentions. There is a reason the shady statistic of women making up more than 50% of gamers got released right around the blow up of GamerGate.

Also if you noisemakers really cared about equality you would fight for inclusion of all individuals not just groups you want to align yourself with. Native Americans? Asians? All almost non-existent yet I don't see you out proclaiming your support for them...

[RedDeadLB]

Perhaps you misunderstood me.

I'm not against developers creating what they envisioned. I full on support their creativity however it may be. It's the same reason I'm not against that Hatred game - because it's what they want to do.

I'm against political agendas trying to force themselves into a media used for entertainment and relaxation, ie forcefully creating a female/gay/transgender/non-whi te character in a videogame just because the community or organization in question demanded developers to do so.

Creative freedom is going the way of the dinosaurs, and we are the ones responsible. Soon, games won't even be art. They'll just be, as I said, a political playground.

[rainslacker]

I don't know what happened to you, but before the whole GG thing, you actually used to make rather reasonable comments on these topics. Now you do nothing but throw out insults at anyone who shows any kind of concern over inclusion and what it may mean.

Anyhow, on topic. There are ways to represent different characteristics of identifying groups without making it into some kind of big deal. Making it a big deal from the beginning is making it more a forced inclusion, which is what Buljo was getting at.

The Last of Us is a great example of how to include gay representation without making it into a big deal. The character was all that mattered, and the fact that he was gay didn't matter. Isn't that what acceptance really is in the end?

When you make a game and say, oh, this character is --insert identity here-, yet that aspect of their character has no bearing on the story, or even the character development, then it's not really doing anything but forcing the issue.

Question for you. Does it matter if a character is heterosexual? Does that give any sort of bearing on their character? If not, then why would not being heterosexual have any bearing on it?

So what I'm trying to say is that showing characters which have traits which are discriminated against in society as just regular people goes a long way to reshape people's thoughts on what they should accept.

[hazelamy]

maybe because i'm getting sick of the bigotry that seems to be on the increase here since this whole gg thing started.

actually it started before then when anita sarkeesian first talked about doing a series on games, that's when the Neanderthals showed up en masse.

and, game characters can be gay or trans, so long as they don't talk about, or reference it or show any affection to anybody of the same sex?

why is creative freedom only being repressed if it's trying to get characters who aren't straight white males?

why can't these people make a game about trans characters?

apparently if they're writing gay or trans characters they have no freedom.

if the experience of being trans or gay is what the game is about, then the fact the character is gay or trans have everything to do with the game.

see, that's the beauty of games, they're not all about shooting people in the face.

there are games where relationships, even sexual relationships, are an important factor.

so this what's it got to do with the game thing is just bull.

does it matter if a character is heterosexual?

how many heroes kiss the girl at the end?
how many heroes are rescuing or avenging their girlfriends?

it's only when the character is gay that gamers started bleating about sex has nothing to do with gaming.

what if it does matter?
what about if there's a romance or relationship?

i think you can name some games that features those.

when people ask why assassins creed didn't have a female player character, everybody's "it was written with a man as the lead."
you say the writer should be able to write what they want.

yet that goes out the window if the character they want to write is gay.

then it's some agenda.
what if they want to write a gay character?
what if they want to write a trans character?
which they want to do.

you're saying they shouldn't be allowed.

what about your agenda?
you're so open minded right?
never attacking anybody who dares to mention sexism in gaming, and calling for sites who dare to criticise gg to be banned?
how liberals and white knights and SJWs are ruining gaming?
no, you're too reasonable for that.

we don't say they have to make gay characters, we say we want to see more, but we don't insist every game has them.

you seem to be insisting that no game has them.
and that talk of how gaming, and more importantly gamers, treat women should be shut down.

i just realised, you really don't deserve a response, this facade of reasonability you put on is paper thin, but i've typed it all out now so i'm gonna bloody well post.

quick edit to clarify, the last few paragraphs are aimed at annoyedgamer

and before you say anything, i don't claim to be reasonable, i'm mad as hell, there is a portion of this "community" that disgusts me.

there are some that wear their bigotries openly, but then there are others that like to pretend like they're not bigots.
like they're trying to see the other side of the argument.

i'm sure some even believe that, well you can delude themselves, but helen keller can see through them.

[CaspuR]

making any game just for the sake of it existing is pointless. doing anything just for the sake of doing it is pointless.

[stloony]

Agreed,
Politics and affirmative action have no place in persuading how any form of art should be created unless the creators of said art desire it so.

[yarbie1000]

The reason LGBT people are not in very many games is because they represent less than 4% of the population.

Reading liberal sites like HuffPost - and some of the gaming outlets you would think the number is 40%

EDIT: Sorry - I overestimated

It's less than 3%

http://www.washingtonpost.c...

[JohnathanACE]

The trans population itself is like 0.5% of the population. They're an extremely small minority and just like the rest of the LGBTAWBBQ the're just desperate for attention.

[hazelamy]

whenever the debate about lgbt or female characters comes along, the bleating is, "if you want a game featuring those characters, make one".

so they make one.
and they still get attacked.

sometimes gamers, no humanity, makes me sick.

[Wargrave]

I think it goes hand in hand with the mentality that when someone is critical of games, that means they automatically hate them and want to control them.

Anita Sarkeesia, Matt Lees, Jim Sterling, Brianna Wu, Leigh Alexander. All obviously horrible people because they want to have a more interesting conversation than "X game sucks", "give me 60FPS or die" and "IGN is shit". /s

[mixelon]

I have no idea what happened, but in the last week or two, reasonable, non prejudiced people (like yourself) started posting a lot more here? It's really refreshing to see non-troglodyte posts.

If you're not getting 4(+) to 1 disagrees to agrees here on anything to do with society then you're probably doing it wrong, so keep it up. :)

[stloony]

How in the world can anyone know if the main character in games are transgender or not already? If they do not talk about their genitals or show them, then you can't truly know.

I guess I'm old school, and tend to prefer to use my imagination and make a best guess as to what sex the main character in a game is.

So how do they plan on letting us know if the main character is a tranny? Are they going to have to talk about it or shove it in our faces, so to speak?

I find it strange that transgender and homosexuals want to be treated the same as straight people, but insist on always wanting to make sure everyone knows about their sex life.

Personally, I don't want to hear about anyone's private sex life, but my own. And it's pointless to want to be treated the same as straight people or as other main video game characters if they choose to act so blatantly different.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

GTFO with this garbage, this is why a lot of people are so unaccepting of these people. They want the world to be so PC and everyone to acknowledge them instead of just keeping their mouths shut and living like the freaks of society that they undoubtedly are.

[JohnathanACE]

Whats worse is that these people make up genders and such and then get mad at people for not knowing the garbage they just made up. If you want to know how bad some of these people really are check out some of the stuff they post on tumblr. This blog here find some of the worst of it: https://www.facebook.com/so...

[annoyedgamer]

Yep and here we go, remind me again how we "show" that a character is a trans? Oh yea we have to stereotype. But I guess it is ok to fit the liberal agenda.

[Systemshock2]

DA Inquisition did pretty well, i am all for trans hot women but again , HOT is the selling point here.

[Ogygian]

Feminists should learn from this.

The way to get games made for you is prove a market exists by funding them or making them yourselves; not to intimidate devs into making things which you like at the expense of others.

[Dagobert]

Great, first it was lesbian feminists and now this crap.