Cross-Gender Gaming!

by Tonya Foust


Have you ever played in a game where at least one (if not half the party) were playing characters of the opposite gender?

I found myself in a group like that recently so I decided to take a look at the reasons behind why someone would do this. What I found was not entirely what I expected!

Within my semi regular gaming groups (and this is all table top RPG style gaming, by the way) there are at least 4 people who consistently play opposite gendered characters. So I asked them what the draw was. Below are some of the answers I got from people.

"It is a challenge to play a male character because I then have to think differently to resolve a situation."

"I identify with the gender and so want to play that character"

"When I was thinking of a concept – female just fit better – so my character is female."

I think that the entire practice is a good exercise in equality among the sexes anyway. If a person feels comfortable enough to play a character of the opposite gender it, for the most part, is a good thing.

Mind you, there are the (in my opinion) oddities out there, as aptly illustrated by John Kovalic in one of his early Dork Tower strips. I just about fell outa my chair when I read that. And then later, after talking to some other gamers, I almost fell outa my chair because they fit that image. It is mostly done out of sheer curiosity or in some cases confusion. And there may be cases where a person plays the opposite gender due to mixed feeling in their own sexuality. All of which is fine.

The main point being that there are many varied reasons why someone would choose to play a character of the opposite gender. It is not a case of right vs. wrong; it is more a case of personal preference and comfort levels. So, what’s your next character going to be?



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