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I swear, someday I was casually brainstorming a character and my brain went "why are they not NB" and I had no reply other than "fair point."
(ttrpg.network)
Panel 1: Bilbo Baggins holding a character sheet.
- Bilbo: "After all, why not?"
Panel 2: character sheet now has a transgender pride flag in it.
- Bilbo: "Why shouldn't I make this character trans?"
Ooh, I do this too! I like to throw a twist into my characters, just to make them different from me. That way they become less of a self-insert, and I get to explore a different life experience.
I also had my very patriarchal, xenophobic dwarven cleric go through a bisexual awakening after meeting some fit, hairless male monks. It was remarkable how normal it felt for him to have that dawning realization, even as he was already married (to a proper Dwarven woman). I was a much better ally after that campaign, especially when a new player joined us, who was bisexual.
For my one trans character, I asked my gender non-conforming friends for advice, so that I wouldn’t accidentally make an ignorant caricature.
Make your characters Ace! Or Pan! Taste the rainbow in your games, even if you’re limited to one or two colors IRL.