Queerness in Space - Gay Beholder Blog Fiesta
As an ally of all LGBTQ+ people I don't thing I can say much about issues of the community. I have the privilege of a white cishet man. I try to be as accommodating as I can with my games and materials, and make conscious decisions about how I play. Which is why...
High Tech of Traveller
I think that future is inevitably queer. Especially when it comes to getting into space travels. And so in my version of Traveller gender is just a matter of presentation. Let me elaborate.
High Tech, the one that let's people regrow limbs, travel quickly to far away stars or survive and thrive in unlivable planetary conditions, I must assume, 'solves' the physical struggles of transition and other physical aspects of gender nonconformity, unless the table is so inclined to include the physical side of things which can be easily explained by shortages and unavailability of certain tech.
The social aspects though? Well, I already run my games as queer utopias, sprinkling queerness in medievalesque fantasy so it would make even more sense of me if I did it in sci-fi. Let's take a look at it from Big Picture.
Empire
Interstellar capitalist empire. Planetary cultures tend to be normal, only those specifically created by religious groups might have some bigoted views on gender and sexuality. On interstellar scale anything that money can buy goes - citizens of poorer or less developed regions might need to travel to get medical procedures or medicines but even there non-heteronormative partnerships are common. All for the people against the corporate overlords.
Hegemony
In more directly totalitarian Hegemony things are not that simple. Hegemon themself lives in a polygamous relationship and encourages their descendants to do the same but it doesn't necessarily translate to those on verges of the interstellar body. In ruthlessly corrupt hierarchy things get done by the good will of higher ups which means access to technologies or resources might be limited due to material constraints or political reasons. Even more reasons to overthrow the oligarchy.
Federation
The the official level the Federation is by no means bigoted. But the cracks show in details. The constant propaganda war between the three interstellar bodies, agents and espionage makes it so governments or organisations of specific planets might use sexism and bigotry to sow political chaos and divide peoples to better control them and maybe even conquer them.
And you?
Do you have explicitly queer elements to your games and settings? Do you have your equivalent of Inanna or ancient Trans and Non-binary identities? Epic lesbian romances of those chosen by gods as in Band of Blades? You played Thirsty Sword Lesbians and would like to share experiences of your game?
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