Do Gays Not Exist in Bioware's Star Wars?

[Shycte]

I don't dislike homosexuals, just the lifestyle.

What is wrong with their lifestyle? That they live togheter with a person of the same gender? That some of them like to go to the opera?

As long as they don't shove it in your face when you talk to them, I could care less. It's their choice.

Have that ever happend to you? That they shoved 'it' in your face? I don't think there is a sane person on the planet who would to that to anyone.

Maybe you meen that they would become attracted and fall in love with you? But if you fall in love with a girl, you don't go and shake your pride in their face now do you? So why should they?

 

[Kair]

I believe forum tyranny is a sad way of trying to be an authority.

 

[Artemis923]

A better question to ask is "Do I care?"

 

[Alex_P]

Agreed. In fact, some of my friends were having this exact same debate, and we concluded that the word "homophobic" was misleading and inaccurate, since so-called "homophobic" people generally aren't scared of gay people; they just hate them. Thus we coined a new term that we feel is more correct "homostygic" (the g is pronounced like the g in "midget"), coming from the Greek "stygos" which refers to intense hate. A homostygic is thus someone who hates gay people.

Semantics/etymology to the rescue!

Hmm, not bad.

At the same time, I do find that most "homostygics", while not scared of gay people, are rather scared of gay sex.

-- Alex

 

[RebelRising]

Agreed. In fact, some of my friends were having this exact same debate, and we concluded that the word "homophobic" was misleading and inaccurate, since so-called "homophobic" people generally aren't scared of gay people; they just hate them. Thus we coined a new term that we feel is more correct "homostygic" (the g is pronounced like the g in "midget"), coming from the Greek "stygos" which refers to intense hate. A homostygic is thus someone who hates gay people.

Semantics/etymology to the rescue!

Hmm, not bad.

At the same time, I do find that most "homostygics", while not scared of gay people, are rather scared of gay sex.

-- Alex

Or rather, they're scared they're gay themselves.

 

[Thanatos34]

Im not homophobic but

Yes you are

That's an idiotic and ignorant comeback. So one must be 100% pro-gay in order to not be "homophobic?" What if I say:

I'm not homophobic, but I dislike flaming gays who shove their homosexuality in my face. (True.)

Is your witty response to this the same? It's amazing how people who are so pro-tolerance are so intolerant of others' viewpoints.

But when the mere presence of gay is interpreted as "being shoved in my face" or "forcing their views on me," I strongly suspect that something's been lost in translation.

Of course, but if you read the rest of the posts in here, (specifically mine, if you are going to comment on mine), you would see that this is not the case.

 

[Thanatos34]

Agreed. In fact, some of my friends were having this exact same debate, and we concluded that the word "homophobic" was misleading and inaccurate, since so-called "homophobic" people generally aren't scared of gay people; they just hate them. Thus we coined a new term that we feel is more correct "homostygic" (the g is pronounced like the g in "midget"), coming from the Greek "stygos" which refers to intense hate. A homostygic is thus someone who hates gay people.

Semantics/etymology to the rescue!

Hmm, not bad.

At the same time, I do find that most "homostygics", while not scared of gay people, are rather scared of gay sex.

-- Alex

Or rather, they're scared they're gay themselves.

This argument is ludicrous. It's the same argument that one of my extreme right-wing friends, (note: I am rather conservative myself, but I have nothing on this guy), used to explain many white conservatives voting for Obama, (in our circle of friends):

"They are afraid they might be racist, so they are doing whatever they can to prove otherwise."

Then you have the opposite end of the political spectrum, my extreme left-wing friends, (of which, off-hand, I have more than the extreme right-wing... this is very interesting), who tried to use the following argument against me:

"You are obviously racist if you don't vote for Obama merely because you don't like him killing babies."

(Her words, not mine. Obviously Obama doesn't personally kill babies- and I gather you people can figure out what the topic of discussion actually was, and what I strongly disagree with Obama on.)

Both arguments might be true for an extreme minority of people, but if they are applied to the general population, then that is simply stupid. The majority of people that hate gays/hate gay's lifestyles, which, on a side note, is possible to do without hating gays- but that is a different story for a different time- do so because they believe their religion says they should do so, because they feel it is unnatural, or because they are afraid of what else it will lead to. (There are also a pretty strong minority that are afraid of what might happen to their kids in certain places- public schools, for one.)

 

[Thanatos34]

Agreed. In fact, some of my friends were having this exact same debate, and we concluded that the word "homophobic" was misleading and inaccurate, since so-called "homophobic" people generally aren't scared of gay people; they just hate them. Thus we coined a new term that we feel is more correct "homostygic" (the g is pronounced like the g in "midget"), coming from the Greek "stygos" which refers to intense hate. A homostygic is thus someone who hates gay people.

Semantics/etymology to the rescue!

Hmm, not bad.

At the same time, I do find that most "homostygics", while not scared of gay people, are rather scared of gay sex.

-- Alex

Time to change the word.

Homoeroticstygics?

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

I believe forum tyranny is a sad way of trying to be an authority.

This is truth. Those who keep bashing homosexuality, either obviously or subtly, are just being bigots. I would have thought that as a society, humanity would have moved past these issues, or at least, gotten *marginally* better at dealing with them (such as racism, although that's open to opinion), but maybe I was mistaken.

 

[Alex_P]

Time to change the word.

Homoeroticstygics?

No, "phobic" is quite correct there. Most Americans are, in my opinion, deeply erotophobic -- fundamentally afraid of sexual expression. Among the cultural mainstream, this presents as confused fascination: an obsession with titillating and suggestive entertainment (how much softcore is there in big-budget movies and games?) but an abiding discomfort with the real thing -- personal sexual uncertainty, fear of sexual experimentation, undirected sexual guilt, "hardcore" pornography wrapped up in ritual and formula and blandness to make it palatable to the mass audience. Among America's socially-conservative (primarily religious) subcultures, it becomes a public denial of sexuality and an absolute obsession with judging others, mixed with all the same bullshit as the mainstream culture and a lot of sin and guilt as well.

-- Alex

 

[Alex_P]

The majority of people that hate gays/hate gay's lifestyles, which, on a side note, is possible to do without hating gays- but that is a different story for a different time- do so because they believe their religion says they should do so, because they feel it is unnatural, or because they are afraid of what else it will lead to. (There are also a pretty strong minority that are afraid of what might happen to their kids in certain places- public schools, for one.)

Nope, that's double talk.

If I hate your deeply-held beliefs, the way you behave every day, your personality, your very dreams and aspirations, then, yes, I am actually hating you. That's what it means to hate a fundamental aspect of someone's identity. Maybe I still like some other aspects about you, but that thing I hate -- damn straight it's still a part of you that I'm hating.

-- Alex

 

[RebelRising]

Agreed. In fact, some of my friends were having this exact same debate, and we concluded that the word "homophobic" was misleading and inaccurate, since so-called "homophobic" people generally aren't scared of gay people; they just hate them. Thus we coined a new term that we feel is more correct "homostygic" (the g is pronounced like the g in "midget"), coming from the Greek "stygos" which refers to intense hate. A homostygic is thus someone who hates gay people.

Semantics/etymology to the rescue!

Hmm, not bad.

At the same time, I do find that most "homostygics", while not scared of gay people, are rather scared of gay sex.

-- Alex

Or rather, they're scared they're gay themselves.

This argument is ludicrous. It's the same argument that one of my extreme right-wing friends, (note: I am rather conservative myself, but I have nothing on this guy), used to explain many white conservatives voting for Obama, (in our circle of friends):

"They are afraid they might be racist, so they are doing whatever they can to prove otherwise."

Then you have the opposite end of the political spectrum, my extreme left-wing friends, (of which, off-hand, I have more than the extreme right-wing... this is very interesting), who tried to use the following argument against me:

"You are obviously racist if you don't vote for Obama merely because you don't like him killing babies."

(Her words, not mine. Obviously Obama doesn't personally kill babies- and I gather you people can figure out what the topic of discussion actually was, and what I strongly disagree with Obama on.)

Both arguments might be true for an extreme minority of people, but if they are applied to the general population, then that is simply stupid. The majority of people that hate gays/hate gay's lifestyles, which, on a side note, is possible to do without hating gays- but that is a different story for a different time- do so because they believe their religion says they should do so, because they feel it is unnatural, or because they are afraid of what else it will lead to. (There are also a pretty strong minority that are afraid of what might happen to their kids in certain places- public schools, for one.)

You have some valid points, though those lines about reasons for voting Obama kind of went over my head. But the main difference I want to point out to you, if you're willing to listen, is that political alignment or religion is a choice, while your sexuality is not. In this age of political correctness and the counter-political correctness (VERY different from political in-correctness), people too often put these issues on the same level. The comment you quoted from me, was mostly tongue-in-cheek, yet it raises an important question.

Homophobes (or "homostygics", pick your poison) are not afraid of homosexuality because of what they see in it, but rather of what they don't see. "Familiarity breeds contempt" is an outdated idea to apply here, simply because the gays who are overly defensive (read: Perez Hilton) are not the same ones who just want to relate better to poorly-written romance in games. They're not hurting anybody, and, as Bioware has already shown, you can have gay representation in games without them turning into "gay pride festivals".

 

[Acid Armageddon]

I don't dislike homosexuals, just the lifestyle.

What is wrong with their lifestyle? That they live togheter with a person of the same gender? That some of them like to go to the opera?

As long as they don't shove it in your face when you talk to them, I could care less. It's their choice.

Have that ever happend to you? That they shoved 'it' in your face? I don't think there is a sane person on the planet who would to that to anyone.

Maybe you meen that they would become attracted and fall in love with you? But if you fall in love with a girl, you don't go and shake your pride in their face now do you? So why should they?

Obviously you have your own issues if you are trying to call me out on my statements. I said what I said in the most respectable manner I could, so thats not the issue. My main issue is the fact that, yes, I have had some homosexual people I know in real life come out and flaunt it in front of me in an undecent manner. Now, I'm not saying that all of them do that, but the few I have met seem to not care what anyone thinks (which doesn;t really matter), but the way they acted publically annoyed me. There was no need for them to act like they did.

 

[Sigenrecht]

Alright, BioWare, I'll go along with this. But it will be hard to ignore the underlying homo eroticism that's permeated the entire series. I mean, c'mon. LIGHTSABERS.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

want a good answer? lets just put no "sexuality" into it... not like not seeing some npc saying something regarding a relationship will bother people... if it aint there at all there is no discrimination... because neither side has any. and both sides get to flame the company, so no-one gets left out yay for all!

my motto goes for personal choice. I'm straight, but have friends who are not, and it doesn't really matter all that much... though sometimes having a guy hit on me can be offputting when I'm not expecting it, though i generally tend to just politely decline.

2 words that alot of people don't get "PERSONAL CHOICE" and this then again boils down to developers being people and thus having personal choice, what they wanna do is their choice. so why ***** and moan about someone else's choice, and why should they have to defend themselves or grovel to someone who doesn't like it...

/end rant

 

[cobrausn]

They could solve the whole issue by just not including marriage as a feature.

You know, because it doesn't make a difference in gameplay. And is not relevant to gameplay. And is stupid.

Of course, that would mean they were just afraid of getting married themselves, right?

Not to mention the romances is Bioware games were rushed, akward affairs that more often than not just left you feeling creeped out because you just played through some programming nerd's fantasy romance with an imaginary person they created just so people could pretend to have sex with it.

 

[Shycte]

I don't dislike homosexuals, just the lifestyle.

What is wrong with their lifestyle? That they live togheter with a person of the same gender? That some of them like to go to the opera?

As long as they don't shove it in your face when you talk to them, I could care less. It's their choice.

Have that ever happend to you? That they shoved 'it' in your face? I don't think there is a sane person on the planet who would to that to anyone.

Maybe you meen that they would become attracted and fall in love with you? But if you fall in love with a girl, you don't go and shake your pride in their face now do you? So why should they?

Obviously you have your own issues if you are trying to call me out on my statements. I said what I said in the most respectable manner I could, so thats not the issue. My main issue is the fact that, yes, I have had some homosexual people I know in real life come out and flaunt it in front of me in an undecent manner. Now, I'm not saying that all of them do that, but the few I have met seem to not care what anyone thinks (which doesn;t really matter), but the way they acted publically annoyed me. There was no need for them to act like they did.

I was just trying to understand your post, not offend you. I did not understand what you meant with "their lifestyle". No all homosexuals live in the same way and that's what confused me about your post.

But I have to ask you, where do you hang out if someone goes up to you and shake in in your face? I doubt that it was one the street... Where did it happend?

Again, I meant no offense.

 

[Silver Khondji]

Im not homophobic but I do not believe any type of homosexual content belongs in video games

Its an MMO and if i recall they said in the star wars universe, so its not like they have decided this, its just the way it is

Best response ever.

 

[Zephirius]

Perhaps not as we know them, what with intergalactic civilization and all. You'd think it will be more commonplace and much more accepted.

With that on-topic stuff out of the way, I'll just say what I think about homosexuality, even though nobody cares.

Rant on.

I think people need to get their heads out their asses and realize that regardless of sexuality, these are still people. Human beings. With feelings and everything. Feelings they can't repress (for most, I know I have trouble repressing any negative feeling I have). I will also openly admit that I am not bothered by homosexuality in the slightest. I am bothered by in-your-face expressions of affection, be it straight or gay. Before you flame me or whatever, I'm trying to find myself less bothered (in other words: Working on it, okay? Back off, bub).

I feel like games should have more homosexuality, but not center stage. Honestly, I don't give a shit what someone's sexuality is, unless that's what the game's all about (in which case I probably wouldn't play it). If you wanna throw it in as a minor detail, go ahead. If you're going to make someone a straight pervert or an effeminate gay male or masculine gay woman, kindly go work at McDonalds or whatever, because you are making money off of perpetuating stereotypes and prejudice and do not deserve your current standard of living. Putting bread on your table by making people discriminate, if you will allow some hyperbole.

I was going to say something else, but I forgot.

Rant off.

And that's my 2 9 cents lines.