OK, I'm starting to get tired of my throw adept and I'm starting to think of doing a troll face/shaman who happens to be gay. The problem is, I can't find any mention if there is a section of Seattle for gay metahumans, or hell for gay humans in general. I've lived in a bunch of areas across the USA and I know most large cities have one and I figured in the Awakened world that there would probably be enclaves in Seattle for each income level. I'm looking for something in the Low lifestyle; able to support a few clubs and bars and be primarily housing.

I can picture it in my mind and I'm sure the GM will let me flesh it out a bit to save him some leg work.

Any suggestions or ideas?

Everywhere. Homosexuality is largely accepted without much fuss in the 2070s UCAS, including the extra liberal Enclave of Greater Seattle. (Source: SSG, Core Rules SR4). There're also a number of bisexual or gay official NPCs.

Metahumans tend to live in their metahuman racial districts, if they feel the pressing need to be amongst themselves - Elves and Dwarves in the Elven Quarter, Orcs and Trolls in the Undercity. Whether or not they're homosexual is, at best, a secondary consideration.

Sure enough, there will be gay bars and clubs, though AR profiles detailing sexual preferences might cut into their profits significantly, but only for the convenience of finding like-minded potential partners rather easily there (a nine out of ten chance of no interest whatsoever must be damn depressing), not because they're shunned elsewhere or something.

BAH!!! I can't remember where that club is that the Gay Troll fixer operates out of... ::BANGS HEAD ON DESK::

As for low lifestyle, I imagine most areas of the city have low lifestyle present. I mean, even the rich people's servants got to live somewhere. Of course, there is mass transit so...

Hardly. Thats like saying the Chinese section of Seattle is everywhere. The Homosexual section of Seattle is east of Capital Hill, it takes up a couple of blocks and is full of gay bookstores and clubs. Races, creeds, religions, all tend to band together in their own sections of town. There is a chinese part of town, a japanese part... etc.

Just like any other part of town once your in it, it's obvious where you are. Despite what the media would have you belive, homosexuals are an extrely small minority, and while there may be more in the future, it is doubtfull that the whole town would be a "gay" part of town.







edit: for typos and clarifications.

Uhm ... which book do you reference to?

I thought it was in Havens...but I don't have it with me.

Edit : I see you were not talking to me...anywho.

Bryn Mawr and Terislar.

See the sectioning into quarters makes sense, but I always read the sourcebook as being "everyone in their place". Very compartmentalized and niche. While I know that the corps are going to have people everywhere I would figure metahumans would have a separate gay area; two strikes against you kind of thing. I figure it as a troll/orc "street gang (lets call them the Pansy Division) forms forms out of self protection. They would then keep the area clear of gaybashers and other bigots. Word gets around that the "Pansy Division" turf is a place where you won't get gacked just for walking home with your boyfiend or being in drag. As more people come to the area the gang gets bigger and takes over a larger area. Given the makeup of the area joyboys start working the area and more "out of towner's" come to the area with to spend. The local economy picks up. Clubs and bars start to open catering to local clients.

Good thing you didn't say Tarislar, or I'd have to hurt you.

Damn. Misspell.

Whether intentionally or not - he's referencing RL Seattle, although I'd put it smack on the west face of Capital Hill, but it's been a few years.

Take a look in Runner Havens... there's mention of the "Leather Devils" go gang. And yes, they are a gay biker gang.

There's also a nightclub, although I can't remember the name. Sparkplug or something electric like that, I don't remember... But it's a gay bar on top and an all orientation BDSM joint in the basement.

Edit, flipped through the book: I quote: "When they're not terrorizing the streets, you can find the devils raising a ruckus in one of Bellevue's infamous leather bars." Guess that even if there isn't a gay district there, there's at least a sizable gay presence. Also, the club is called Powerline... and apparently there's a gay troll fixer who loves doing meets there and watching the runners twitch. Heh heh heh.

I've always pictured sexual preference in SR to be a concern of the distant past. It would be likened to seeing a womans ankles today as opposed to 100 years ago. In SR I've always played sexual preference about as ho-hum as "Cream or Sugar?". Not to say there wouldn't be some bars or other places that cater to that specific proclivity but by and large the number of gay/bi people has increased to such a degree as to make [those places] a novelty rather than the norm.

EDIT: Clarification.

As a Seattle local, I can verify that the modern city's "alternative neighborhood" is on the west side of Capital Hill. The main drag along the crest of the hill (Broadway) is also a favored hangout with lots of clubs, restaurants, and other venues. In my mind I've always pictured the Seattle of the 2060's and 70's still being this way, though dense urban growth in downtown Seattle might drive out the beatnik, alternative culture on Capital Hill much like recent growth has driven that stuff out of the Fremont neighborhood on the north side of town (other Seattle locals would probably know what I mean).

according to the Sprawl Survival Guide, the population at large is not concerned with sexual orientation. in Seattle, and in the parts of the world which Seattle shares most of its culture with, there aren't any LGBT sections of town. what there might be are conservative sections of town--rather than confining places where LGBTs are welcome, the places where they aren't welcome are confined.

I really can't see people not caring anymore about sexual orientation. I mean, it's central to who you are, and I think a lot of people are always going to be proud of it. Sure, a lot of people might rank themselves as something else first, and identify more as an elf than a homosexual. Those people are going to gravitate more toward the elven neighborhoods. But some people are going to identify more as gay than elven, or Amerindian, or whatever else they happen to be. And even for those that don't rank their homosexuality as number one on the priority listthere's still going to be a reason for a "gay neighborhood," namely that gay-oriented businesses are going to prosper better when they're located together. In RL, we don't just have ethnic enclaves in cities, we also have fashion districts, jeweler districts, etc. I imagine the gay book stores are going to be near the gay cafes and the gay nightclubs.

And Pansy Division's a great band.

Figured that, too. Real-Life Seattle and SR Seattle have precious little in common, though.

Anyway, as for male homosexual gangs, you have the Leather Devils for that.


Assuming you're heterosexual - what kind of girl do you prefer? Do you form a group with like-minded people? Do you run around decreeing "I'm heavily into the [insert type preference] kind of chick! Hell yeah! Notice me!"?

If homosexuality is as accepted as having a thing for darker skin, the asian type, or maybe fiery-haired gaelics, why make a ruckus about it? You can define yourself other than by your sexuality too, you know. Works fairly well for homosexuals, too, so long as they won't get an 'eww' as soon as they present their partners.

As for gay oriented businesses - like what? Aside from maybe sex toys, the obligatory 'meet other gay people' clubs (that WILL suffer from AR profiles acting as a more convenient matchmaking device), what? Du gay people need different cups, bottles, cleaning drones, and softwarer than heterosexuals? What about bi people, hunh?

As for gay bookstores: That's what the Matrix is for.

QUICK! WRITE AN EAST VILLAGE SOURCEBOOK! NOW!!!!

How about "Cities of Rainbows", fitting the current themed city books line?

Seriously, homosexuality isn't much of an issue in Seattle or most of the westernised SR world (Surely is in India, the ME, Africa, possibly South America, but how many campaigns ever go there, and in how many of these this issue will actually come up?). Thus, whereever the initial poster's homosexual elf adept will decide to settle, so long as it's not hick haven Renton, he'll get along with people fairly easily.

Troll drag queen shaman actually. Dark Lady totem. Trying to keep it from being pink mohawk.

For some reason I don't think that he would make it down the street in most neighborhoods without having some one having an issue with him breathing.

And honestly, and it might be the cyberpunk in me talking, I just can't picture every going "That's just Bubba's thing." Fear of the strange and unknown is a huge part of SR. You don't trust folks you don't know and you don't get near anyone who might attract "attention". I guess our game is a little more gritty.

Some Trog Rapper types might take offense in that, but generally, most people will be way too concerned about the character being a troll than about whether or not that's a male troll wearing female clothes. Hard to tell with trogs anyway, they all look alike and stuff.


I guess that's the American talking in you (no offense meant, but you make such a fuss about peoples' sex lives). Maybe it's the liberal German in me talking, but I am just used to that kind of attitude. Besides, you have more than enough grit in SR for everyone to enjoy. Unlike what some people think, SR is neither post-apocalyptic (like, say, Ergo Proxy or Appleseed), nor is it a "everything is t3h EVEL" type of world like certain web comics. SR has numerous shades of grey, and hzow homosexuality is more or less accepted in mainstream society is one of the brighter ones.


More gritty than canon background, it appears, yes.

I hear ya man, I always kind of roll my eyes at pride parades. If I organized an "I like boobs!" parade, everyone would just look at me like I was nuts, or a pervert. If it was a straight pride parade, I'd be run out of town. I'm straight, but I'm not proud of it. It seems like being proud of being right handed, or liking chocolate ice cream. I don't think people should be ashamed of their orientation, but being proud of it just seems kind of weird.

Still, I can understand how that would be fun, flaunting your still-somewhat-taboo sexuality in a day of ridiculous by design celebration. And I doubt they will be rid of gay bars anytime in the near future... sure, gay people could just hang out in regular bars with the personality profiles, but why wouldn't you go to a place where you know EVERYONE there is a potential mate/booty call. Imagine if there were bars filled entirely with straight single women... only many of them shared your interests. (they weren't "girly") Might be fun to hang out in for a straight man, eh? It's the same for other alternative types... fetish clubs and the like abound. Sure, you could spot the other kinksters by their profiles, but why wouldn't you want to go to a place where you KNOW nobody would judge you for it? And besides, not everyone going to a gay or fetish bar is only there to get laid. Just being in a place to be around your own kind, no matter what your kind is. It's why game stores tend to be very social places, for example.

Uhmmm... IRL I'm a goth. So yes, I do form groups with like minded people. we have our own special nights at clubs, we have areas with stores that sell the books we like to read, the music we like to listen to and the clothes we like to wear.
And lets face it black PVC and fishnets does indead scream I'm into freaky/gothy/fetish kind of chicks.


All subcultures are about community and not being alone. Going back to my personal experience, yes there are plenty of newsgroups, websites, news feeds and on-line resources for goths. And they are almost entirely used to let us know where we can go to hang out in person with people just like us or talking about what they saw last time they were out. Bars, clothing stores, coffee shops, dinners that are known to be friendly tend to be frequented a lot more by any subculture.
So in specific for my example:
Drag cabaret bars.
Dance clubs.
Regular small businesses that are owned and run by gay people (believe or not a lot of people will spend money at places that support them and are part of their culture).

Specific to SR?:
Clothing stores: Where else are you going to get size 12 gogo boots that can hold a male troll.(anyone seen Kinky Boots?)
Fake SINS: Lets face it if you don't want your corp to know that you spend part of your time doing something you'll want a fake SIN. Might be in fashion to have one for your persona.
Drug dealers: Lets face it each subculture has their own drugs. One of the nights I go to is in a gay bar and there are signs warning about meth use EVERYWHERE.
Joyboys/Girls: Obvious.
Custom Pheromones: Lets face it most mass market perfumes and colognes are meant for heterosexuals.

If anyone can think others I'd appreciate it.

Okay, but that doesn't really apply to most people.


Gay friends of mine usually are put off by gay subculture actually, of people telling them what a real gay man or woman should look like, act like and vote. You choose to be a Goth. You do not choose whether or not to be gay. So thinking gays automatically hang around only 'their own' people is a bit flawed.


All but two of my gay acquaintances would propably laugh at you for that, or shake their heads, or be pissed. They're, aside from preferring both or their own sex, pretty ordinary people with no common psychological trait or shared taste. One is collecting coocoo clocks, for instance.


That's highly illegal and, unless you work for MCT or Renraku, totally unnescessary.


Fetish stores (online as well as in-the-flesh)?


Uhm, homosexuals prefer standard pheromones of their own respective sex. Pheromone perfumes emmit pheromones designed to attract whoever is into males (or females). I don't see how gays would be turned on by different pheromones than heterosexuals. They react to different pheromone groups than heterosexuals of their own sex, but they react to the same pheromone groups heterosexuals of their opposite sex react to. Thus, homosexuals can well use run-of-the-mill KArl Kombatmage pheromone perfumes. Works for gay men as well as for heterosexual women.

Sorry, but what are you actually askin' ??

Do your gay characters only live in certain places ??
Do your gay characters have a certain look to them ??

Unless you specifically have gay enclaves [such as the ones in Street Lethal]..
..Why on earth would you separate them out and make them 'different' ??

I'm just posting to throw my hat in with the queers not being an issue. If you look around the world and back through history you can see sex/sexuality/identity getting treated all kinds of ways. For example in a lot of Latin America you still considered "un macho" if you are a top. Another thing to point out is that we can be all friendly and talk about identity "neighborhoods", but really we are talking about ghettos, like Warsaw ghettos. Steadily for the last 30 years in the USA being out has gotten way way way easier. But the "neighborhoods" you are talking about steam from overt oppression. The tenderloin is an SF neighborhood. It has been full of genderbent prostitutes for half a century. Because that was the only place in the city where such people could get get housing, and even there they often couldn't get legit jobs. Racial neighborhoods? Same thing. These are Ghettos created and maintained by oppression. This is why there aren't gamer neighborhoods or bicyclist neighborhoods etc. So after 50 years of activism making it less and less easy and cool to hate on queer folk, and Meta's pop up the hate just flows down hill. Without the oppression maintaining it you will see the ghettos dissolve.

I guess its just a regional thing. My brother (who is gay) left the small town we lived in becasue he was tired of being someplace that didn't accept him. He left specifically to be around others like him. And for about 5-10 years he did go full stream into the "gay culture" until he meet a nice guy and they settled in the suburbs. Again this from an Amerocentric veiw, specifically Massucusets. Both of us moved to Boston for difrent reasons.


I would think that they would be difrent becasue the wearer was diffrent. I guess for RAW it doesn't realy matter.

not necessarily true. it's central to who you are nowadays, in most of the first world. if you had been born in Sparta around the time a bunch of its citizens died for FREEEEEDOOOOOOOOOM, the question of whether or not you should have sex with men wouldn't have occurred to you--you'd have done it and never thought twice about it. if you'd been born in Athens around the same time, you would likely also have spent a lot of time flirting with young boys. actually having sex with a young boy would cause no more stir than a governor having sex with a prostitute today--which is to say, everybody knows that everybody does it, but there's always a big hullabaloo whenever somebody actually gets caught doing it.

I'm looking for RAW material for a drag queen character. As for making them different, my group is pretty heavy into roleplaying quirky characters. We have to have a good reason for being Shadowrunners rather than making money some legitimate and safer way. Like I've said it's pretty gritty. There is a requirement of a detailed background for us, our family, our contacts, where we live and why we are Shadowrunners. Our games have a very heavy on the rich/poor, human/meta, mundane/magic, loss of humanity type stuff. To get into a AAA rated area takes a SIN rating 5 or better. Most of the people in the Barrens never travel more than 4 miles from the place they are born their entire life. Even those with SINs have a 2-3 year waiting period to get a job that is good enough to afford to move into even a B rated block.


And this is the first gay character I've written for SR and I figured there had to be some already generated background material to work with in the source books. Makes it easier on me.

First of all, assuming I'm heterosexual, it doesn't matter what type of girl I prefer. Assuming I'm heterosexual, I'm not going to be in the same dating pool as homosexuals, and so I'm probably not going to go to a lesbian bar to pick up chicks. I'm going to go to straight bars, and like having areas in my city where several of these bars are clumped together so I'm not tromping all over town getting between them.

And yes, I DO form groups with like-minded people. It's not exactly a bigot-thing, it's common courtesy. I don't have any non-gamers in my gaming group, I don't force "norms" to sit through my Star Trek marathons, etc. So these activities have a heavy influence on the "scenes" involved. If you hang out with my gaming buddies, there's NO getting around the fact that we're gamers. This is how subcultures form, and like it or not, homosexuality has produced a very definite subculture. That's not to say all homosexuals choose to take part in it, but many do. It's pretty insulting to say "well, in the future, these people won't be proud of who they are" or "they'll focus more on other things."

And I find your equation of gay businesses to gay people needing different cups, bottles, etc. really offensive. I'm sure you think you're being very open-minded, and more enlightened than us Americans, but you're not only implying that I'm a homophobe, you're also flippantly dismissing a lifestyle as irrelevant. No, Hermit, that's not what the matrix is for. Do you not go to bookstores or libraries because you have an internet connection? I don't know how things work in your world, but in my world, people like face-to-face interaction, and occasionally leave the house. Sometimes they like to go places they enjoy being, and meeting similar-minded people. Maybe that's a gay bookstore. Maybe it's a gay-friendly cafe or clothing store. But it's probably nice to have places you can go, and hand money to a clerk in exchange for goods, and not have them look at you like they're afraid they have AIDS now. And you're right, maybe Germany's completely free of prejudices, and this is just a problem with American society, but that's the society that Seattle's going to be descended from.

And as for fear of meta's eliminating homophobia, I don't buy it. People don't have to pick just one way to be stupid. I don't think the Klan ever said "You know what? Let's not care that this guy's a liberal. Let's fixate on the fact that he's Jewish." Bigots just let their two prejudices go hand in hand. So I don't think someone would be "more worried" about the fact that someone's a troll than that they're a drag queen. They're going to be worried about the troll drag queen. And yes, I realize that "trog queen" is an appropriate play on words to describe this potential subculture. Now if we can just get some stats on what percentage of the general population dress in drag, and multiply it by the percentage that are trolls, we'll be in business.

What about a red light district, then? They aren't formed of a certain ethnic group or creed, though they do tend to be lower class. They aren't there because of discrimination. How about art districts? How about industrial parks? A lot of times the reason things are built in close proximity is because the other places nearby are like that. So someone wants to build a gay bar? where are they going to build it? Likely in a place that is known for being a gay district. And when the next person wants to build a gay bar, he'll probably think the same thing. So it perpetuates. I'd imagine the gay residents of the areas are proud of their home. I know someone in Australia, and apparently they are very proud of their heritage, even though their forefathers were forced to live there.

I think that even without oppression as such, a lot of gay people will want to live in gay neighborhoods. So Capitol Hill (for example) could still be mostly gay. It's just more fun -- a gay bar, nightclub, restaurant or what have you will have better business where a lot of nearby people are gay, and the presence of these places will be a gay magnet, so there's a feedback loop kind of.

Of course in Capitol Hill the rents are getting outrageous, and not "outrageous" in a 2m tall drag queen kind of way, and also I could see multiple cycles of gentrification/assimilation as hipsters move in to the "cool neighborhood" and then make it all boring and homogenous and the coolest place is basically Urban Outfitters (which is kind of cool but no chain store should be the coolest place around).

Still don't understand why you're looking for official guidelines on playing a gay character.

There's only been a single character in any of the SR novels, that I know of - Talon [can't remember the books, sorry]..
..But maybe that'd give you some help.


And really, it's not something that any RPG really gets into, because of the problems it'd cause [same as most RPGs won't do much about religion, or skin colour - RPG-ers get enough trouble over satanism, etc already].


Just watch a couple of movies involving drag queens, or listen to Eddie Izzard, and use that as material.


And, although I laud your 'research', the sexuality of a character should not be something that you have to ask someone else about - if you really can't work out that being a drag queen [which actually has nothing to do with sexual orientation, ask anyone who does panto about that] isn't really going to make any difference to the character, then maybe you should just give up..
..Because being gay doesn't make any other differences to the way you are, except that you love someone of the same sex [and get beaten up if some idiot thinks you fit his image of being gay].


That of course does not take into account the people who come out about their sexuality late in life, those who believe they were born into the wrong sex bodies or those who indulge in same sex partners, but don't class it as being gay.


Looking at some of the comments here, it seems that many people don't actually know anything about gay people..
..Your gay people seem to be outcasts, that are herded into ghettos and only interact with other gay people.

SanFran, I believe, has a reputation for being quite gay friendly [as does Brighton, in the UK] - yet is not a ghetto, or only populated by gay people

London, which is quite an up-and-coming city in the world, has several gay bars, right in the middle of the city - right where straight people from all over the world go !!


Obviously, there are gay people in every walk of life, in every street and in every demographic - so just treat a gay character [and again, drag queens don't have to be gay - unless you insist that in every carnival, everyone there is gay ??] like any other character [and I'm not trying to downplay that gay people are individuals in their right, or that you shouldn't do what you're trying to do and stretch the boundaries of your game]..
..Unless you treat every character, of every skin colour differently ??

Yeah, I've been waiting for the perfect oppurtunity to throw the macho players into "The Leather Devil's". Nothing like a good ass-pounding by a biker troll to get the blood flowing.

there's a difference between having pride in oneself and having a subculture. there's nothing insulting at all in saying that the world will become so accepting of alternative lifestyles that there won't be any reason for people who choose that lifestyle to segregate themselves. i like having sex with petite brunettes, and so do other people. but we haven't formed our own subculture, and we don't all live in the same part of town. if i outed myself as a guy who has sex with petite brunettes, people wouldn't look askance of me for my sexual proclivities, they'd look askance of me for blaring in everyone's ear.

Uhm ... yeah ... nothing like a bunch of self-important, arrogant people telling everyone of a certain skin colour, sexual orientation or nationality how to be a 'true' Black, Homosexual or American ... and why should it be rude to say "in the future, things might change and you will actually get that accepance you crave for so loudly?


You really got me all figured out, man. Yes, I do wonder how, exactly, gay people would, in a society where they are accepted the same way people of colour or with blonde hair are accepted, would need special stores to buy everyday stuff for. where exactly do I imply you being a homophobe? I am just wondering about something that makes no sense to me.


I support my local gaming shop becuase I and the owner go way back, and occasionally, while prowling my local shopping street, I do drop by a large book store, but other than that, yes, I do buy most of my books online.


AIDS is not much of an issue anymore, at least here, to the point where the government feels the need to air a huge ad campaign with an "AIDS - it can still kill you, y'know?" theme. Also, as two state governors and the head of a major party are openly gay (one having won Berlin on a - no kidding - "gay and happy about that" ticket), as well as a number of media people being open about homosexual preferences, yes, I DO think Germany is much more tolerant of homosexuals than the US, where senators who find themselves outed usually step back and withdraw into privacy. I'm not saying all is perfect over here, by far not, but in that respect, yeah, Germany is more tolerant than the states (in all aspects including sex, actually). So sue me if that hurts your self-esteem. Won't make this any less true.

But even Americans can change in 60 years, can't they?


Of course they are. they form because people don't want that kjind of business near them, and restricting them to a certain part of the city is an old, proven and effective way to keep brothels out of your neighbourhood. Some are maintained for tradition or as tourist destinatuions nowadays, but that's where they come from.


QFT

let me present a concept that is a lot more likely than what i think a lot of people are picturing. it's not that there isn't any LGBT subculture--it's that there's an LGBT subculture and a lesbian subculture and a gay subculture and a bi subculture and a transvestite subculture and a counterculture for people who are gay but don't like the gay subculture and a subculture who thinks it should be LGBTQ and so on and so on and so on. and that's all mixed in with the subculture who thinks that marriage is a sacred vow that should never be broken, the subculture that thinks swinging is just fine, the subculture that thinks that wives should never make eye contact with their husbands, the subculture where everyone who is over 30 has five ex-spouses, the subculture for complete abstainers (we call 'em stainers for short!) and so on. it's not that nobody cares, it's that everyone cares, and the cacaphony just mixes into a roar that is ultimately meaningless.

3278, a guy who posts at a place called Bulldrek posted this in a thread about locations in Seattle, by some guy named Paul. I believe this was published in TSS at one point or another.

Hope this helps.

If gay gets that accepted I wonder what the next 'fringe sexuality struggling for acceptance' will be?

Necrophilia?
Furries?
Bestiality?
Pedos (with Michael Jackson as a totem?)
Dragonfuckers
AI-philes
hmm

excuse me... excuse me dragonfucker! do you need assistance!

This is very much like my opinion when I was a child about Mother's day. I said "Hey mum, why is there a mother's day and a father's day? Why isn't there a kids day."

And I'll say to you what she said to me. "Honey, you get the other three hundred and sixty four days of the year."

AFAICT, by 2070 SR Seattle, like race, gender/gender preference segregation/discrimination has been wiped out by a combination of metahuman issues and desensitization. I mean, we've got Orksploitation, ork and elf posers and a bunch of things that aren't even (meta)human anymore. Tack this on to the extreme flexibility offered by biosculpting, simsense and BTLs, and I think you'll find it VERY hard to have any sort of districting when for the most part, people just don't care beyond their own particular kinks and preferences. You'll still have particular establishments and organizations catering to particular kinks, but without external opposition to rally against (and consequently, without establishments AVOIDING setting up shop in your 'area') it will be extraordinarily difficult to maintain any sort of meaningfully concentrated district.

Not looking for guidelines, just flavor text from some of the source materials. Trust me I've seen everything Eddie Izzard has done and I will probably bust out with "Do you have a flag?" at least once in game. And in my neck of the woods, drag queens are gay. Straight men in dresses are just cross dressers or transvestites. (Eddie Izzard is a transvestite by the way he even goes off on a big diatribe in one of his sketches). As for inspiration I'm going more for Harvey Firestien in Torchsong Trilogy. I'm going for a full on lounge act singing drag queen performer. While some actors wait on tables or wash cars until they get their big break she is a shadowrunner. It pays the bills and not to many places will hire her anyways without cutting into her REAL aspirations. Besides its oh so dramatic and the people are so much more interesting.

And in our game, yes every character is treated differently by the color of there skin. If your a gringo and you walk into the barrio, your going to be hassled by the gangs until you leave. The only places that are immune to that are the A-AAA areas of Seattle; the "civilized places". If your a Meta don't even think about trying to walk into any of the Japanese corp properties.

In short I was looking for a few pointers (thanks to the people who pointed out gangs, areas and contacts) and I got them. I wasn't intending for this to get do blown out of proportion. I just wanted some background and I don't have all the books yet.

You guys are all totally disregarding that while the world has "desensitized" itself to such prejudices, there has ALSO been a resurgence in conservatism and religious dogmatism. You think that goblinization came and then the fundies went "Oh, well, we've got this new thing to focus our zealous hatred on. I guess we were just wrong about fags and abortions, they're all god's creatures too." Uh... hell no. Just because the biggest groups of fundamentalists (the humanis/A40k/etc.) focus their public front and most of their operations on metarace descrimination, I'm willing to bet that their majority is fairly consensual and carrying the "god hates fags" stick. It's not just humanis, either, the muslim fundamentalists stirred up the masses and punted them into europe. The sexual descrimination in the middle-east didn't go away either.

So no, being homosexual isn't like choosing whether you want to have sugar and cream in your coffee. Because a guy isn't going to beat you into the gutter for that personal preference.

What? Don't you remember the Damien Knight/Dunkelzahn Slashfic that some guy posted up here a yeqar or so ago?

yes, but a guy might also beat you into the gutter for having pointy ears, or tusks, or using magic, or worshipping the wrong god, or for not being gay, or for being a male, or for not recycling, or for shopping in the Renraku Arcology mall on the wrong Christmas.

Or just because.

Okly, Brodda..
..Sorry for the confusion - flavour text for character background is good

Just be aware that not all people who wear womens clothes for work are gay - we in the UK have a long tradition of men dressing as women on stage [pantomime] and I know Japan has something similar.

Have you checked out Priscilla, Queen of the desert ??

It sounds like the character is similar to Priss [from Bubblegum Crisis] - aspiring songster, who does missions to earn some money.


Best of luck with the character

I dunno, shadowrunners going for the spotlight always sounds like suicide to me ... shadowruns are terrorism. You're not engaging in acts of terror and then, a few years down the line, emerge as a pop star(let). People will recognise you. People will find you and make you pay for what you've done. Your showbusiness-y career will be pretty damn short.

i don't really expect the first world's current fascination with terrorism to survive the awakening, much less the crash, bug city, denver, crash 2.0, etcetera. 'sides, there's a whole media myth built up around shadowrunning. sorta like being a 'gangsta' today.