You might say that they are susceptible to TN mods based on the the 'Good looking and knows it' edge from people of the same sex rather than the opposite sex. That's rules-related.

I think sexuality in SR is about as relevant as skin colour or gender, ie completely irrelevant beyond role playing "quirks".

imho though, sex is something best left out of an RPG, it leads to way too much sillyness.

yes, that's rules-related. but writing in to ask whether or not it applies is like writing in to ask whether or not gravity applies (granted, an honest answer to the latter--given SR's falling rules--would be "only sporadically").

Who was that yahoo that had all the rules for sex in SR? I saw the site last year sometime....I thought I was bored at work.

The sex pool. all attributes except cha added up then divided by four. Charisma doeesnt help you in bed, it helps you GET to bed in the first place. And remember, Sex pool doesnt refresh till you're done, so make it last.

Err, if you're serious about trying to write official fiction, my first suggestion would be to make sure you use the spellcheck. And when you're done, visually check your work, because spellcheck programs won't catch homonyms.

I wouldn't worry about a character being gay, straight or bi.

Of all the things I miss about Cyberpunk, the Mr. Stud piece of cyberware is one of them.

Unless it's a game full of immature teenagers. In which case, I don't miss it. Not one bit. There was a hilarious mini-story in one of the books about one "going off at the damnest times" though

I had the opportunity to play a gay character in a play once - it was only a short week long run, but as it was the first time I had played such a character, I found it to be most enlightening.

Having attended a Performing Arts college, I found myself peered with many openly gay, lesbian and bisexual students. I molded my character after them. The thing that I didn't compensate for was that they were all performers in one way or another and a great many of them - the ones with the most memorable "characters" - openly played up to the stereotype of gender preference. For example, say five in ten of all gay men there would over-emphasize there effeminate traits, whilst the lesbians were either indistinguishable from everyone else or terribly butch. The problem is, that these stereotypes were misleading.

What I learned then, from my tenure as a "pretend homosexual" was that there is no difference. Homo-hetero-bi-sexuality is as much a choice as what colour clothes you wear, or as much of a burden as the colour of your skin - it depends entirely on your social situation, the people around you, and how you look at it.

All you have to do, in game terms, is decide how your character views themself. It is an extension of what we do anyway - "is my Samurai a follower of Bushido, or a random street thug?" and "how does my character view his/her sexual gender preference?" should be equally valid and purposeful questions.

Having read this thread, I can't help wondering how many gay or lesbian readers would be offended by it - if at all, since I haven't the opportunity to ask any. It also occurs to me that if you want to play a lithe, sexy bisexual elven assassin then feel free. I saw plenty of people flaunt their sexuality for gain at college (yes, especially the bi-sexual ladies) so that would be just as valid a lifestyle choice as "Heterosexual Male."

There's no problem playing a stereotype, at all. All you have to remember is that stereotypes are formed by popular interpretation rather than the group to whom they apply.

Fine point Drain Brain

An excelent addendum, Pistons, I heartily agree. Variety is the spice of life. So the next time a fellow player questions you for your "I wanna play a non-magic, non-cyber runner" idea, tell him to stuff it! And if the aforementioned runner happens to be anything other than heterosexual, remember you can be butch, camp or, maybe, just "normal."

you can even make a *gasp* plain-looking runner.

The funny thing about Shadowrun is the more plain, nondescript, boring, and professional the character the more effective he can be. On the other hand, the more wild, crazy, outlandish, etc, a character is the more crazy fun can be had, but the less appropriate for the nature of the game.

Finding that balance as a player and group can be quite difficult sometimes.

What? No Trans-sexual runners? With the genetech and magic avaible in 2063 you think that at least one would have been mentioned at some point...

I know someone who did that (well, a pre-op, but whenever I see "transexual" lately it's talking about pre-ops), but the character was fucking ridiculous.

But really, no need for genetech and magic. There are very passable shemales right now. I've noticed that the shemale sections in my local porno shops are getting bigger and more popular. The "Xtreme Encounters" section of my local Hip Free Newspaper also seems to have an upswing in requests for passable shemales. I imagine the technology of 2063 can make it downright impossible to tell the difference.

Speaking as a bisexual male, I think Drain Brain hit it on the head. Sexuality is just another component of someone's personality, just as gender, skin color and a whole host of other factors. I've met people who run the gamut of personalities, from the stereotypical 'flaming gay', to gay men who were the epitome of testosterone-laden sports players/military men. They just happened to like other men. But, for the most part, you'll find that your average gay male is just that: average. He doesn't do much to distinguish himself from anyone else, other than sexual orientation.

On the topic of transsexuals: I'm rather disappointed that so-called 'tranny porn' and 'she-male porn' are getting more popular. I don't have the most experience in the subject, but I've encountered at least one person who engaged in making such porn solely because that provided them with the money to finish their operation. It was a very degrading experience for them. I'm sure that, like other porn, it works out the same: some actors love it, others only do it because they have to. In this case, though, the end-goal for most transexuals is to finish the change of gender, which is quite expensive. I find that a bit exploitative.

In SR, I'd say the medical practices have advanced leaps and bounds in this area. It'd still be relatively pricey, but nowhere near as bad as now, and less controversial. Magic would make 'casual' transexual experiences possible through illusion spells and shapechange. Trid and BTLs would suffice for some of those who can't afford the magical experiences.

Actually, that's a thought... a runner who is only running to get the money so they can afford their operation. Hmmm... possible character concept, there.

Anyway, running someone in SR should only be limited to what your group is comfortable with. Some groups just aren't comfortable with certain topics at the game table, and in that, I'd say you either choose to refrain from using it in-character or find another group. Otherwise, sexuality really doesn't matter to Shadowrun, other than the occasional RP hook.

Anyone else remember a poster from a while back that started having real feelings for one of his friends because they were roleplaying amourous characters? I wonder how that turned out... not that it's really any of my business, I guess.

Hm. That gives me an idea. I think Bisexuality should be a flaw.

Bisexual
2-point Flaw
Susceptible to effects of Good Looking And Knows It from either gender.

And, hell, why not:
Really Bisexual
4-point Flaw
Susceptible to effects of Good Looking And Knows It from either gender, modifiers doubled.

nah. just make it Bisexual and Horny Bastard.

Horny Bastard
2-pt Flaw
All TN effects for members of the opposite sex are doubled, eg Good Looking and Knows it, Good Reputation, etc.

I'm actually toying with the idea of playing a homosexual runner the next time a new campaign starts up. I was thumbing through the Magic sourcebook and was taken with the idea of playing a Shamanist. OK, doesn't sound so bad. Take a totem, preferrably one with manipulation. Manipulation has two wonderful spells, Fashion and Makeover. Throw a Day Job: Fashion Stylist Flaw on there, and there you go, one (stereotypical) gay shadowrunner. If I wanted to make it over the top, I'd go Male Elf for the charisma bonus. It'd be a break from all the 'dark and mysterious' shadowrunners, who are a stereotype unto themselves, and could actually be a lot of fun to play.

Edit:

Maybe throw in a distinctive style flaw as well. I mean, c'mon, a runner like this is bound to raise eyebrows

Elfie, I played a game with that character, almost exactly. He was a Baccus shaman. He was a hairdresser/fashion stylist. He was more than a little gay.

We were all "sort of" Shadowrunners in one way or another, though, so it was rather entertaining.

Bacchus, huh? That's a good idea, never thought of that... I'd like to give this character a go one of these days...

When I was playing the Other Game, my wife and I considered making a pair of stereotypical gay bards, probably a dwarf and an elf. We figured, as long as we're playing a useless class, we might as well make it a roleplaying challenge (plus, considering two of the other players were gay and the GM was bi, it would be a good chance for some friendly ribbing ; )

Uhm, just as a note guys, most transfolk find the terms "shemale" and "tranny" pretty offensive (mostly because they tend to be used pretty exclusively by the porno industry). Just so you know. And yeah -- it's pretty degrading, at least to those of us who simply want to be the other sex; that kind of thing focuses on the very thing we want to get rid of (I don't want to be found attractive for the very thing that makes me feel like I'm not a woman, essentially). Admittedly, there are people who don't mind that, and who never intend to have SRS....but like Kesh says, a lot of the performers in that kind of porn are doing it because they feel desperate to get the whole in-between process over with.

As for playing trans* characters in Shadowrun -- for transsexuals, who want to simply be the opposite sex they were born with, I think it's pretty moot. With the level of surgery/genetics/nanotech in Shadowrun, I'm pretty sure they have mastered the whole process and can simply make any transsexual woman indistinguishable from a natal female (hell, it's almost to that level now, except for functionality -- but if bioware is possible, grafting female reproductive organs into a natal male is probably a simple task in comparison -- just clone the organ off modified DNA of the recipient), and vice versa. For people who just want to live androgenously or blur the gender lines, I'm sure that's pretty simple too, considering the level of plastic surgery available.

Now, playing a transsexual who is using shadowrunning to finance his or her SRS might be interesting, but considering the expense of other surgery and cyberware, it is a relatively cheap process in comparison, so I would hope the character has some motivation beyond that (or at least, is prepared to develop into someone who has some other motivation).

Glad to have a little validation there, Kesh, thanks. I didn't care to comment on transexuality or gender reassignment because it's not something that I've ever had any experience of, even in passing, save for the numerous docu-dramas...

Another note, my father-in-law to be is a hairdresser (and really good at it too) and is heterosexual, so if you wanted to take the Stylist day job, you could always do what he does and over-compensate by being very butch - nobody ever tells him he has a "poofy" job...

Oh, and the "Horny Bastard" flaw? I have that... it's SO right!