I had an awesome character in FFXIV that I loved, but when I went to take a break, I accidentally deleted my entire account instead of just putting a hiatus on the subscription. I’m still sore about it…
Anyway, I’m not trans, so I can’t fully empathize with your position, but I use customizable avatars to look like female characters that tend to nearly not exist in video games–badasses, without being sexualized. I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when a guildmate said she liked my avatar–that it looked like a fierce superhero. Granted, it’s a poor substitution for actually having characters I like exist in video games, but at least it’s something.
Also, congratulations on your transition! I hope you feel at home. 
I consider myself a very liberal person. I definitely believe that people should be able to do with their bodies whatever they please, whether it makes them happy or even if they want to end it all.
I would appreciate some gentle education on one item with regards to people transitioning from one gender to another using serious surgical means that are irreversible.
In my mind, it seems like this action is one that politically rejects the notion that your body, my body, all our bodies are perfectly fine the way they are. If one wants to dress unconventionally or wear makeup, or even prosthetics, ok. But isn’t having major surgery in some ways a validation and reinforcement of gender norms? I.e. “If you feel like a woman you must be a woman, you cannot feel like a woman and be a man.”
I’d appreciate any insights into what I’m missing. I don’t want to be on the wrong intellectual side of the issue, even when I already think everyone has the right to do to themselves whatever makes them happy and when I’m happy to be respectful and social with all people, until they’ve proven then deserve less (by being jerks, mainly).
Thanks.
Rather than expecting marginalized people to teach you, and asking really awkward and dehumanizing questions in the process, why not actually take the time and do the research yourself? The internet is vast. There are a lot of books, and a lot of free resources. This is not an appropriate place for your ignorant questions, quite frankly.
You first say you don’t understand the issue at all, and then you ask a lot of leading questions that could easily be considered offensive and transphobic.
The insight is there. You’re only missing it because you have chosen not to do the research yourself.
I’ll get you started, but there is plenty out there and if you really ARE curious and you really DO mean well, you will take the time to learn and find the appropriate places ,and will take care not to ask loaded questions in the future. (Had you just said, “Hey, I don’t know much about this topic, do you have any 101 resources for me?” I’d have just shared with you some resources, but you didn’t just ask a simple question … you asked a bunch of loaded questions that clearly show your ignorance and bias…and it’s not okay, honestly.)
http://www.ohio.edu/lgbt/resources/trans101.cfm
There are more a plethora of resources out there. Take the time to educate yourself.
In my opinion,while the games cited are lovely, nothing comes close to the avatars and virtual bodies in this game.
( @marilove gently reminds @japhroaig, “he’s doing it again”)
Thank you for handling this better than I would have.
Allow me to pile on with the love…
I think you will find from the response it is better not to ask questions about this at all.
I was trying to acknowledge my own ignorance and frame it the perspective which I have but which I suspect is wrong.
Thank you for responding without reaming me too much.
I asked on BB because it is one of the few places I would think I’d get a decent response (as opposed to a bigoted one or a complete dismissal).
Yes, I have looked around the Internet on this subject before; thank you for your recommendation and pointing me in what you believe is the right direction. I’ll order that from my local library.
Its tough and I am completely ignorant as well. But I think as long as you come from a position of accepting and supporting a persons agency, you’ll be okay.
Except for me. I AM A GOAT!!! (LICK!!!)
It’s strange, I suppose, that the later parts of your article made me think of DCS: Black Shark. A favourite of mine, which I’ve not played in far too long. In that game, I spend most of my time trying to hit my enemies without them being able to hit me. My primary method is to outrange whatever I can.
It seems to me that in any game, any fight, any combat, or any contest, if you can strike without being struck - or even more so without the possibility of being struck - you’re guaranteed to win, or at least not lose.
How this ties into the rest of your article, I’m not sure. That’s something I can’t speak so well of, having no experience and minimal knowledge.
The primary role of a body is to carry the mind. Once technology allows decoupling mind from body, bodies will become obsolete.
They are massively overrated anyway.
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