I view most of these discussions as fairly light-hearted and I don't think they should be taken seriously. On the other hand, a personal pet peeve of mine is when someone looks at a character (portrayed in any medium) and decides they must be secretly gay just because they didn't happen to be overtly heterosexual during the brief portion of their life we saw within the game/film/book/whatever. The reason it annoys me is because people do that in real life too, sometimes - I have had many people assume I was lesbian just because I didn't throw myself at the nearest available penis, despite the fact that I had shown no sexual interest in women either. Sometimes, a person or character's sexuality is unknown. Can't we just accept that we don't know and move on?
[...] I've read at least one excellent [fanfic] work which portrayed him as gay, it was very well handled and fitted perfectly with what we know of him from the game. The same writer has also written him as straight.
Links please!
I was struggling to find a proper link but it looks like @Lockmund shared it here back in July. It's called A Capella & is written by Silrana. Unfortunately, as Lockmund pointed out there's not proper archive of it any more but it's a long and worthwhile read which can be found at The Attic
For a different take on what happens if Anomen fails his test and isn't in a romance check out Canon, also by the same author, it's unfinished, currently at 67 parts, but very good...
My $.02. No reason not to allow the threads or to moderate them any differently (if they are too many, merge them, etc.). No reason not to allow different topics being discussed in the same thread or diversions within a thread. That said (and it is an important caveat), I do think you have to watch as a poster and a moderator to avoid people hijacking threads.
If there is a lightning rod sort of topic that starts generating friction among posters or overwhelms and sidetracks threads you need to be careful. An original poster can start a serious discussion thread and if someone comes in making infantile jokes (especially the same one they make on several other threads) then they should be encouraged to make their own thread. If someone is making a thread for lighthearted jokes and a highly sensitive, mature discussion is cut and paste from another thread into the lighthearted one then you have to watch for that because it can stifle the original poster's thread.
Neither line of conversation is a problem at all except to the extent that one overrides the other and prevents an original poster from leading a discussion -- particularly when the hijacking line of conversation is well hashed on one or multiple other threads. I have moderated on several other boards and this is an issue with any "lightning rod" sort of subject. I am 100% in favor of encouraging discussion but trying to give some consideration to original thread starters.
TBH I think that people who call others immature / kids for discussing sexuality are themselves displaying infantile behavior. I studied everything about sexual development and sexuality as part of my degree, including penile and vaginal development and STDs. I wonder if such people were in that class, they would have been calling the 50 something year old female lecturer an immature kid with no sex life, rather than accepting that it is a fascinating subject that most grown ups can simply discuss without being offended.
It is related to Baldur's Gate... so I don't think they should be banned or anything. However, they are starting to get a bit old. On the other hand... they aren't really hurting anything. The only problem is when people starting acting like babies about it. But that's an entirely different issue.
TBH I think that people who call others immature / kids for discussing sexuality are themselves displaying infantile behavior. I studied everything about sexual development and sexuality as part of my degree, including penile and vaginal development and STDs. I wonder if such people were in that class, they would have been calling the 50 something year old female lecturer an immature kid with no sex life, rather than accepting that it is a fascinating subject that most grown ups can simply discuss without being offended.
Do you randomly walk up to strangers and ask them about their sex lives? I'm fairly sure that if you tried it you'd actually find that "most grown ups" would look at you askance. No, there's nothing wrong with sex or sexuality, and no, there's nothing wrong with discussing it in the appropriate setting (unless your teacher decided she was going to hang out in public swimming pools and educate people there, I imagine that was a classroom setting with people who wished to be there).
This said, no, someone asking you to keep it in your pants because they don't really want to discuss that topic with strangers on the internet is no more immature than not wanting to talk religion, politics, or any other topic they may wish to keep in a more conservative social circle, or may simply not be interested in.
Part of maturity is growing to understand that people are all different, and may not be interested in doing the things you want to do.
Is Edwin gay? I think Edwin doesn't have sexual feelings, per se. Like most Red Wizards, Edwin is in love with (and lusts after) power, both Temporal and Magical. If Power was an actual being he could screw or be screwed by, Edwin would be there offering up his butt and/or sex organs to do so. As it is, he seeks Temporal power by seeking Magical Power (let's not forget his ending has him ruling Thay for a whole day!) Whatever sexuality and lusts he possesses takes a far, far backseat to his lust and naked greed for power. The only person we see that he loves is himself, and second only to that love is his love of his own intellect. I don't ever see his character as presented in the game as having a romance, per se. Any interest he would evince in someone is as a tool he could use to get something he wanted. I could possibly be persuaded differently by some really excellent writing, but that writing would have to be really good, show me how his character changed and why, and still be true to his character as it was up until that point.
Let's say someone attempted to write a mod where Edwin romances CHARNAME. If I was playing that mod, I'd have to be truly convinced that Edwin wasn't after my character for the power of Bhaal's essence within me and that would take a lot of convincing for me.
Edwin: I've been spying you from afar, Viconia, and your frankness, bearing and grace have beguiled me quite profoundly. Viconia: I'm certain there is a condition to your appraisal, Edwin. A Thayvian only has one person in their world: themselves. Edwin: Hush, dear, nonsense. The reputation of my kindred is from untrustworty sources. Like the dark elves, a victim of cruel machinations and falsehoods. Viconia: Perhaps, wizard. Perhaps. Unlike yourself, however, I am an outcast from my people. Edwin: Your brethren's loss is our gain...and a beautiful gain at that. Viconia: Flattery will serve you no purpose, male. I will tell *you* when you may speak to me thus. Edwin: I believe, Viconia, that I have gained a greater respect for your... ah... intensity through the course of our journeys. Viconia: And I, Edwin, have grown no more appreciative of the sound of your voice since the day I first encountered its nasal whine. Edwin: eh... Viconia: Walk away, Edwin, I am in no mood for you.
Edwin: I assure you, Viconia, this Thayvian male is as red-blooded as his cloak, and has left many a concubine gasping under his erotic onslaught.
Edwin: What? Here? I hope this is important, you insufferable monkey! I was in the middle of a very important transaction! (in an undertone) And to think I had the wench bargained down to three gold for the night! Bah!
I believe this ends that little sojourn into absurdity. (To think this question would even come up, of all the nerve!)
Let's say someone attempted to write a mod where Edwin romances CHARNAME. If I was playing that mod, I'd have to be truly convinced that Edwin wasn't after my character for the power of Bhaal's essence within me and that would take a lot of convincing for me.
There is one actually, http://www.spellholdstudios.net/ie/edwin, for female characters only. Didn't play it myself, but I've heard it's quite good, and not just about power either.
It's funny imagining Xan as a total flamboyant poofter, but it quickly leads to heated discussions about something entirely ridiculous. Let's knock this nonsense off, we've discussed it into the ground.
I don't understand why so many people are complaining about sexuality in threads. If you don't like the topic of a thread, simply don't read it. The topic of a thread is clearly stated in its title. If people don't like the stated topic of a thread they should just choose not to read it. It is highly unlikely that everyone in this forum or any forum will like to read and discuss the same things, so I don't really see why we should expect them to.
There are plenty of threads on here that I am not interested in reading about so I simply do not click on them. The same could be applied to anything else. I frequently visit news websites. There are many stories in the news that I think are interesting and read about. There is, however, a much greater number about topics I personally do not find interesting.
Since the topic is generally clearly stated in the title, I simply refrain from clicking on the articles in which I have no interest. I would never click on an article and then whine in the comments section about how boring the topic was when I knew full well what it was about before I clicked. I know that I am not interested in the sex lives of celebrities, the latest reality show, why Romney thinks he lost the election, or the price of gas in different states. I do, however, respect that not everyone in the world has my exact opinion so it is therefore perfectly acceptable for such articles to exist since many other people may find them fascinating.
Sexuality is part of life and nature. The reason why a lot of people click on and read these threads is because we are all sexual beings. It's understandable, in-game, that this group of friends and comrades that you are spending months (and sometimes years with) are going to be the objects of your and your CHARNAME's affection, either as friends, comrades, brothers in arms (even if the character you play is female) and lovers/loves. You have the bond of fighting together- it's easy to see other bonds forming as well. And let's face it that part of fantasy stories are often about discovering love and/or fighting to obtain it and protect the one you love, whether your character goes off to rescue the Princess from the Dragon, or whatever.
Part of the reason why these stories are so popular and resonate so strongly for so many people is because at their heart, they are really "coming of age" stories. Your character starts out as a child who is still being ruled and guided by your parent (in this case, Gorion). Then your parent(s) are killed. and you are thrust out alone into the cold, cruel world. All you have is a bit of guidance, but from here on out, all the decisions are being made by you. If you decide to go to Jaheira and Khalid, they cam become your mentors, but they are not substitute parents in the slightest, and both of them are rather flawed. And again, it's you deciding where to go, not them.
During the course of the first game, you take steps towards metaphorical adulthood by finding your own voice and desires and eventually, by killing the man who slew your parent. But you are still left with the puzzle of what you really are, and whether you will act to grasp the power inherent in your parentage or give it up. Since the first game and "first act" is more about vengeance, love doesn't really enter into it. It would be a distraction from the underlying theme of the game and the story. But after you have done vengeance, and claimed adulthood, romance can eventually flower. And part of true adulthood, at least in these kinds of stories, is finding love and some kind of relationship, and perhaps even having children. Because being a true adult is settling down to raise the next generation, which is why most stories end in a romance, marriage and the equivalent of "and they lived happily ever after". Nowadays the "happily ever after" isn't so much assumed anymore, but the whole part of romance and love being part of becoming an adult is sort of hardwired into these stories. And nowadays, it's less pining from afar and marriage and romance then "become lovers, not necessarily marriage and kids, but the emotion and affection is there." The romance gives power to the story and we have come to expect it culturally. It's part of our cultural DNA, say.
That's why romance is so powerful. It signals part of coming of age, and fills a hunger to find someone to be with you, who loves and cares for you, who becomes part of your support network- someone to give you support in times of need and who you do the same for. That's where the romances as written in this game fall down for me- CHARNAME is being treated like their romance is a child who you are expected to love, help and support, but there is very little of that coming the other way, in a romance sense. You spend more time helping them with their emotional problems than they do giving you that kind of support, and it just ends up feeling damned unequal in a romance sense. It makes me feel like "Why do I have to be your psychologist and help you deal with your emotional baggage when they only kind of support I get from you in return is in battle? It's all take, take, take emotionally, and I'm the one expected to keep giving." I get damned near enough of that in real life to find it enjoyable in a game I'm supposed to be playing for an escape. It feels like more damned work is what I am saying.
That's the reason why what I really want is a romance where I don't have to be someone's psychologist, mother and keeper. I need support too, and a "relationship" where I am doing all the work and all the giving feels unequal and burdensome. Why can't I have a romance with a character who isn't carting around 20 tons of emotional baggage? Someone where the attraction is they think I rock, and I feel the same towards them, and we support each other, and it's not all the emotional taking from one side and all the giving from the other? That's just another reason why I am ultimately unsatisfied with the relationships in the game. They are all based on CHARNAME "fixing" the one you are supposed to love. And it's like just another burdensome quest. Only instead of money and experience, you get a relationship where you keep on having to give.
TBH I think that people who call others immature / kids for discussing sexuality are themselves displaying infantile behavior. I studied everything about sexual development and sexuality as part of my degree, including penile and vaginal development and STDs. I wonder if such people were in that class, they would have been calling the 50 something year old female lecturer an immature kid with no sex life, rather than accepting that it is a fascinating subject that most grown ups can simply discuss without being offended.
Do you randomly walk up to strangers and ask them about their sex lives? I'm fairly sure that if you tried it you'd actually find that "most grown ups" would look at you askance. No, there's nothing wrong with sex or sexuality, and no, there's nothing wrong with discussing it in the appropriate setting (unless your teacher decided she was going to hang out in public swimming pools and educate people there, I imagine that was a classroom setting with people who wished to be there).
This said, no, someone asking you to keep it in your pants because they don't really want to discuss that topic with strangers on the internet is no more immature than not wanting to talk religion, politics, or any other topic they may wish to keep in a more conservative social circle, or may simply not be interested in.
Part of maturity is growing to understand that people are all different, and may not be interested in doing the things you want to do.
Well discussing if someone is gay or straight is not the same question as asking about peoples sex lives. Its a pretty open discussion topic among friends, at least in the UK. People who are hugely offended by it tend to be strongly religious people, in which case its simply funny to troll them by talking about sex just to see the looks on their faces. All the people I've had as friends have been very open to discussing sex and sexuality, as far as I can tell, a part of maturity is not getting offended over such insignificant issues.
Also in the USA there are huge public debates over same sex marriages and such stuff. The people who find such things offensive and vote to get them banned are who I consider to be immature, not the people who are able to discuss the topic of sexuality like mature adults without being offended.
Also in these cases, we are talking about virtual characters, not real life people. So what exactly is so offensive about this to you?
If the topic was instead about NPC's boobs, or heterosexual things only, you probably wouldn't care anywhere near as much. You just find any discussion about homosexuality to be offensive.
Edwin: I've been spying you from afar, Viconia, and your frankness, bearing and grace have beguiled me quite profoundly. Viconia: I'm certain there is a condition to your appraisal, Edwin. A Thayvian only has one person in their world: themselves. Edwin: Hush, dear, nonsense. The reputation of my kindred is from untrustworty sources. Like the dark elves, a victim of cruel machinations and falsehoods. Viconia: Perhaps, wizard. Perhaps. Unlike yourself, however, I am an outcast from my people. Edwin: Your brethren's loss is our gain...and a beautiful gain at that. Viconia: Flattery will serve you no purpose, male. I will tell *you* when you may speak to me thus. Edwin: I believe, Viconia, that I have gained a greater respect for your... ah... intensity through the course of our journeys. Viconia: And I, Edwin, have grown no more appreciative of the sound of your voice since the day I first encountered its nasal whine. Edwin: eh... Viconia: Walk away, Edwin, I am in no mood for you.
Edwin: I assure you, Viconia, this Thayvian male is as red-blooded as his cloak, and has left many a concubine gasping under his erotic onslaught.
Edwin: What? Here? I hope this is important, you insufferable monkey! I was in the middle of a very important transaction! (in an undertone) And to think I had the wench bargained down to three gold for the night! Bah!
I believe this ends that little sojourn into absurdity. (To think this question would even come up, of all the nerve!)
I agree with your assessment of Edwin's sexuality, but I suppose it could be argued that if that conversation were to take place while he was Edwina, than s/he might be gay since both Viconia and Edwina would be female.
Well discussing if someone is gay or straight is not the same question as asking about peoples sex lives. Its a pretty open discussion topic among friends, at least in the UK. People who are hugely offended by it tend to be strongly religious people, in which case its simply funny to troll them by talking about sex just to see the looks on their faces. All the people I've had as friends have been very open to discussing sex and sexuality, as far as I can tell, a part of maturity is not getting offended over such insignificant issues.
Also in the USA there are huge public debates over same sex marriages and such stuff. The people who find such things offensive and vote to get them banned are who I consider to be immature, not the people who are able to discuss the topic of sexuality like mature adults without being offended.
Also in these cases, we are talking about virtual characters, not real life people. So what exactly is so offensive about this to you?
If the topic was instead about NPC's boobs, or heterosexual things only, you probably wouldn't care anywhere near as much. You just find any discussion about homosexuality to be offensive.
As an Englishman and a gentleman, I would inform you that unless you wanted to buy me dinner, my sexual orientation was none of your business, but you have hit on exactly the same thing I have said - "Among friends", specifically among your friends. I am not your friend, nor is it something I consider to be an interesting conversation topic at the best of times that I might raise with my friends, usually we have more important things to discuss.
If someone says that they don't want to talk about something, let me assure you that it is most definitely not a hallmark of maturity to keep talking about it, otherwise dead baby joke marathons would be the definitive coming of age ceremony.
So let me be clear:
Nobody wants to hear about how you think Mein Kampf was a beautiful testament to man's triumph over adversity.
Nobody wants to hear you talk about how you think White Privilege is a tangible effect that integrates across society granting white people benefits they simply don't take advantage of.
Nobody really wants to hear you talk about your religion, nor why you don't consider your "atheism" to be a religion, it's called Materialism and it's intellectually dishonest to claim otherwise. We definitely don't want to hear why you think the tenets of another religion you don't follow are wrong because they disagree with the tenets of your religion.
In the same way, if people do not want to gossip like schoolgirls about the sexual orientation of Jaheira, or read your Irenicus x Korgan slash fiction, stop pulling it out like a nudist on a public beach. I'm absolutely certain somewhere on the internet there are entire communities devoted to dressing up like BG2 characters and engaging in in-character orgies where this sort of conversation would be welcomed. If it helps, nobody particularly wants to read thread after thread of the steamy Viconia Romantic Comedy fan fictions you wrote, or graphic depictions of Anomen getting it on with Aerie, Jaheira and/or Viconia (presumably wearing a pimp hat and talking about how he most definitely won't be calling them in the morning).
If you want to talk about how engaged and enamoured you feel with Korgan and how you want to feel his bristles sweeping across the small of your back, then feel free to try it, at least you'll be talking about your feelings on hunky dwarf loving, rather than asking people if they think Korgy is gay, straight or in a committed mutual romantic engagement with his axe and then being surprised when they inform you that it's a stupid question.
None of these things are offensive, they are not edgy, nor does talking about things nobody particularly cares to talk about make you a rebel or an enlightened thinker, it is, at best, tedious, at worst childish. People will rightly say, as they have throughout the thread, that they care more about the ability to talk about anything than preventing people from talking about things they think are self-evident, irrelevant, or just plain inappropriate, but that doesn't make you mature for keeping it up, quite the contrary.
@ARKdeEREH: Edwina being a technical lesbian is definitely not out of the question; it's not like a belt of Gender Bending changes orientation. Presumably in Edwina's mind sHe is straight, and is a very literal case of being a man trapped in a woman's body.
Comments
I propose we start calling them "homofrienduals" and "heterofrienduals", and "bifrienduals" and "transfrienduals".
-Aosaw, keeping things platonic since nineteen-friendy-nine.
*Sees thread "Discussions on the sexuality of NPCs...*
*Looks at author*
"Oh no. Oh no @Shandyr oh my gosh why."
That said I'll make sure to never check this thread again. I'm sure it will explode for no good reason whatsoever.
I will stand with my opinion that such people just have enough discussion on the said subcject.
Is that so hard?
For a different take on what happens if Anomen fails his test and isn't in a romance check out Canon, also by the same author, it's unfinished, currently at 67 parts, but very good...
& now I've derailed the thread, as you were
If there is a lightning rod sort of topic that starts generating friction among posters or overwhelms and sidetracks threads you need to be careful. An original poster can start a serious discussion thread and if someone comes in making infantile jokes (especially the same one they make on several other threads) then they should be encouraged to make their own thread. If someone is making a thread for lighthearted jokes and a highly sensitive, mature discussion is cut and paste from another thread into the lighthearted one then you have to watch for that because it can stifle the original poster's thread.
Neither line of conversation is a problem at all except to the extent that one overrides the other and prevents an original poster from leading a discussion -- particularly when the hijacking line of conversation is well hashed on one or multiple other threads. I have moderated on several other boards and this is an issue with any "lightning rod" sort of subject. I am 100% in favor of encouraging discussion but trying to give some consideration to original thread starters.
This said, no, someone asking you to keep it in your pants because they don't really want to discuss that topic with strangers on the internet is no more immature than not wanting to talk religion, politics, or any other topic they may wish to keep in a more conservative social circle, or may simply not be interested in.
Part of maturity is growing to understand that people are all different, and may not be interested in doing the things you want to do.
Let's say someone attempted to write a mod where Edwin romances CHARNAME. If I was playing that mod, I'd have to be truly convinced that Edwin wasn't after my character for the power of Bhaal's essence within me and that would take a lot of convincing for me.
Viconia: I'm certain there is a condition to your appraisal, Edwin. A Thayvian only has one person in their world: themselves.
Edwin: Hush, dear, nonsense. The reputation of my kindred is from untrustworty sources. Like the dark elves, a victim of cruel machinations and falsehoods.
Viconia: Perhaps, wizard. Perhaps. Unlike yourself, however, I am an outcast from my people.
Edwin: Your brethren's loss is our gain...and a beautiful gain at that.
Viconia: Flattery will serve you no purpose, male. I will tell *you* when you may speak to me thus.
Edwin: I believe, Viconia, that I have gained a greater respect for your... ah... intensity through the course of our journeys.
Viconia: And I, Edwin, have grown no more appreciative of the sound of your voice since the day I first encountered its nasal whine.
Edwin: eh...
Viconia: Walk away, Edwin, I am in no mood for you.
Edwin: I assure you, Viconia, this Thayvian male is as red-blooded as his cloak, and has left many a concubine gasping under his erotic onslaught.
Edwin: What? Here? I hope this is important, you insufferable monkey! I was in the middle of a very important transaction! (in an undertone) And to think I had the wench bargained down to three gold for the night! Bah!
I believe this ends that little sojourn into absurdity. (To think this question would even come up, of all the nerve!)
It's funny imagining Xan as a total flamboyant poofter, but it quickly leads to heated discussions about something entirely ridiculous.
Let's knock this nonsense off, we've discussed it into the ground.
There are plenty of threads on here that I am not interested in reading about so I simply do not click on them. The same could be applied to anything else. I frequently visit news websites. There are many stories in the news that I think are interesting and read about. There is, however, a much greater number about topics I personally do not find interesting.
Since the topic is generally clearly stated in the title, I simply refrain from clicking on the articles in which I have no interest. I would never click on an article and then whine in the comments section about how boring the topic was when I knew full well what it was about before I clicked. I know that I am not interested in the sex lives of celebrities, the latest reality show, why Romney thinks he lost the election, or the price of gas in different states. I do, however, respect that not everyone in the world has my exact opinion so it is therefore perfectly acceptable for such articles to exist since many other people may find them fascinating.
Part of the reason why these stories are so popular and resonate so strongly for so many people is because at their heart, they are really "coming of age" stories. Your character starts out as a child who is still being ruled and guided by your parent (in this case, Gorion). Then your parent(s) are killed. and you are thrust out alone into the cold, cruel world. All you have is a bit of guidance, but from here on out, all the decisions are being made by you. If you decide to go to Jaheira and Khalid, they cam become your mentors, but they are not substitute parents in the slightest, and both of them are rather flawed. And again, it's you deciding where to go, not them.
During the course of the first game, you take steps towards metaphorical adulthood by finding your own voice and desires and eventually, by killing the man who slew your parent. But you are still left with the puzzle of what you really are, and whether you will act to grasp the power inherent in your parentage or give it up. Since the first game and "first act" is more about vengeance, love doesn't really enter into it. It would be a distraction from the underlying theme of the game and the story. But after you have done vengeance, and claimed adulthood, romance can eventually flower. And part of true adulthood, at least in these kinds of stories, is finding love and some kind of relationship, and perhaps even having children. Because being a true adult is settling down to raise the next generation, which is why most stories end in a romance, marriage and the equivalent of "and they lived happily ever after". Nowadays the "happily ever after" isn't so much assumed anymore, but the whole part of romance and love being part of becoming an adult is sort of hardwired into these stories. And nowadays, it's less pining from afar and marriage and romance then "become lovers, not necessarily marriage and kids, but the emotion and affection is there." The romance gives power to the story and we have come to expect it culturally. It's part of our cultural DNA, say.
That's why romance is so powerful. It signals part of coming of age, and fills a hunger to find someone to be with you, who loves and cares for you, who becomes part of your support network- someone to give you support in times of need and who you do the same for. That's where the romances as written in this game fall down for me- CHARNAME is being treated like their romance is a child who you are expected to love, help and support, but there is very little of that coming the other way, in a romance sense. You spend more time helping them with their emotional problems than they do giving you that kind of support, and it just ends up feeling damned unequal in a romance sense. It makes me feel like "Why do I have to be your psychologist and help you deal with your emotional baggage when they only kind of support I get from you in return is in battle? It's all take, take, take emotionally, and I'm the one expected to keep giving." I get damned near enough of that in real life to find it enjoyable in a game I'm supposed to be playing for an escape. It feels like more damned work is what I am saying.
That's the reason why what I really want is a romance where I don't have to be someone's psychologist, mother and keeper. I need support too, and a "relationship" where I am doing all the work and all the giving feels unequal and burdensome. Why can't I have a romance with a character who isn't carting around 20 tons of emotional baggage? Someone where the attraction is they think I rock, and I feel the same towards them, and we support each other, and it's not all the emotional taking from one side and all the giving from the other? That's just another reason why I am ultimately unsatisfied with the relationships in the game. They are all based on CHARNAME "fixing" the one you are supposed to love. And it's like just another burdensome quest. Only instead of money and experience, you get a relationship where you keep on having to give.
On another note the Minsc gay thread and the idea that Edwin is gay did make me laugh. People found some great lines from those characters.
Also in the USA there are huge public debates over same sex marriages and such stuff. The people who find such things offensive and vote to get them banned are who I consider to be immature, not the people who are able to discuss the topic of sexuality like mature adults without being offended.
Also in these cases, we are talking about virtual characters, not real life people. So what exactly is so offensive about this to you?
If the topic was instead about NPC's boobs, or heterosexual things only, you probably wouldn't care anywhere near as much. You just find any discussion about homosexuality to be offensive.
If someone says that they don't want to talk about something, let me assure you that it is most definitely not a hallmark of maturity to keep talking about it, otherwise dead baby joke marathons would be the definitive coming of age ceremony.
So let me be clear:
Nobody wants to hear about how you think Mein Kampf was a beautiful testament to man's triumph over adversity.
Nobody wants to hear you talk about how you think White Privilege is a tangible effect that integrates across society granting white people benefits they simply don't take advantage of.
Nobody really wants to hear you talk about your religion, nor why you don't consider your "atheism" to be a religion, it's called Materialism and it's intellectually dishonest to claim otherwise. We definitely don't want to hear why you think the tenets of another religion you don't follow are wrong because they disagree with the tenets of your religion.
In the same way, if people do not want to gossip like schoolgirls about the sexual orientation of Jaheira, or read your Irenicus x Korgan slash fiction, stop pulling it out like a nudist on a public beach. I'm absolutely certain somewhere on the internet there are entire communities devoted to dressing up like BG2 characters and engaging in in-character orgies where this sort of conversation would be welcomed. If it helps, nobody particularly wants to read thread after thread of the steamy Viconia Romantic Comedy fan fictions you wrote, or graphic depictions of Anomen getting it on with Aerie, Jaheira and/or Viconia (presumably wearing a pimp hat and talking about how he most definitely won't be calling them in the morning).
If you want to talk about how engaged and enamoured you feel with Korgan and how you want to feel his bristles sweeping across the small of your back, then feel free to try it, at least you'll be talking about your feelings on hunky dwarf loving, rather than asking people if they think Korgy is gay, straight or in a committed mutual romantic engagement with his axe and then being surprised when they inform you that it's a stupid question.
None of these things are offensive, they are not edgy, nor does talking about things nobody particularly cares to talk about make you a rebel or an enlightened thinker, it is, at best, tedious, at worst childish. People will rightly say, as they have throughout the thread, that they care more about the ability to talk about anything than preventing people from talking about things they think are self-evident, irrelevant, or just plain inappropriate, but that doesn't make you mature for keeping it up, quite the contrary.
@ARKdeEREH: Edwina being a technical lesbian is definitely not out of the question; it's not like a belt of Gender Bending changes orientation. Presumably in Edwina's mind sHe is straight, and is a very literal case of being a man trapped in a woman's body.