I will say right out that I do not, and probably will not play as a female character. I just felt more than slightly uncomfortable when I tried it, and couldn't get into any role I set up for myself when I did. I congratulate all you who are able to do as I found myself unable; you have a talent I lack, and from what I've seen you play as your characters very well. I am new to the rp community as a whole, and I enjoy simply wandering around maps watching personalities collide, and watching many of these rps I am incredibly impressed, and am learning more every hour even. Watching some of these wondrous creations swiftly implode thanks to someone changing a gender bender into a gender blender is incredibly saddening, and leaves me with less to watch and learn from, as well as confusing me to no end as to what the problem is. Even if you play a character as I do, as an extension of a part of yourself with many parts that are not, I see not why it would matter. Different people roleplay in different fashions, and each can become a beautiful part of a masterpiece in storywork, but all parts would be needed, and causing the fission of a group due to petty responses to issues like this places yet another story in the realm of the unfinished, and causes more pain to the members of the group than the issue itself is worth.
So all you roleplayers out there who haven't gotten past this, take a cootie booster shot or something, even if only for the sake of the story, and you might even find out you like the person even more than before. Through watching rps and reading this thread, I just might try it again sometime, just to see if I can grow a new talent, and add another dimension to stories I take part in.
