Optional Gay Men

As gay characters continue to grow in number, representation of gay men in video games often comes at the cost of optionalization. Very few games have gay men in them, and fewer still have them as their main protagonist. Often, we only exist within character creators, optional perks, or dialogue choices that lead to optional romance. Or worse, we’re side characters with even less agency.

Yes, Commander Shepard can be gay, but it’s not a part of his character until Mass Effect 3. Yeah, the Courier from Fallout: New Vegas can be gay, but only if you take the “Confirmed Bachelor” perk. The “yeah, you can be gay in this game, but,” instances are aplenty. Gay men need better than this. We need agency, and good writing behind it. We need main characters that really represents us.

Optionalizing gay men, but rarely having one as the true lead of a game, has consequences. It shows that we’re not truly welcome in the gaming sphere. When we are included, we’re considered a passive player in someone else’s tale, or as a canvas in a story where the main character is a blank slate for the player to fill in. With this kind of representation, we’re merely interacting with the world, not being a part of it.

While having optional character traits in a game can be nice to have, optionalization can’t solve the representation problems for gay men inherent in video games. This can be a substitute for inclusion, but not a solution. Stories of gay men shouldn’t have to be chosen. We deserve to be portrayed with an organic and sincere voice, alongside player agency, in the games we’re portrayed in.