Homosexuality in the Witcher 3

[xx55xx]

Homosexuality in the Witcher 3

Hey guys,

I'm a gay gamer (some of us use the term "gaymer"), and I loved the Witcher 2 when it was released two years ago. Everything about it was just as fantastic that I thought it would be.

There isn't much male homosexuality in the Witcher 2, but when the game did show it off, it really bothered me. I'm not sure how much I say without getting into spoilers, but let's say that a homosexual character was castrated, and while this character did a lot of bad things, the entire scene makes it as if he was killed for his homosexuality as well. The entire scene just screamed "homophobic" to me, and I hope that the developers and writers at CD Projekt do not hold such views on homosexuality.

Castration is perhaps the most cathartic way to kill a gay person, and has been used as a tool to suppress homosexuality for decades. While I know that the Witcher is set in a dark medieval fantasy world where the norms and mores are different, video games should strive to promote positive messages whenever possible. Being gay is not a disease, and isn't something that should eradicated or exterminated, etc, etc.

I am hoping that in the Witcher 3, we get a grounded male gay character with good morals (and is not anything like the character I mentioned.) That would be the best way to handle gay characters going forward.

 

[CostinRaz]

No, Dethmold was not killed for being gay. He was killed by Roche for what he did to the Blue Stripes. If you know Roche at all then you should know damned well why he did that.

I am hoping that in the Witcher 3, we get a grounded male gay character with good moral

And why should it be that if a gay character is in a game he has to be portrayed in positive light and be a good person? Let me let you in on a little secret: There is no such thing as a good person in TW universe. The closest you can get to it is Saskia who has her own negative aspects to her personality.

While I know that the Witcher is set in a dark medieval fantasy world where the norms and mores are different, video games should strive to promote positive messages whenever possible

Positive messages about what? Homosexuality in a medieval fantasy game which tries to be gritty and realistic? Take your social crusade elsewhere.

 

[M4xw0lf.978]

Hey guys,

I'm a gay gamer (some of us use the term "gaymer"), and I loved the Witcher 2 when it was released two years ago. Everything about it was just as fantastic that I thought it would be.

There isn't much male homosexuality in the Witcher 2, but when the game did show it off, it really bothered me. I'm not sure how much I say without getting into spoilers, but let's say that a homosexual character was castrated, and while this character did a lot of bad things, the entire scene makes it as if he was killed for his homosexuality as well. The entire scene just screamed "homophobic" to me, and I hope that the developers and writers at CD Projekt do not hold such views on homosexuality.

Castration is perhaps the most cathartic way to kill a gay person, and has been used as a tool to suppress homosexuality for decades. While I know that the Witcher is set in a dark medieval fantasy world where the norms and mores are different, video games should strive to promote positive messages whenever possible. Being gay is not a disease, and isn't something that should eradicated or exterminated, etc, etc.

I absolutely agree to this, and have done so in an earlier discussion on exactly this topic.

I am hoping that in the Witcher 3, we get a grounded male gay character with good morals (and is not anything like the character I mentioned. That would be the best way to handle gay characters going forward.

To this, I don't agree so much - I don't think an openly gay character could in any way fit into the medieval setting of the witcher. This sounds more like Bioware-style catering to the fans.

 

[Sirnaq]

(some of us use the term "gaymer")

 

[M4xw0lf.978]

No, Dethmold was not killed for being gay. He was killed by Roche for what he did to the Blue Stripes. If you know Roche at all then you should know damned well why he did that.

Ah, I was already waiting for you.

It has already been debated, that nothing Dethmold did prompts the act of castration - if not his being homosexual.

 

[CostinRaz]

I am not sure I follow. You're saying that Roche did not castrate Dethmold to get vengeance for the Blue Stripes? Really?

As Roche himself says it: You can't give back what you took from me. So cutting off your balls and slitting your neck will have to do.

He is trying to make Dethmold suffer as much as he can, but he also has to get Anais out of there as fast as possible.

 

[xx55xx]

The scene bothered me because it wasn't clear if Dethmold's homosexuality was also another factor in terms of how Roche killed him. He castrated Dethmold instead of simply stabbing him to death. The castration is an indication that Roche was disgusted by Dethmold's homosexuality, and wanted to emasculate him for it.

 

[CostinRaz]

No, the castration was an indication that Roche wanted to hurt Dethmold as much as he could before killing him. He didn't want to give him a clean death.

Actually bother listening to what Roche says and take some time to understand his character. We are talking of someone who tortures people for a living and enjoys it too.

 

[Babli.480]

The castration is an indication that Roche was disgusted by Dethmold's homosexuality, and wanted to emasculate him for it.

So? (assuming thats true, which I dont agree with)

 

[Blothulfur]

Let CDPR create the characters they wish to from Dethmold, who is loyal, powerful, witty and potent besides being gay. To Bernard Loredo who is dupicitous, abusive, hateful, weak, spiteful and cunning despite being heterosexual. Neither of whom see themsleves as victims or crusade on a self pitying platform, and Roche would have gone a lot damn further than just castration if he'd have had a torture chamber handy.

If they want a good gay character look at Arcade Gannon from New Vegas, who simply is and does not serve to forward some blunt agenda. The Witcher games do not force answers on us, they ask questions and leave the morality and decisions up to us, because they respect our opinion as adults.

If anything the numerous slights against heterosexuals should be raised as a campaigning point, but then again those characters are not defined by their sexuality, but by their actions as they should be.

 

[xx55xx]

Let CDPR create the characters they wish to from Dethmold, who is loyal, powerful, witty and potent besides being gay. To Bernard Loredo who is dupicitous, abusive, hateful, weak, spiteful and cunning despite being heterosexual. Neither of whom see themsleves as victims or crusade on a self pitying platform, and Roche would have gone a lot damn further than just castration if he'd have had a torture chamber handy.

If they want a good gay character look at Arcade Gannon from New Vegas, who simply is and does not serve to forward some blunt agenda. The Witcher games do not force answers on us, they ask questions and leave the morality and decisions up to us, because they respect our opinion as adults.

If anything the numerous slights against heterosexuals should be raised as a campaigning point, but then again those characters are not defined by their sexuality, but by their actions as they should be.

I'm not denying that Dethmold was a bad guy. The way he was killed bothered me.

 

[steelydan]

With all that gay propaganda around, I'm glad CDPR stays out of it.

 

[jerf.674]

Hey guys,

I'm a gay gamer (some of us use the term "gaymer"), and I loved the Witcher 2 when it was released two years ago. Everything about it was just as fantastic that I thought it would be.

There isn't much male homosexuality in the Witcher 2, but when the game did show it off, it really bothered me. I'm not sure how much I say without getting into spoilers, but let's say that a homosexual character was castrated, and while this character did a lot of bad things, the entire scene makes it as if he was killed for his homosexuality as well. The entire scene just screamed "homophobic" to me, and I hope that the developers and writers at CD Projekt do not hold such views on homosexuality.

Castration is perhaps the most cathartic way to kill a gay person, and has been used as a tool to suppress homosexuality for decades. While I know that the Witcher is set in a dark medieval fantasy world where the norms and mores are different, video games should strive to promote positive messages whenever possible. Being gay is not a disease, and isn't something that should eradicated or exterminated, etc, etc.

I am hoping that in the Witcher 3, we get a grounded male gay character with good morals (and is not anything like the character I mentioned. That would be the best way to handle gay characters going forward.

The point is that The Witcher is dark fantasy, meaning that it's heavily grounded in real world Middle Ages. That's one of the reasons why many people (including myself) love it: the author of the books and the developers of the games tried to realisticly reproduce medieval society. They didn't force modern moral standards there, like it's done in many other games and books.
Now, nobody can deny that the real world Middle Ages society was quite homophobic and mysoginistic by modern standards. You cannot reproduce it faithfully without having these aspects. This means that in The Witcher world an openly gay character would be despised by almost everybody, simply because of how society works there. Some people there can get away with this, like sorcerers and sorceresses who are already percieved as being quite queer, but even they suffer a hit on their reputation for being openly gay.
I understand your concerns, but there simply cannot be truly positive openly gay character in this setting, because he/she will be hated by the society, which produces hate in response and so on.

 

[mai3r]

With all that gay propaganda around, I'm glad CDPR stays out of it.

Yeah, i'm tired of this as well.

 

[CostinRaz]

I'm not denying that Dethmold was a bad guy. The way he was killed bothered me.

Which it should, but not because Dethmold was gay and was killed by Roche brutally but rather because he was someone being killed in a brutal unnecessary fashion.

Roche's motivations have nothing to do with Dethmold being gay, and for the record Dethmold isn't gay he is bisexual as mages are in TW universe.

 

[Blothulfur]

Then campaign against Roche's decision xx55xx, not the characters who were brilliant. Roche might have been influenced by seeing Dethmold's lover when he castrated him, we don't really know but Vernon isn't a nice guy, he does what he needs to do and as I said if left to his own devices there'd have been little left of Dethmold other than his torso and head. The genitals would have been just an addendum on the list of severed parts.

Roche improvised on the spur of the moment, and he wasn't working on anything but anger and adrenaline, don't expect politically correct pandering at those moments.

Edit: And if it really bothers you then take advantage of one of the best features, choose another path, they all make sense and are logical.

 

[ATiBotka]

Dethmold deserved it, and not because he's gay. Roche would have done the same thing to everyone, regardless of his sexuality.

 

[Kodaemon5924]

Vernon isn't a nice guy

THIS. The game has a few scenes that reminds you how morally dubious Roche is. This is one of them.

 

[xx55xx]

With all that gay propaganda around, I'm glad CDPR stays out of it.

It's not propaganda, it's all about basic human dignity. You wouldn't see child rape in the Witcher, wouldn't you? Because depiction of child rape wouldn't do the game any good.

I know that many of you live in Eastern Europe, where homosexuality is less permissible, but gay people just want to live their lives peacefully, without the will of the state or the conservative mob breathing down their necks just because they are different. I know this is just a game, but it still bothers me how Dethmold was killed.

 

[Blothulfur]

Making a slur against Eastern Europeans is out of line.