Originally published at: https://shanniiwrites.com/2019/05/30/how-to-write-lgbtq-characters-well/
Writing LGBTQ characters doesn’t need to be as difficult as you think! Here are the basics that you need to know so you can do it the right way.
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Awesome!
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I’m glad you like! 
Hopefully I can push out some new posts soon!
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Bump
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Bump.
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Add the LGBTQ tag someone
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Yes someone please do!
This is a very informative post Shannii! I agree with every single thing you said in it, unfortunately for a lot of people it still seems hard to write a realistic LGBTQ character who is more than just the fact they are LGBTQ, I see it so often that it is the only thing about them and that’s so annoying and unrealistic.
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It really isn’t that difficult to make an LGBTQ character, not be defined by only their LGBTQ traits. Yet, so often they aren’t written well. There’s nothing that should make them that different from any other character. Some storylines, yes it makes them different because their LGBTQ trait is pivotal to the chosen storyline, and the plot line is how the character deals with their identity.
That is something that I feel RPing can be really helpful with. By RPing as characters of varying sexualities and identities you can really understand that the character is a person outside of being LGBTQ. Even as a Heterosexual girl, with RPing I’ve created characters of various different sexualities and also a few that were transgender. Between researching initially, and actually RPing as the characters, I’ve really gotten to see how a character is who they are, and being LGBTQ is just an additional layer to them. For some characters, they just are what they are and they accept it not being defined by it, others being LGBTQ has more of an impact due to their interactions with others and/or their own opinions or doubts.
Also, reading through the blog post I noticed a typo…
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I agree with you, Shani! What many readers don’t realize is that sexuality and gender does not define you. Writing a story revolving around someone being gay, is as good as writing about someone who is straight, and just that. And have the story focus on how straight they are! Well, it’s not nice. Straight characters and lgbtqia characters are all characters. Sexuality is not a plot. You can fit sexuality into a small box in the plot, but sexuality alone is not a plot. For example, you can have a fantasy story with unicorns and spellcasters, and adding a LI of the same gender. Well, that could be a plot, but why does the gender of the LI should matter in a plot? It’s just a love interest after all. In what way does a male LI or a female LI matter in a plot? If you have trouble thinking that your gay mc is normal, then maybe you shouldn’t write a story about a homo mc at all.
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Just added tags
It shouldn’t be a character’s main personality trait to be gay/part of the LGBTQ+ community. If that was someone’s only personality trait, they would be a really sh*tty character. Instead, focus on making it a casual part of their life, but they should have other traits as well. Make them mean-spirited, hostile, or open-minded and sensitive. Writing your LGBTQ+ characters like this is not only offensive but an example of forced diversity. Remember to write LBGTQ+ characters because you want to, not for diversity brownie points.
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Bump! 🥸
Hey @Bloggers and @RPers, I thought now was as good a time as any to share a blog about writing LGBTQ+ characters well. Take a read of this and tell me what you think!
Remember that if you really enjoyed this blog, feel free to recommend it (it’s similar to liking it). This will help with it being higher in the results of search engines too.
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