[quote=@Drache] In other words "I'm not saying it's okay to discriminate, I'm just saying it's okay to discriminate". At the risk of being the one who sounds like a broken record "being uncomfortable" with RPing with a certain gender is NOT an excuse. "Being uncomfortable" is a reason people give that sounds better than the real reason they don't want a certain gender partner. I think my favourite part about this conversation so far is the steadfast inability of people to volunteer a real reason. You're uncomfortable because...[i]why?[/i] Because you're a dude and you don't like the idea of doing sexy RPs with another dude? This is some subtle way of adding #NOHOMO to your list of rules? Or is it because you genuinely don't think a female is capable of playing a male character (or vice versa)? That's not an excuse either, because now you're making assumptions about my abilities without even knowing me. Would it be okay to add these to my preferences: -No black or brown people, I'm only "comfortable" writing with white people. (Read: I'm racist and if you Skype call me my Nazi flag will be on the wall behind me.) -No fags/lesbos. (Read: Sorry, I can't risk sexy times with characters played by non-straights because I need to know there's a possibility your jollies are getting off on our RP.) - No Muslims or Jews. (Read: Once again, I'm racist and also a bigot.) - No cripples or spazoid autistics. (Read: I'm an ableist fuck who can't handle the thought of my RP partner being neuro-divergent or blind or in a wheelchair or something.) - No fatties. (Read: This actually matters somehow because I just hate fat people.) Did you like all of those? Then why is "Male partners only" or "No dudes" okay? -No dudes. (Read: Because I'm a dude and I don't want to think that my dick is smaller than yours.) <- This is pretty much what I put in the blank when I see people say "I'm uncomfortable with writing with other men." ((This also brings up an interesting point. Why is it only straight people who do this? I have never met a gay guy on here who was like 'No, I don't want to write with chicks for my MxM plot' or a lesbian who was all 'No, a guy can't write a F for my FxF'. Straight people, get your shit together.)) [@Altered Tundra] I think you're being deliberately obtuse here. This argument isn't about whether people are breaking the rules of the forum by listing these restrictions in their Interest Checks. This isn't about whether or not people are physically able to be sexist on the forum. Of course they CAN do that. This argument is about whether or not that's morally acceptable. "Freedom of Speech" does not equal "freedom from consequences". Lol You sound like one of those people who apologizes for and excuses Nazis who start spouting their hateful bile in crowded parks or street corners. This isn't about "freedom of speech". This isn't a request for the Mods to start banning these assholes. This is hopefully a wake-up call for the people who have been doing it so that they realize that they are inflicting their personal hangups onto others. This is hopefully a moment where people can do some soul-searching that will end up with them being better RPers/writers over all. "People are uncomfortable with writing with certain genders because _______________________ " I think Nemaisaire is the only one who gave a somewhat halfway reasonable excuse in that maybe someone who is a chick who has a real life dude partner might not want to RP with other dudes because their real life partner would get jealous, which isn't sexism on the RPers part, just some enabling of sexism in their real life partner. (And they should totally get out of that relationship because WTF!) Fill in the blank. This is your homework assignment. [/quote] Fine, maybe using the term "uncomfortable" was the wrong choice of words, but I will not apologize with everything else this thread has implied about those who seek out writers of the opposite sex/gender. No, I'm not talking about the smutters. I don't need to touch on that since it's pretty obvious why they go for the opposite sex/gender for ERPs. I'm talking about those who are serious writers that just so happen to have an affilation for RPing with said sex/gender. They are the ones who, through no fault of their own, are being blacklisted simply because they made a choice. Much like everyone in this thread, we all make choices. But honestly, you know what really gets me about the above? You saying my earlier comments make me sound like some racist, homophobic, Nazi-sympathizer. Truth be told, I am not one of those people who exclusively stick to one gender. I don't give two flying shits if you are male, female, or whatever other gender is out there in the known world. Fact of the matter is that, if you aren't a dick and we can click, then the odds of me writing with you are high. Now that being said, a majority of my current partners are female. And I am male(as in my birth sex and gender identity). Does that automatically make me the bad guy here, then? Am I in the wrong for having female partners? No, I am not. And it's the same for anyone who has voiced any opinions in this thread either way. None of you are wrong. Everything you have said and will say in the future about this topic is worth being heard. Disagree or not, that is your right, but more importantly, you choose to state those opinions. Whcih brings me back to what I originally said that seemed to be taken the wrong way. These people who don't seek romantic/sexual relationships through the art of online seduction that just so happen to [i]prefer[/i] the opposite sex for whatever reasons that they could disclose to the public(should they choose to) is, at the end of the day, their choice. Also, you say that, and I quote: "This is hopefully a moment where people can do some soul-searching that will end up with them being better RPers/writers over all." That to me sounds a bit harsh. You're pretty much saying that people who exclusively RP with the opposing gender can't find good partners and that they just [i]have[/i] to rp with the same gender to be in the clear of getting quality RP material. That's making an assumption without knowing them either. and that's all I wanted to say. Respond or don't, ball's in your court.