Frustrating relative lack of LGBT NPCs in this game

[Eloah]

What about the Bard quest NPCs. Or the Carpenter Guild master and his boyfriend. They were even paired together in the recent Hatching Tide event. Granted they were in suits but still.

[Mhaeric]

What about the Bard quest NPCs. Or the Carpenter Guild master and his boyfriend. They were even paired together in the recent Hatching Tide event. Granted they were in suits but still.

Examples like those are what are known as queer coding where it's all subtext and with a good chance to not even be noticed by someone not LGBT. It's a bit of a controversial thing since it's not really proper representation and can very easily slip into the closely related and clearly negative queerbaiting. FFXIV is chock full of queer coding. You can see that just from the examples provided in this thread alone. Thankfully it doesn't yet have any queerbaiting, knock on wood.

The wikipedia article on queer coding doesn't really delve into the controversial aspect of queer coding much calling it "somewhat of a neutral trope" and pointing out then common 'queer villain' version of it which doesn't really describe the complexity of its historical use and impact particularly by queer creators themselves, but for anyone who wants to delve deeper into it there are some good papers and even some good youtube videos discussing it. Mass media articles on it are kind of surface level and often are actually talking about queerbaiting not queer coding, so I wouldn't bother with those if you want a true understanding of it.

[Eloah]

Examples like those are what are known as queer coding where it's all subtext and with a good chance to not even be noticed by someone not LGBT. It's a bit of a controversial thing since it's not really proper representation and can very easily slip into the closely related and clearly negative queerbaiting. FFXIV is chock full of queer coding. You can see that just from the examples provided in this thread alone. Thankfully it doesn't yet have any queerbaiting, knock on wood.

The wikipedia article on queer coding doesn't really delve into the controversial aspect of queer coding much calling it "somewhat of a neutral trope" and pointing out then common 'queer villain' version of it which doesn't really describe the complexity of its historical use and impact particularly by queer creators themselves, but for anyone who wants to delve deeper into it there are some good papers and even some good youtube videos discussing it. Mass media articles on it are kind of surface level and often are actually talking about queerbaiting not queer coding, so I wouldn't bother with those if you want a true understanding of it.

If you ask me that's the kind of representation you want though. Because, while representation is nice, actively championing a "representative" makes it seem like an exception and not the norm. In cases like the ones I mentioned they are treating it like any other common relationship, not making it a grandiose spectical to appease the masses. I mean there is clearly a distinction between relationships such as Beatin and Gairhard, Sanson and Guydelot, Aymeric and Lucia, and Y'shtola and Runar, compared to ships like Cid and Nero, or Alphinaud and Estinien. If you ask me queer coding is the proper way to show representation. Cause why are all NPCs considered "straight" until proven otherwise. Why can't they be LGBT until proven otherwise?

[Mhaeric]

If you ask me that's the kind of representation you want though. Because, while representation is nice, actively championing a "representative" makes it seem like an exception and not the norm. In cases like the ones I mentioned they are treating it like any other common relationship, not making it a grandiose spectical to appease the masses. I mean there is clearly a distinction between relationships such as Beatin and Gairhard, Sanson and Guydelot, Aymeric and Lucia, and Y'shtola and Runar, compared to ships like Cid and Nero, or Alphinaud and Estinien. If you ask me queer coding is the proper way to show representation. Cause why are all NPCs considered "straight" until proven otherwise. Why can't they be LGBT until proven otherwise?

Explicitly mentioning a character's queerness is not a "grandiose spectical [sic] to appease the masses." That statement verges on being homophobic. By contrast, queer coding is what actually exists specifically for the purpose of appeasing the masses; it is used to appease a minority audience while simultaneously not rocking the boat of a majority audience. When "that's the kind of representation you want" is said about queer coding what is really being said is "that's the kind of representation that makes the majority feel more comfortable so you should want it too."

To answer your question, "Why can't they be LGBT until proven otherwise?" While queer coding like that is not inherently negative on its own, when it is the only thing being offered and deviating from it is termed a grandiose spectacle then it is a problem.

These videos are very film-centric discussions of queer coding both its negative and positive aspects, but the ideas apply to all fictional media and are both generally pretty good analyses of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsO4...ellgren-Fozard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riKV...nel=RowanEllis

[Driavna]

One thing: FFXIV is a game from Japan and there a public demonstration of affection is not the norm, that's something you do in private. This rule applies to every sexual preference.

[KayRadley]

One thing: FFXIV is a game from Japan and there a public demonstration of affection is not the norm, that's something you do in private. This rule applies to every sexual preference.

There's also the fact that, when it comes to rights for and treatment of LGBT+ people, Japan is, in many ways, worse than the West. Gay couples cannot adopt, lesbians cannot undergo in-vitro fertilization, and sexual orientation and noncis gender identities are not legally protected. No amount of yaoi or yuri manga and anime can hide the fact that Japan has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to this matter.