Same-Sex Relationships in Mass Effect 3
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How did you approach writing a gay character in Mass Effect 3?
PW: Liara's relationship in Lair of the Shadow Broker can be with players of either gender, so I was familiar with writing dialog that needed to work for a same-sex romance. Nevertheless, I'm a straight white male pretty much the living embodiment of the Patriarchy and I really wanted to avoid writing something that people saw and went, (That's a straight guy writing lesbians for other straight guys to look at.)
I also really wanted the romance with Traynor to be positive. One of my gay friends has this kind of sad hobby in which she watches every lesbian movie she can find, trying to find ones that actually end up with the women not either dying or breaking up. I think the most positive one she's found is (D.E.B.S.) I wanted to avoid any kind of tragic heartbreak, to make this a fundamentally life-affirming relationship. at least, as much as possible within Mass Effect 3'²s grim war story.
DE: I shared the concerns Patrick had about writing something that felt real. I've never been romantic with another guy, so I couldn't write from personal experience. Also, there seemed to be extra pitfalls associated with a male same-sex romance. Some players have concerns over being (ninja romanced) where a relationship shifts from friendly to romantic to the player's surprise and those concerns seem greater for same-sex romances.
PW: I remember hearing someone complain about getting (ambushed) by the same-sex romance with Sky in Jade Empire. Really, though, if you gay-romanced Sky, I'm pretty sure you did it on purpose. You had to dig for that one.
DE: I wanted to make sure that my writing fit into the Mass Effect universe and supported the themes of Mass Effect 3. Keeping Cortez grounded and focusing on the journey shared with Shepard is a foundation that I hope leads to a real attraction.
PW: I worked hard to create a character who addressed her lesbian identity in a positive and intelligent way. My first draft of Traynor's pitch was all about how her character arc would be about identifying and overcoming the challenges of being gay. and my friends and managers called me on it. I'd been so focused on writing something positive that I hadn't made a real-enough character. So in the next draft (closer to how she shipped), the focus was on her as a mostly lighthearted fish out of water, a very smart lab tech trying to adjust to life on the front lines, with her identity as a lesbian present but not shouted from the rooftops.
DE: I believe that by the 22nd century, declaring your gender preference will be about as profound as saying, (I like blondes.) It will just be an accepted part of who we are. So I tried to write a meaningful human relationship that just happens to be between two men.
