QUEER CURRENTS : Final Project + Plan

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION

This course will surface the ways in which LGBTQ+ people and communities have impacted the ways in which mainstream American culture has been shaped by cultural production derived from thinking that challenges heteronormativity in post-World War II America until the validation of same sex marriage in 2014 Through the lenses of queer theory, evolving queer history, Since the emergence of “homosexuality” and “transsexuality” as identities in the late 19th century, queer culture has been presumed to develop in the margins of American life, ancillary to and shaped by heterosexual norms. Yet, the vast majority of queer people in the last hundred years have lived (to at least some degree) in the closet, allowing them to exist in the mainstream while maintaining a distinctly non-normative identity. Thus, to quote bell hooks, allowing them "to bring the margin into the center." In 15 meetings over the course of the semester, through lectures, discussions, texts, slides, films and video, we will explore the ways in which transformative integration of queer designs for living have occurred. Highlighting pivotal events and shifts in American cultural, political, and creative history this course will provide food for thought about the ways in queerness is integral to American notions of progress and freedom.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Final Project + Plan

QUEER REPRESENTATION IN TTRPGs

The topic I’d most like to pursue is the history of queer representation in TTRPGs (Table Top Role Playing Games). Tabletop RPGs are openly popular among niche, more nerdy types of groups of LGBTQ+ nowadays. That doesn’t mean queer people have never been interested in tabletop games until recently; the role-playing aspect has always been a big part of the draw and appeal, among other things. TTRPGs that had in-game mechanics of queer romance and exploration of gender gave people a sort of safe space to explore these topics. The history of TTRPGs and LGBTQ+ communities in American society directly correlates to some degree, namely in the relationship both groups had to the 80’s Reagan era conservatism and the Satanic Panic. A lot of the changes made in the general aesthetic and openness of tabletop games in the ’90s can be attributed to shifting attitudes towards queer people at the time, and changes in demographics. There are even openly queer people in the TTRPG community who have helped shape the foundations of the genre itself. This leads to today, where modern TTRPGs are more inclusive and free than ever, thanks to a long and interesting history that heavily parallels the modern history of the LGBTQ+ movement in the U.S. Honestly, in my opinion, DnD was meant for the queers.

My final project will be a dive into the history of queer representation in TTRPGs (tabletop role-playing games), the foundational games that came out throughout that shaped the genre, the important LGBTQ+ designers that pushed the medium and made it into what it is today, and the shifting trends in society for both groups coming up.

-Jennell Allyn Jaquays (and other notable queer designers)

Her notable works include the Dungeons & Dragons modules Dark Tower and Caverns of Thracia for Judges Guild

- General politics in the U.S. (late 70’s to now)

-Cyberpunk is a tabletop role-playing game

in the dystopian science fiction genre, written by Mike Pondsmith and first published by R. Talsorian Games in 1988. It is typically referred to by its second or fourth edition names, Cyberpunk 2020 and Cyberpunk Red, in order to distinguish it from the cyberpunk genre after which it is named.