I often play male characters myself. I let my character choose their own sex during the creation process; only rarely do I sit down and say “okay, this time I’m playing a female character”. I also game with my son, who often plays female characters in non-traditional roles.

Great points and I appreciate you taking the time to articulate them so efficiently.

I’m a guy, but I’ve grown up in a family of women who are mountain climbers, carpenters, activists, and executives, so my game worlds tend to feature women in “non-traditional” roles. I realize that this viewpoint is new for some people, and I feel like it’s part of my mission as a storyteller, to plant the seeds of change.

I game a fair amount with my daughter. I often choose female characters and play them in roles that run the gamut of stuff available in RPG systems. Recently I started playing in a game where the (male) GM asked me not to play a female character. As you mentioned, he said it was his hang up. However, why should the GMs “hang up” have that much bearing on the character I play? I’m playing a role. I’m exploring choices and behaviors that I wouldn’t normally. What’s the issue? I gave in to his request because I was new to the group, and didn’t want to cause friction. But I’m sorry I did. That “hang up” is exactly the sort of thing that role playing can be used to educate people out of.