Featured Photo by Chris Thomas
I’ve been umming and ahhing over what to put this year in an LGBTQ+ Pride month post, and alas now it’s nearly the end of June. I think all of us in queer communities can relate to a bit of detachment from the usual positivity of this particular celebration this year. But it’s not like we exist only one month of the year!
Larp can be an escape from the real world, and it can be a great place to try out new aspects of yourself. We welcome players of all genders and sexualities to participate, and there is a wide variety of every part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum contributing to the world building and plot-writing for the game. With that in mind, I’ve put together some ways we can all make the event more accessible and inclusive in ways that might not be immediately obvious.
Think about language!
Menhirs Fate is a genderblind Setting, meaning that people of all genders are equal participants in the game world. When addressing a group of people, use gender-neutral language. Instead of “form up, men” use something like “form up, citizens”! Instead of “man up”, we recommend terms like “fortify yourself”. This is also the case in songs! Many sea shanties and folk songs include phrases like “boys” and “lads”, and it can be very simple to change those to nation-specific terms or words like “friends”, “fellows”, “folk”, “mates” etc!
It is also unacceptable to use gendered language to insult other participants – many insults may not seem gendered, but are based off of historic terms or modern phrases that are directed more at certain demographics than others.
Give people space to shine!
We have also written in historic queer characters who existed in the setting hundreds or thousands of years before the present. There is no historic disparity of rights between genders in the world, and there is no such thing as “old fashioned values”. From Kairos to Hammerstadt, there are non-binary and trans characters written into the history of the world, as well as important and powerful women in positions of leadership.
It can sometimes be intimidating to get involved in certain areas of larp, because though sexism and other bigotry is not part of the world, players carry unconscious bias that can affect things in usually unintentional, subtle ways. Take a moment to consider if you give fellow players the benefit of the doubt, and whether meetings have a wide demographic of people taking part. If not, reach out and encourage others to get involved!
Wear pronoun badges!
Pronoun badges are a great way of subtly indicate your preferred pronouns and are available in lots of styles online that can fit into a costume or colour scheme. Even if you don’t think a pronoun badge is needed for you, it’s great to normalise the wearing of them to make others feel more comfortable in expressing themselves.
Have fun with costume!
Though a lot of our look and feel briefs are based on historical inspirations, there is no need to stick to rigid real-world gender divides between clothing styles in there. Fancy wearing a skirt with a doublet? Fantastic! Ornate bodice and britches? Absolutely! Silk gown and steel gauntlets? Gorgeous! It’s a fantasy world, so have fun with it and feel free to try out different types of clothing than you don’t necessarily get to wear in daily life.
Happy Pride, stay safe out there,
Kitty and the Menhirs Fate teams