@Riot Please, PLEASE confirm that Taric is gay

Rionnal·Apr 7, 2016·8 votes·3,727 views

Before Taric's rework, I was ambivalent about Taric being canonically gay. His whole character was basically a gay stereotype, and I wasn't sure I wanted that to be our only representation. However, his new rework and lore has made him a real character, with depth and goals and desires outside of being FABULOUS (Don't get me wrong, he's still fabulous and I love it, it's just not the only thing he is). And that's why I feel it's incredibly important that you confirm that he is gay. We need more than hints and in jokes as representation.

33 Comments

ZarkkastApr 7, 201616 votes

Why must a feminine male person be gay? Our community already has enough stereotypical representation that does more harm than good.

Taric was never gay. Before his rework he wasn't even human to begin with.

RionnalApr 7, 20162 votes

I mean, that what I was talking about with the 'before the rework' at that point, I mostly agreed with you. But I think the new lore and the rework make him non-stereotypical enough that it's important that it be canon.

(Also, that means we need more representation, not less. Ideally, they wouldn't just make Taric being gay canon, they would also make leona, diana, tf, graves, etc. Those are less likely to actually happen, though, especially if Riot won't even confirm Taric as gay)

He was never canonically gay, but the community always kinda believed he was, even if it was mostly in a homophobic way.

DrCyanideApr 7, 20168 votes

Why should they confirm anyone as straight or gay? All it will do is destroy someone's image of the champ.

RionnalApr 7, 20165 votes

A) why would a confirmed sexual orientation 'destroy someone's image of a champ'?

B) They should confirm it because of how incredibly important and meaningful it would be to the LGBT community to have a champion who was explictly like us. LGBT youth have barely any representation in media, and it's been proven to be damaging to kids to not have any media representations like themselves.

Variks the LoyalApr 7, 20166 votes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HaveIMentionedIAmGay

Riot needs to avoid this. Gay characters can be good and compelling, but done badly, they can just drain from a character.

Dumbledore is a bad gay character. He's a good character and all, but when the author of the books said he was gay, it was just like... Okay? It didn't add anything to his character. It didn't develop him in any way. It didn't explain some of his actions. Hell, some people thought it made him creepy, considering his obsession with Harry. Making him gay was a bad choice, because it didn't actually do anything.

Dorian from DA:I is an example of a good gay character. While he is flamboyant and extravagant, he's never outright confirmed as gay to you unless you attempt to pursue a romance, or build a high enough friendship with him that you open up the quest encounter with his father. The fact that he is gay here actually adds to the story. It brings drama with his father, and develops Dorian's character throughout the small storyline.

You're asking Riot to be like #1 here, and just say that Taric is gay. This would have nothing to do with his story, previous or continuing, wouldn't develop the character, and wouldn't explain any of his actions. It would just be tacked onto him, like it was just tacked onto Dumbledore. We don't want that. We don't want someone to just say, "By the way, he's gay." Or have a story where Taric just up and says, "Have I mentioned that I'm gay?" No. Sexual orientation needs to be relevant to the story at hand. It is with heterosexual relationships in League (Rumble chasing after Tristana even though Trist doesn't feel the same, Garen and Katarina being torn between their personal feelings and their devotions to their respective nations, Ashe and Tryndamere marrying not out of love, but for purely political reasons). I would expect it to be the same with any gay relationships that Riot may breed in the future.

RionnalApr 7, 20163 votes

Here's the thing: That trope is a problem because it takes the place of gay people having actual in-text non-straight storylines. The solution to that is to make characters gay, and then have them date people and have adventures etc, not to not make anyone gay. I agree that it's better if they give Taric a storyline in which he likes a man than just say, 'he's gay' and be done. (PSSSST RIOT DO THAT THING) But it's better that they say he's gay and do nothing than ONLY do nothing.

Variks the LoyalApr 7, 20162 votes

{quoted}

Here's the thing: That trope is a problem because it takes the place of gay people having actual in-text non-straight storylines. The solution to that is to make characters gay, and then have them date people and have adventures etc, not to not make anyone gay. I agree that it's better if they give Taric a storyline in which he likes a man than just say, 'he's gay' and be done. (PSSSST RIOT DO THAT THING) But it's better that they say he's gay and do nothing than ONLY do nothing.

I would rather they do nothing than just say, "He's gay."

Just saying things and spouting trivia about your canon is not good storytelling, character developing, or world building.

Taric, currently, is the Aspect of the Protector. His life, as of right now, is focused around dispelling the taint of the Void from Mount Targon, and later from the entirety of Runeterra. He will fight to protect the beauty of life and the world from the terrible horrors that seek to corrupt it. He needs not eat, drink, rest, or cease, just like the other four Aspects. His vigil is constant, a never ending battle until death claims him.

Answer this question for me. Where, in the context of this ongoing story, would it be appropriate for Taric's sexuality and a possible romance to come into being? And with what character?

Before you answer, consider his history as well. If Riot ever told a story from Taric's perspective, while he was still living in Demacia, it would be a much better way to establish an old romance and solidify his sexuality.

RionnalApr 7, 20162 votes

I feel like we agree on what we would like, ideally, in the lore. I agree that telling the story of before he became an Aspect would be the best place to include his sexuality. Where we disagree is what we would like in the event that Riot does not include his sexuality in lore. Your ranking is :

gay in lore
no confirmation one way or another

mine is:

gay in lore
gay by Word Of God

XypherApr 7, 20162 votes

Taric is just fabulous, he likes outrageous looks. And he thinks beauty is manly, that's about it. Neither of the champions have confirmed sexual orientations, so why should he get one. <.>

RionnalApr 7, 20162 votes

Neither of the two champions in league of legends have sexual orientation. And no champion has ever canonically had a crush, romantic or sexual, on another /sarcasm

XypherApr 7, 20161 votes

Forced sarcasm, amusing. Not sure which champion is addressed as the second one in the first sentence, and one champion having romantic interest in other doesn't entirely define their orientation either. Stereotypes have always been around in league, Taric was always labelled gay and Vi a lesbian.

RionnalApr 7, 20161 votes

Elsewhere in the post, I gave the example of Rumble as a character who has a crush on someone (Tristana). Lucian having a wife is also an example. Also elsewhere in the thread I clarify that I'd also be fine with Taric being confirmed bi or pan. That he be not straight is what's important. (the two champions thing was a joke about how you said 'neither of the champions' rather than 'none of the champions')

SaltyToplaneGoatApr 7, 20162 votes

Taric loves EVERYTHING. He finds every living thing beautiful in some way - and that translates to being pansexual and not gay.

That is, if he has not completly trancended all sexual desires when he became the Protector's Avatar...

RionnalApr 7, 20161 votes

Again, I'm fine with him being confirmed as pan not gay, as long as he is Not Straight, definitely and Word of God

KinjishiApr 7, 20161 votes

Obviously not. Read the title of your thread.

SaltyToplaneGoatApr 7, 20161 votes

It is confirmed for everyone who can use two braincells while reading the lore.

No need for anything further.

RionnalApr 7, 20161 votes

Really? which lore? give me a quote, please.

RionnalApr 7, 20161 votes

Like, genuinely, the lore is such a mess that I might have missed something. If so, I would love to be enlightened.

SaltyToplaneGoatApr 8, 20162 votes

Go read it yourself. But you SJWs are borderline-illiterate anyways, so why do i even bother...

The Last BalladApr 8, 20161 votes

You do realize that in order to be illiterate you can neither read, so telling them to do something through text is pointless, nor write, so if you are replying to them they clearly cannot be illiterate.

The Last BalladApr 8, 20161 votes

The lore never touched on anything pertaining to sexuality or romance. He just like beautiful things. And he does not seem to find everything beautiful and worthy of being protected, as he went out to save the flower, but not the millions of grass blades that surly were crushed. And he was willing to kill for that flower...

What people want is for him to be confirmed by a rioter to be ____.

darkdillApr 7, 20161 votes

I don't think they actually want to have ANY Champion with a defined sexual orientation because it kills fanfic pairings. For instance, they remain constantly ambiguous as to whether Caitlyn and Vi actually like each other. They did make an exception for Graves and TF, but their returned partnership does hinge on TF not bailing out on Graves again.

Just saying, they probably will not answer your question because it'd ruin stuff.

RionnalApr 7, 20162 votes

They have plenty of champs confirmed to like the opposite sex. Rumble, for instance, canonically has a thing for Tristana.

RalanrApr 7, 20163 votes

Just because they like the opposite sex doesn't mean they don't like the same sex.

RionnalApr 7, 20163 votes

True. I would also be happy if they said Taric as bi or pan. I was saying 'gay' because that's usually more palatable to people, in my experience. Also because the fanlore usually says gay, not bi or pan.

OurLestradeApr 7, 20161 votes

Taric is a man of means. That's all that matters.

The Last BalladApr 8, 20161 votes

When eating, the base food is all that matters. Most of us still like seasonings though.

LordVarusApr 30, 20161 votes

I think that riot made Taric gay to get a message out; that they accept gay people. Today u gotta do these things to seem perfect as a company. They removed Graves cigar to show that they dont support smoking, they didnt give Jinx tits to show they arent sexfixated pervs and now they made Taric gay to show they accept different sexual orientations... Just what i think, if u dont agree please make an argument below on why.

LordVarusApr 30, 20161 votes

[{quoted}](name=I HATE TO JUNGLE,realm=EUNE,application-id=6kFXY1kR,discussion-id=9jMIcajn,comment-id=0007,timestamp=2016-04-30T21:38:47.183+0000)

I think that riot made gay to get a message out; that they accept gay people. Today u gotta do these things to seem perfect as a company. They removed cigar to show that they dont support smoking, they didnt give tits to show they arent sexfixated pervs and now they made gay to show they accept different sexual orientations... Just what i think, if u dont agree please make an argument below on why.

(I certainly dont have a problem with gay people, as i am gay myself). and ps: many gays dont find the word gay offensive.

Valaran NaraApr 30, 20161 votes

{quoted}

As of right now, Taric is fabulous because he cares for nature. That doesn't mean he's gay.

People make jokes about Ezreal being gay because he's pretty and they shipped him with Taric. We're not trying to make Ez gay because he already likes Lux.

If we confirm he's gay, then he would need to naturally acquire a relationship, otherwise, there is no point in stating "Oh, he's also [[insert sexual orientation here]] because outside of "yay representation" it means nothing of the character if it doesn't showcase an impact on his life. Having a relationship would, and if it's of the same sex, then so be it.

Many people assume I'm gay when they first meet me. I'm somewhat flamboyant. My voice is higher pitch than most, and I don't have hte most masculine build in the world; however, I assure you I am straight as an arrow. If Taric happens to be straight as an arrow and only have relations with women, that does not ruin his character. It just means he's somewhat who is in touch with the beauty of things. It doesn't mean he's gay because of the flamboyance just like I'm not gay because I am flamboyant.

While having a gay representative works, let's keep him from being OBVIOUS. For example, I rather someone like, say, Braum or Yasuo turning out to be gay. Why? Because there's no hint of them being gay, so if they have a male x male relationship in lore, it means that it's just a natural part of who they are and that it is NOT a defining feature of them as an individual.

Afterall, if they make a black champ that is "stereotypically" black (as in, you don't have to see the actual character to know that they're black), then a LOT of people will get angry cause that doesn't look right. Don't use the guy who has the gay joke symbol on his head since creation to be the monicker used for representation. That's an embarrassment.

AptestMay 1, 20161 votes

Right now, Taric being gay is an accepted thing in the community. There are a bunch of other characters that are accepted as gay by the community.

Since this is the case, RIOT coming out and saying "this and this is gay" is adding 0 value for the LGBT community.

explanation: because you can already point out the obvious characters within your own community and feel you are represented.

I feel what you want is to culturally appropriate everybody's character and make him into "your character". Following that, you want to go to other players, shout "na na na na na you're playing gay character deal with it" in their faces and basically forcefully rub their noses in your ideology.

basically you just want to be rude to everybody else and mask your rudeness under "need for representation" or whatever.

therefore, it is incredibly important that you are denied.

DigielfMay 1, 20161 votes

I can't see the new Taric as gay in any way, he even flirts with girl champions in some of his quotes

OleandervineMay 1, 20161 votes

I also want Taric to be confirmed as gay. It doesn't even have to be written into lore, just a Rioter saying "Yeah, he's gay" is all I want. I just want representation in a game. For people claiming that it would ruin fanfics or interpretation, get over it. Characterization in and of itself ruins fanfics. What the people who think it would ruin Taric for them are claiming would be like if someone liked Lucian but hated playing him because he's black and that ruins Lucian for them. Taric being confirmed as gay would be the same principle; it would give gay people representation and those who don't like it can either get over it or not play Taric. Also, this whole defense of not confirming him as gay is homophobic fear, both on the players end and on Riot for not having the stones to just admit to the elephant they let into the room and continuously refuse to confirm it's existence. Not being confirmed as gay means there's is no absolution, no concrete support for the gay community. Having a "sorta kinda not confirmed gay" is not representation. Not being confirmed means that people can make up reasons for why the implications that he is gay don't really exist. Until Riot mans up and confirms him as gay, he's not a step forward for LGBT groups. It's a step backwards, a slap to the face saying "We know you exist, we imply it, but we won't acknowledge you exist to the public because it's a dirty secret." So yeah, we really need Riot to confirm Taric is gay so they can be a truly diverse and inclusive company with modern standards for representation.