[BethDragon]

I've thought a while on this.

I'm not sure if we are talking about the same thing. When you say that 'female characters are going to be treated differently from male characters in the same game', isn't this all based on the GM and the group-agreed-upon aspects of the game universe?

Are they being treated differently because a) that's how the GM thinks they should be treated, b) the narrative/circumstances call for it or c) the player is playing up the differences in order to make it a more interesting/involved game? Is it something that has been talked out beforehand with the player or is it suddenly thrust upon them? Has the GM mentioned, "Oh, by the way, in my game, if you play a female character, expect them to be treated in worse ways than male characters. You may want to change." Or is it simply assumed that as a woman, the character will be treated worse than male characters without any reason besides "We don't see any women in charge of anything in the series."

Although don't forget the governor, I think it was, that visited Inara during War Stories. Or does she not count?

Does everything _need_ to be spelled out in black and white? Okay, we didn't see any female officers in the Alliance military. Doesn't mean there weren't any there. We didn't see a lot of Chinese folks in the series or the movie and yet the background is that the current times are a result of an eventual merger of Chinese and American.

As for assuming that slut and whore have the meanings that I give them thanks to my cultural background...isn't that how everyone is? You take your past, apply it to your present. It just so happens that I come from a cultural background that is very pro-wait-until-marriage. Does that mean that all of my female characters are vestal virgins? No. Does that mean that all of my female characters are sluts? Nope. Each of them have their own system for thinking about that aspect of the game.

You say that by not having gender modifiers, the game treats female characters unfairly because, I infer from your words, they will be treated differently from male characters. By using mods, isn't that treating them differently? If you want your female character to have less strength, give her less strength. If you want her to be able to tell the difference between chartruse and olive at ten yards, give her Hooked (Color). If you want her to be better at social situations, play them out better.

If you don't like how your female characters are treated, then work with your GM. Make the changes yourself in your character and how you play her. Or else find a different game/GM.

Beth