#*signal boost

Do you like queer representation? Do you like Star Wars? Maybe you even like Star Wars: The Old Republic? Well I know I certainly do!

I wrote an article for Gayming Magazine on the state of LGBTQ+ representation in Star Wars: The Old Republic - the lacking past, the growing present, and the hopeful future.

My goal with the article was to take a realistic but hopeful approach to LGBTQ+ representation in SWTOR.

We can’t deny and shouldn’t ignore both past and present problems within the game however that doesn’t mean we cannot praise and take comfort in the steps the SWTOR team at BioWare have clearly taken to improving this game’s queer representation.

Let’s take a look at one of the seven characters who we’re asking to have their sexuality and same-sex romances returned to them with post release patches (or patch) for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition!

Starting with: Jacob Taylor! 💖💜💙

(original twitter thread found here)

Jacob is a human biotic and former Alliance marine that joins Cerberus. He’s the first black man to be a companion in a Mass Effect game and is one of the first companions recruited in Mass Effect 2. If he survives the Suicide Mission, he even reappears in Mass Effect 3.

In both Mass Effect 2 and 3, he is romanceable by a female Shepard only, however he was originally going to be a bisexual man, romanceable regardless of Shepard’s gender. Unfortunately his same-sex romance was cut before the game was launched. (source)

Like the other six romances that we’re asking for, there remains content for Jacob’s same-sex romance in the files of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. Unfortunately Jacob has the least amount of unused same-sex romance content within the remaster’s files.

The first minor flirt between Jacob and a male Shepard is accessible to modders. This means that in order to finish and patch it in, Jacob’s same-sex romance would need the most work out of the romances we’re asking for. (source)

There’s also the issue that Jacob’s romance is one that cannot be continued in Mass Effect 3 due to his story within the game. Now we behind Make MELE Inclusive are aware of all of this. We are aware that Jacob cheats on Shepard in Mass Effect 3. We are aware that as much as we would love for that aspect to be changed, it is highly unlikely. We are aware that returning his bisexuality to him walks the thin line of the Bisexual Cheating stereotype/trope.

But Jacob is still an amazing and complex character.

The fact of the matter is that we are aware of all of these and yet we are still asking for Jacob’s bisexuality and same-sex romance to be returned to him with a post-release patch to Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. We are aware of all of this but Jacob still matters and is worth the fight.

Even with how his romance ends in Mass Effect 3, Jacob’s romance in Mass Effect 2 is beautiful, sweet, and romantic. And we recognize that m/m players deserve the chance to experience his romance with their Shepards as well.

It would also make Jacob the first (and so far only) bisexual black man in Mass Effect. That is powerful representation. That representation matters.

Because we are aware of how much work is needed for Jacob’s same-sex romance, we want to make it clear that we don’t care how long it takes. We want the Mass Effect team to be able to complete and reinstate his same-sex romance in whatever time frame is best and healthiest for their employees. We don’t want anyone to be forced to work unhealthy hours or undergo crunch in order to patch in Jacob’s bisexuality and same-sex romance.

Around 1,750 people as of this moment agree with us that Jacob Taylor matters and the representation he was meant to be matters. (source - still available for signatures)

Choice matters so much in the Mass Effect franchise and all we are asking for all of us to be given the choice and chance to romance Jacob in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.

Like the other six romances we’re asking for, Jacob Taylor matters. His fans matter and the representation he was meant to be matters. He matters enough for us to ask BioWare to make Mass Effect: Legendary Edition inclusive.

We with Make MELE Inclusive want to work with BioWare, not against them.

Shortly after I tweeted and @’d Mac Walters and Jay Ingram asking to know whether or not we’ve been ignored or muted, I got a notification that Jay liked a retweet I had done. The retweet wasn’t related to Make MELE Inclusive but considering he doesn’t follow me, the fact that I got notified for it means he was viewing my profile which I think makes it safe to assume that Jay at least hasn’t muted us and we are still showing up in his notifications.

Often times the employees of EA and BioWare can’t outright address campaigns like ours without permission from EA/BioWare - or at least this is what we assume due to the nature of contracts - so just like we did back with Make Jaal Bi, any sign we can get that they are at least seeing our tweets and seeing our words, our feelings, our pain; well we take what we can get and use it as fuel to keep on fighting for what is right, fighting for better representation.

Let’s take a look at one of the seven characters who we’re asking to have their sexuality and same-sex romances returned to them with post release patches (or patch) for Mass Effect: Legendary Edition!

Next up: Miranda Lawson! 💖💜💙

(original twitter thread can be found here)

Miranda is a human biotic and member of Cerberus. She led the Lazarus Project in the beginning of Mass Effect 2 which ultimately leads her to joining Shepard's crew. She's one of the first companions recruited in Mass Effect 2. If she survives the suicide mission, she reappears in Mass Effect 3.

In both Mass Effect 2 and 3, she is romanceable by a male Shepard however she was originally going to be a bisexual woman romanceable regardless of Shepard's gender. Unfortunately her same-sex romance was cut before the game was launched.

Like the other six romances we're asking for, there remains content for Miranda's same-sex romance in the files of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. There are three romance conversations and a final scene for her in the files. However a lot of dialogue from female Shepard is missing. (source)

It would obviously be ideal to have Jennifer Hale return to finish these dialogue lines, however it's not required as a wonderful modder has finished and reinstated Miranda's same-sex romance by using re-purposed lines (both in Legendary Edition as well as the original Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3).

However we must also remember that mods, as lovely as they are, unfortunately cannot help every Mass Effect fan. Console players are unable to use mods and thus are unable to reap the benefits of mods that return any of these characters' sexuality and same-sex romances to them.

We behind Make MELE Inclusive are aware of all of this. We love to see romance mods made but we'd love even more for BioWare to agree with us that every Mass Effect player deserves the chance to enjoy these characters and their romances.

Miranda is a strong, powerful woman and has become a fan favorite ever since the original Mass Effect 2. We have to acknowledge what powerful representation she would've been if she'd been kept as bisexual - what powerful representation she was meant to be.

The fact of the matter is that just like Jacob, Miranda matters and she is worth the fight. The representation she was meant to be matters and we recognize that w/w players deserve the chance to experience her romance with their Shepards as well.

Because we are aware of how much work is needed for Miranda's same-sex romance, we want to make it clear that we don't care how long it takes. We want the Mass Effect team to be able to complete her romance in whatever time frame is best and healthiest for employees.

Around 1,750 people as of this moment agree with us that Miranda Lawson matters and the representation she was meant to be matters. (source - still available for signatures)

Choice matters so much in the Mass Effect franchise and all we are asking for all of us to be given the choice and chance to romance Miranda in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.

Like the other six romances we’re asking for, Miranda Lawson matters. Her fans matter and the representation she was meant to be matters. She matters enough for us to ask BioWare to make Mass Effect: Legendary Edition inclusive.

We with Make MELE Inclusive want to work with BioWare, not against them.

Making this a separate tweet from this so that it’ll show in the tag LOL.

But uh yeah Jay liked another tweet! Same case as earlier, where this tweet doesn’t use the tag or outright mention the tag or the  patches we’re asking for but I’m still going off the assumption that he is seeing and looking at our tweets and most likely has to be careful of what he likes due to contracts with EA and/or BioWare, which is understandable!

(Names and @ s that aren’t Jay or mine have been blocked out in case those people don’t want their info on tumblr)

Jay Ingram has liked two more tweets related to #MakeMELEInclusive. He still hasn’t liked any tweets using the tag or outright mentioning the tag or the patches we’re asking for but I’m going off the assumption that he is seeing and looking at our tweets and most likely has to be careful of what he likes due to contracts with EA and/or BioWare, which is understandable!

The tweets he liked can still give us hope for things to go in our favor!

The other people in the tweets have been crossed out in case they don’t want their twitter @ s on tumblr.