**spoilers** (up to 60% of the game)
Playing GTA V, you expect a few things: racism, sexism, violence. Buying a copy is a kind of tacit agreement that you will be getting offended some time in the near future. I don’t think anyone expected respectful portrayals of women (there aren’t any FYI) or thoughtful engagements with representing racialized characters (there’s not). But there is one interesting topic that we cover on this blog pretty often that GTA V handles in a surprising way: homosexuality; and more specifically, heteronormativity. I’m sure you’re skeptical. Let me explain.
One of the first side missions you go on brings you into contact with a paparazzo camped outside of a gay club. When you encounter him, he explains that he is trying to get pictures of celebrities going into the club so that he can ruin their careers. Your character, Franklin at the time, questions him. Franklin (the character you’re playing) doesn’t understand how that would impact anyone’s career. The paparazzo goes on to rant about how being gay is an abomination. He says that it’s disgusting that you could have a star who talks about loving his mom and watching showtunes (apparently that sends a bad message to the youth). Franklin responds, “Who gives a fuck if he is gay or not. He’s not married. Leave him the fuck alone.” Then he goes on to say that the guy needs to let people live their lives. What’s interesting to me about this interaction is how negatively the paparazzo is portrayed. He is a total loser, and your character is a cool badass. Franklin’s not a gay rights activist or anyone who would have a stake in the argument. He’s just a regular dude and could not comprehend what is wrong with being gay. So, pretty cool, Rockstar. Especially considering how not progressive a lot of the rest of the game is.
There are other small comments characters make throughout the game that show a fairly progressive (though not always perfect) attitude toward homosexuality. The son of one of the main characters, Michael, says in one scene, “You’re being really… well normally I would say gay but I have gay friends and that just isn’t cool anymore. I need a new word… lame. You’re being lame right now.” Now, I’m not saying this is the most progressive position. I would hope by this point saying “gay” as an insult would be problematic to most people. But in the world of video games, which is often as homophobic as sexist and racist, I like seeing this kind of acknowledgement.
The third main thing that has stuck out to me is the way (and this is spoilery, fyi) heterosexuality is not assumed, nor is homosexuality treated as anything other than normal. One of the main characters you play, Trevor, has an ambiguous sexuality from the beginning. There is no mention of him being gay, and as far as I’ve played there is no stereotypical behavior associated with him. He is a meth-cooker, and he constantly makes comments about having sex with men and women. In fact, in his introductory scene, he gets caught having sex with his friend’s girlfriend, and then he offers to have sex with the friend too.
In another scene, Trevor and Michael have a falling out just before they are attacked by a gang wanting to kill Trevor. Trevor takes off, and the gang kidnaps Michael, assuming that he is Trevor’s lover. Again, there are no jokes, no comments suggesting that this is abnormal, they just assume they are lovers and kidnap Michael. Michael’s therapist is also gay, and he tells Michael he can’t treat him anymore because he’s in love with him (though, it seems this is a cover for stealing Michael’s life story and making a TV show out of it).
I have not heard one character say gay as an insult, fag, or any other derogatory term dealing with homosexuality. Now, there are PLENTY of terrible things going on in this game. I will deal with some of them eventually. But, since it’s unusual to be giving a game like GTA V props for anything, I thought I would lead off with it. So who else has played? Have you been noticing things I’ve been missing? I’m willing to listen if I’m off base.
