While it’s not always something people think of, video games can provide an opportunity to explore themes of inclusivity. There aregames that have LGBTQ+ romance options, such asCyberpunk 2077andDragon Age, which go to lengths to combat traditional values and embrace same-sex relationships.The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrimalso counts itself among these titles. Unfortunately, the Bethesda epic has found itself the subject of homophobia due to its same-sex themes, but luckily, one fan has come forward to offer a solution to combat the negativity.
According to a recent report by The Gamer,Skyrimhas been the subject of anti-gay rhetoric after a number of mods appeared which removed any notion of homosexuality in the game, including blocking gay marriage and censoring any mention of it in the game’s lore. However, one user who goes by the alias Crithion has created the antithesis to this bout of homophobia by releasing “Only Same Sex Marriage,” a mod which turns all NPCs into gay characters.
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The report goes on to say that this add-on has already proven popular by beating out some of the more anti-gay mods that are currently available. However, at the time of writing, “Only Same Sex Marriage” is currently under review from Nexus Mods where the file was uploaded.Nexus Mods is one of the most popular modding sites on the internet, with add-ons being created for many popular titles, includingStardew Valley,Mass Effect,Resident Evil, and, of course,Skyrim. It’s uncertain what will become of Crithion’s mod.
There are a slew of interesting mods out there for theElder Scrollstitle. While there are some which may just tweak the game here and there to improve it, there are those which alter it almost entirely. Then there are those add-ons which seemingly are there just for kicks, such as themod which renames all ofSkyrim’s frost trolls to Tim Allen, for seemingly no reason other than for humor’s sake.
TheLGBTQ+ community is rapidly being recognized in video gaming, with award shows focussing on content that represents the community. There’s a lot of progress being made, and while the more homophobicSkyrimmods show that there is still some way to go, Crithion’s is proof that many gamers want to move forward in terms of representation and inclusivity. Let’s hope their add-on can go on to combat the hate speech that is still, sadly, quite rampant in the industry.
The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Anniversary Editionis out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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