Dolls' Sexuality and Owner's Sexuality: Are they related?

I never even considered this.

I don't think that dolls and sexuality are actually linked, though. I don't see dolls being used as an outlet or as a symbol of sexuality. What I do see is that "playing with dolls" and "not heterosexual" are both things that are considered "abnormal" by a majority of society. For me, I don't care if I'm considered abnormal for the hobbies I enjoy or the person I am. If I cared about what society's perception of me was, I would be a much different person.

I'm bisexual and I love dolls.

 

*raises hand*
I'm also bi, and a doll owner.

I think one should be careful to say that dolls are a symbol of one's sexuality, but it is an interesting thing to think about. If you look at traditional gender stereotypes, dolls are a very feminine activity and if you're a guy it immediately points, unfairly, to being gay. However, if you look at bjds, they go way beyond a lot of these stereotypes. It is certainly not all tea parties and teddy bears and lacy dresses. I think because these dolls are so customizable, they mean different things to different people, and it's difficult to say that they are closely linked with sexuality.

However, if you look at role playing aspects of dolls, it makes sense to say that they can be part of exploring different identities. My first doll didn't really have a set character, and she started out straight. When I ordered her, I was starting to question my straightness, and after making her bisexual, I kind of started figuring things out with myself. ^^;

It's kind of sad how allegorical my dolls are without me even realizing it. XD
I generally have a preference for girls in real life, I like drawing girls better, so I have way too many girl characters. And that results in too many yuri couples. And so I have a lot of girls dolls planned out. I have my doll date my friend's doll, and then I end up dating my friend. We break up, and I want the dolls to separate, too. *facepalm*

 

I was gonna start this thread off with, "Not me, I'm married!" But.. I'm very much bisexual.

The doll link for me and sexuality comes from anime. I've been watching anime for years, went to a con, discovered BJD's there, so the two are connected for me.

I'm an avid Yaoi/Yuri fan, so naturally the idea of same gender doll couples is interesting to me.

These dolls lend themselves to androgyny, something I think a lot of Yaoi x Yuri fans are interested in.

Interesting topic! I definitely fall into that 70% you mentioned

*Oh, Edit: Just wanted to mention that I don't associate sex with my BJDs.. I have two girls because I think they are pretty. They're not a sexual outlet for me. That's what my Yaoi RP is for.. lol

 

I'm the odd one out I guess. XD Not even remotely attracted to my own sex. (not that there is anything wrong with it, I just don't feel any attraction there whatsoever)

My dolls don't represent sexuality to me in any capacity. I've been a toy collector for years (action figures, Littlest pet shop, transformers, robots) and to me the dolls are another classification of toy. They may have obvious sex characteristics, but that's really as far as it goes. If there is a correlation I would say it has more to do with the anime subculture, including aesthetic androgyny, that Asian BJD's seem to be tied in to.

 

Haha! Same!

That's pretty much how I discovered BJD's as well. Went to cons, saw "pretty dolls", asked lots of stupid questions. Four years later, I get one. Now? I'm hooked.

Also, thank you Moody Strawberry for your awesome story. I never even considered the notion of using a doll to figure one's self out. As a hopeless romantic, reading how your doll's creation and character helped you answer your own questions... well, it made me squee inside like a little schoolgirl.

 

It was completely unintentional! I'm only in it for the dolls! xD
Glad you enjoyed hearing, though. Haha.

 

I don't think the dolls are inherently a symbol or outlet for sexuality, though I think they can be those things to certain people. Personally, I'm asexual - I don't want to do anything with anybody, lol. ;P However, most of my dolls' characters are either bi or gay/lesbian - I think the last tally turned up all of one straight couple (and one of its members is trans). It's gotten to the point where my aunt makes jokes about the dolls being inherently gay xD; (she says this in good fun... she's ordering her own first dolls very soon). So... I don't know what that means, really, except that I, like Glowbee, am a rather avid fan of slash, and tend to write homosexual characters and pairings more often than heterosexual ones. Since my dolls are all based on characters from my and my best friends' writings and/or fandoms... well, their sexuality tends to follow.

 

Funnily enough, I'm bi too. But the dolls are certainly not an outlet in that respect.

 

I'm a little uncomfortable with this topic, because even though you want to discuss a perceived link between someone's sexuality and dolls, this debate could easily turn into a topic about owners, not dolls, nor hypes or social rules in this hobby.

Personally I don't see the link. I am aware that this hobby has it's fair share of bisexual and homosexual people, but I've also seen many straight people. I'm straight myself, so is a doll friend of mine who happens to be a guy, and another man (straight again) is very interested in them, but thinks they are too expensive.

I could be completely wrong, but perhaps there is a relatively high percentage of homosexuals and bi's in this hobby for the same reason as that you see many of them in art schools (at least here in Holland). I always thought that it had to do with the fact that from an early moment in their life, homosexuals didn't fully fit in with their peers and had to either pretend to be like the rest, or learn to follow their own heart.

Again, I could be mistaken, but you don't go to art school if you want to fit in (in Europe at least). It's hard work and you'll have to deal with a lot of blunt (and sometimes personal) criticism.
So, if someone chooses to pursue a career like this, it is because he/she wants it with all his/her heart, despite what others might think. Someone who's been on this road before will sooner make that decission, than someone who's always felt right at home surrounded by others.

In that same aspect: collecting dolls, isn't exactly 'cool'. So if you (general) don't care what other might think and you like dolls, you'd sooner choose this hobby than if you're really focused on what others might say or think.

 

The sexuality of the owner and the relationship between his dolls is connected, though not always. In my way it is, for example. In fact I adore girls in real life, as well as bjd-girls (I loved one Crobi's boy once, though he wasn't very manly ) and so even If I only have one doll now I have already decided my future doll plans, as well as yuri-pairings. Why? Just because I see them like this, I have already made-up stories and I can't imagine it the other way.
But it would be just for myself. Frankly speaking I don't won't to upload such photos to the net for all people to see them and comment/critique

 

Yeah, I don't feel comfortable discussing this either. Like was said earlier, I think you are looking for a link or affirmation that doesn't exist. This could very quickly spiral out and talk about doll owners. I think that you may notice more homosexual or bi doll owners because they are in an artistic community where it is safer to announce their sexual preference. I really don't see how this is a dolly related discussion, sorry.

 

Going to have to agree with Tetradeka. I have seen lots of homosexual doll couples on DOA, but these are not the owners and so I never make assumptions about the owner's sexuality based on their dolls. And I don't think it's my business, or that it particularly matters when talking dolls. Personally I have no sexual connection to my dolls.

 

Well, something like this is bound to be down to individual reasons people got into the hobby, which vary. My guess, however, is that (like Silk said) this has to do with people who are often marginalized. I think there's a lot of crossover between other groups of non-mainstream folk and BJDs - fanfic, anime, and other geekery seems another place I run into LGBT folks more often.

As for me, I'm straight and all but one of my dolls are male. Amongst my adult-aged dolls, they're all gay or bi. I used to be huge into fanfic, and now I write M/M romance and spec fic that often includes gay, bi, or lesbian characters; my dolls represent characters from my own stories. Part of it's probably the chance to play around in somebody else's sandbox, but a large part of it is that I'm just a lot more interested in looking at guys. .

Regardless of sexuality, I think people's reasons and ways of collecting might vary too much to make this a question that can be answered very well. Gender, sexuality, and other things that build up our identities underlie everything we do, but they don't necessarily cause everything we do. Dolls can be so many things we aren't, from models who can wear clothes we never could, to places to explore the experiences of people who are different from ourselves; they are a non-mainstream, creative activity, and this does offer an opportunity for people who probably have a lot to get off their chest to express themselves. But WHAT they express is so different to make connections.

ETA: I think the point people are trying to make is that the mods don't like threads that focus more on doll owners than on dolls. I wouldn't be surprised if they close this one, to be honest.


I have to say, this reminds me of "do you collect dolls because you don't have children" type threads that pop up for female collectors from time to time. The answer might be yes, but is far more likely to be no.

 

I think that maybe the link for some people who are bi or gay might be the androgyny of the asian aesthetic that our dolls tend to have, especially if you got into BJDs through anime, which is notoriously flexible with gender and sexuality.

Personally, I'm straight, I've just been playing with dolls my entire life (I was just one of those late bloomers that played with dolls until I was 14, then found BJDs at 18 and never looked back XD)

For me, my dolls represent a lot of things- fashion, character ideals, etc. I don't have any dolls that are gay, but I do sometimes like experimenting with building characters that are different to myself, and that occasionally sees one or two as being more androgynous.

This really is a bit of a touchy subject though, and while I now feel like I probably shouldn't have put my 2 cents in, it's too late to hit the back button ....

Editing again to say that I also agree with the later comments- Owner's sexuality is completely their personal business and I really don't need or want to know about it. I was just suggesting based on what seemed most obvious to me. (Which of course I can't verify. *sigh* shouldn't have posted at all.)

 

I'm not sure, I think it's the person's personal preferance... Most of my boys are gay, and 'I' myself don't even know why. But all of my girls are straight(or would be if I could figure out which girl I want). Which could be because I'm a straight girl.

Someone being uncomfortable to make their dolls gay or not is most likely because they're not, but I like boy-love, so... Yeah.

In all honesty, I have no real idea.

 

I would say that dolls can be any sexuality depending on how open minded the owner is I guess? Two of my boys are gay while the other is asexual. It's not that I was trying to discover hidden parts of myself or am subconsciously projecting anything onto my dolls, it's simply what worked for the characters after a few attempts. I'm straight but I see no reason to limit my dolls to that if it seems to make them 'unhappy'

 

Nnngh, personally I could argue that it could still be seen as offensive even if you are homosexual or bisexual (like, is it racist if you say an offensive black term and you're black?) But anyway.

I've never had a crush on a member of the same sex, so I'm straight. But that doesn't stop me from appreciating the female body, nor does it mean that therefore I must like male dolls more than female dolls. I don't view my dolls as any form of sexual outlet/creativity/roleplaying, and I think it's because at the end of the day I feel sex and sexuality shouldn't matter in situations that does not involve sex.

(My dolls aren't even in relationships, mainly because they're all different 'ages' and sizes and my brain would hurt trying to sort out their love life along with mine!)

 

Can I make a minor observation here? I just wanted to point out that dolls themselves can't be bi, gay, or straight. Their characters can be but a doll itself is not a sexual being. Characters are purely a projection of the owner's personality so the actual question here will automatically pertain more to the owners than the dolls. That's probably why certain people will feel nervous as it's a rather personal question. No offense meant, I just wanted to explain why this topic may make some people nervous.

 

I think... being outside of the spectrum of "normal", bi- and homosexual people are forced to examine themselves on a level most "normal"(no such thing XD) people don't... and that possibly, these dolls are one way to explore various archetypal aspects of the personality. I also think it's possible people who have done less than no soul searching are doing the same thing unconciously XD

 

I fall into the LGBTLOLFCBBQ thingy, and by accident lol, personality of my first doll turned out to be just like me. Androgynous, Asexual and unimpressed.

 

hmm I think for me, my dolls reflect *certain* things about me. For example, I have twins. One is shy, the other isnt. One is quiet, plays violin and loves classical piano, etc. The other loves cyber goth and Japanese hardcore, etc. One is gay, the other is "open" to both sexes.[But I also have "straight" dolls]

All are things that are a part of my life. So I think, because of the fact that I am able to have feelings for the same sex as well as the opposite, I'm "open" to the characters being with the same sex [as well as the opposite].

 

I was going to not reply to this one because it's one of those threads with just too many different ways to take it, but I can express my own situation.

I'm straight, and any dolls whose characters have had any sexual preference, it's been the same as mine. I can say that my dolls are all expressions of myself in one way or another, and following that they've all had the same sexual preference as me. I suppose I never thought to have a different preference because I would have a hard time wrapping my head around it because it's so far outside of myself that I feel I wouldn't be able to adequately, realistically integrate that into the doll's personality.

I think that's a lot of what the OP was asking, is there necessarily a connection between sexuality of a character and sexuality of the creator. I can say that, in my own situation, the character applied to the dolls does, in fact, reflect myself. But that is undoubtedly not always the case.

 

I don't know that there's necessarily a connection between owner sexuality and character sexuality. On the one hand, I kind of want to be offended by this discussion because there's a huge opportunity for assumption. On the other hand, this thread has been very mature so far and I'm actually impressed.

Character sexuality does not reflect owner sexuality. I have lesbian characters, bisexual characters, and characters that are straight as an arrow. I have homophobic characters and open-minded characters. I have a necrophiliac (which is illegal) character, and a really promiscuous one who wants to lay anything on two legs. What does all of this say about my sexuality?

Nothing.

Characters evolve out of the imagination. Maybe some people allow their own preferences to color their imagination-babies, but I don't feel that the same can be said of everyone. I don't assume that just because a person's characters are homosexual or bisexual or what-have-you, that it reflects the creator.

 

Exactly. Like everything else, there could possibly be a connection (like my dolls' characters have the same sexual preference as me) but it's not a hard fact that there WILL be a connection. Also, I giggled at your description of your characters' sexualities and the "now what does that say about ME?"

Also, maybe it would be better to change the title of this thread to something like "Dolls' Sexuality and Owner's Sexuality: Are they related?" so that there's less room for people to read into it deeply enough to be offended?

 

I also don't think there's an inherent connection between doll ownership and sexuality. I think you can find a connection if you really want to, but I think that's true of most things. It may be that this community is accepting of many different types of people, so those with sexual orientations their society may view as "abnormal" would feel welcomed. I personally am very straight, but I have had characters that are not. This does not mean I am curious about my own sexuality, as I very much understand myself and I am comfortable with myself. I have absolutely no problems with anyone for their sexual orientation and if they find they can express themselves and discover themselves through dolls, way to go! (No sarcasm at all, I'm really serious.) I would merely be hesitant to try to draw some statistical conclusion for sexual orientation and doll ownership. We're a group of "different" individuals as it is. Do we really need to differentiate within our group even more? Be proud of yourselves, and love your dollies. That's all that matters. :P

 

I am with a girl for many years now, but having a look at my dolls..well... I have only one girl among some guys *laugh*
If there is any connection, I don't know where. For me it has nothing to do with one's sexual interests. I know straight and gay people who likes dolls but maybe, as strange as it might sounds, it's the same phenomena with doll owners and anime-fans; it's "inn" to be homosexual or bi.
I met a lot of people already for I am a cosplayer myself, and I have only two persons among my friends where I can say that they are truly gay. all the others... just..dunno why, they pretend...

 

I'm gonna go with a quote from my drunken neighbor on this one: "People is people!"

What he meant by it was "Don't arrest me," but what I'm taking from it is a bit more literal. This is like asking if the cars people choose to drive are influenced by their sexuality. There are a lot more factors than just sexual orientation in the mix when you're looking at why people like the things they like. A plethora of personality types collect dolls.

However, I don't think anybody ought to get up in arms about someone pointing out a link between dollies and homos--or any slot on the Kinsey scale, honestly. I think the answer is probably, "Some people."

 

I hadn't really thought of the question presented in this topic... I do know a few bisexual owners, but I had never given their sexuality a second thought (except when they shamelessly joke about it, prats :P). To me, they were just friends or simply other doll owners...

I'm not sure both topics are related, though it's an interesting question

 

Okay... I'm going to be blunt about this...
I'm in this hobby for the dolls.

I don't care one bit about other owners' psychological hang-ups, break-throughs or adventures in "self discovery".
I REALLY don't care about their sexual preferences or their orientation. It's not my business, and frankly... I'd prefer to keep it that way. >_>

 

I'm bisexual, with mostly bisexual dolls. This is not to say that my characters aren't homosexual or straight, just that the dolls I have now are bisexual (or at least their characters are, for all those nitpicky people). I'm inclined to say that sometimes my own sexuality colors my choices and decisions for my characters, but not always. I try to take myself out of the equation as much as possible and let the characters grow and develop on their own.

That being said, I don't think the greater number of people from the LGBT community is only in this hobby, or any artistic hobby. I've noticed it happening IRL, but that simply could be the people I attract to myself, and what attracts me to other people. I won't say much more, since it's off topic, but that could very well be the case. I don't know.

 

...

Well I'm a "straight" asexual person (heteroromantic). And my dolls... I guess they are asexual too, as I don't want them to even have sexualities.

So there is a definite connection between my sexuality and the orientations of my dolls.

But I think the actual question of this topic is... is there a reason that so many LGBT people are attracted to doll collecting, that a noticeable percentage of the population is LGBT (as can be attested by the answers to this thread)

however, I don't think this is on-topic, as this isn't really about dolls so much as owners...

 

I never thought to link a doll's sexuality with their owners own sexuality- to me the biggest link in my mind is anime. There are so many anime fans and within that subgenre is of course yaoi/yuri.

Not saying that every LGBT doll is because of the owner's like for anime, but I would have to assume a large portion of it is.

I, for one, don't give my dolls a sexuality, back story, personality, ethnicity, etc. Just simply a name, and that's all I need.

 

I'm straight, and pretty much always have been (still remember VERY MUCH preferring boy dolls and toys and the real boys over girls when I was in kindergarden). My dolls I like to reflect reality - I have a FEW homosexual/bisexual characters and the vast majority are more or less straight. Yet, I'd consider myself pretty odd, and maybe even a little bit "artsy".

I personally think it's somewhat.... dangerous to claim that there's a relation between hobbies, interests and sexuality. Sexuality, unlike hobbies, IS NOT a reflection of a person's personality. And even if it seems as if there's a link, I really do not think it's a direct one. My boyfriend is bisexual. He is a "normal" guy in every sense of the word - loves sports, PLAYS "manly" sports like rugby or does wrestling, likes to work on cars and use power tools (and he's great at that too), likes the video games the vast majority of guys like. Except maybe the marginal interest in anime/manga there's isn't a single thing about him that makes him "weird" or "odd". Yet he likes and has dated other men. I've met quite a number of guys and girls who were VERY MUCH "normal" other than the more rare preference in genders.

I think the reality is this: (and someone has touched upon it already). It's not that there are MORE non-heterosexual individuals in the "odd" hobbies, it's that they feel a lot more free to discuss that fact (and, dare I say, even any perceived ideas that they aren't quite the norm). My boyfriend never told his sports buddies that he wasn't straight. I imagine that's the case with a lot of men/women out there - and how are you going to accurately judge the percentage of these people in any given common interest if they're very much normal on the outside and they would just never tell you?

So no, I don't think there is a common relation between hobbies (in this case, dolls) and sexuality. There may be some people that have a link, but I really don't think it's accurate to assume that EVERYONE does.

 

THIS. SO MUCH THIS.

I highly doubt there is a higher ratio of alternative lifestyles represented by doll owners than there are in any other hobby out there. The only real difference may be that the doll collecting atmosphere on a lot of forums really puts the kibosh on any sort of negativity so more people may feel comfortable expressing their preferences than in other places so it seems like there are more here than say in the knitting community or whatever.

But I really don't see how that affects MY doll ownership. Who I care to diddle plays no part in what kind of dolls I own or even why I own them in the first place.

 

(I'm pretty sure that this topic will be deleted/locked just like all other topics about similar issues... And no, I don't have a problem regarding the issue)

Well I've noticed the same thing pretty much in every hobby, so my guess is that it's simply because society in overall has pretty much became more open than what it was like some decades ago about these things. Which means that people are less afraid of being open with their identity.

 

I think one reason is there'a a lot of ABJD collectors who used to be/are anime fans, and in the anime/manga fandom, there's a generous amount of yaoi and yuri fans. I'm not say there aren't deeper reasons, but it seems like the most obvious.

 

I'm straight, and most likely any doll I get will be that way, too - with the exception of my OT dollfies.

I just don't see myself writing gay characters. Maybe it's because I'm not a yaoi/shonen-ai fan at all, or that I don't know a lot of gay people (that I'd know of). It would come out all wrong if I had to write it.

 

Points I agree with:
1. Dolls do not have sexuality, they are things not real people. It is only a projection of sexuality.

2.

This.

3. Hobbies do not necessarily reflect sexuality. (Lelite's post).

That says it all for me.

 

I'm not really sure if dolls have anything to do with your sexuality. I'm straight, and well, I don't see how it could relate at all. XD

 

I think it relatively depends on the people you meet. I hate that assumption that homosexuality and bisexuality are tied together with doll collectors, much less doll owners also PLAY with their dolls.

And I say this as a heteromantic asexual.

 

Well, yes, but when people say "doll" that often includes the character that goes with them. That is what people mean.

Anyway, I would say not necessarily. Some of my dolls are more like me some not at all (I have a mix of characters at present), and I'm very loath to try and draw parallels between doll characters and their owners -- especially if I don't know the people involved. I like yaoi, which for me has nothing to do with being gay and everything to do with being a female who finds guys aesthetically pleasing. It's best not to jump to conclusions.

 

Ehhhhh, as I have seen, most doll collectors are anime/manga fans, and therefore has a large yaoi/boylove section. I'd say at least 80% of the dolls owned are a physical form of the owners character. Do the characters reflect the owner? Possibly.
As what's been said before, a doll can't possibly have a sexuality because it can't think for itself, its just given a projected sexuality by the owner, the same with a name, personality, etc.
It's kinda like with stories, just because the writer is gay/bi doesn't mean all the characters they write about are going to be that too. I'm straight and a future doll purchase of mine's character will be bi, it doesn't mean part of my 'hidden' personality is bi, it just means I think it fits into a character i've created in the image of that doll.

Even people who collect dolls purely aesthetically (Just to collect them for displaying) usually give them a name and a slight personality, but I don't think deeply enough for sexuality.
So, no, I don't think they are related every single time, maybe for some people, but I don't think thats usually the case.

 

I don't think this is true at all. It certainly isn't true of myself and most of the people I know in RL who collect these dolls. There is also a huge amount of collectors who came to this hobby by way of collecting fashion dolls first and care nothing at all for Japanese pop culture.

 

I don't know if it's necessarily any different from most creative hobbies in the various proportions.

I do think the common overlap with yaoi fandom (and a lot of general slashfic fans -- not quite the same thing) makes the subject matter come up more often, but I don't think there's necessarily much more to it than that.

I also do not think that fantasies about preferences other than one's own -- whether they involve experimentation oneself, or just the various activities going on amongst others -- aren't uncommon. Since dolls can a vector for fantasy 'play' in terms of imagination, it doesn't surprise me at all when subject matter related to sexuality (of any orientation or activity) surfaces.

As for me, not that I particularly think it's anyone's business, but it's not some terribly guarded secret or even vaguely interesting: I'm bi. *shrug* So take that for what it's worth.

 

I think some people use their dolls to express themselves in a "safer" way. It's easier to have a doll that's bisexual or homosexual then admitting it yourself sometimes. However, I don't think that's usually the case. My two main girls are bisexual because they're based on characters who have that sexuality. I am also bisexual so I decided to have my first dolls reflect a little bit of myself.

 

This indeed, but it's not only fantasy play, sometimes it's just part of character creation. I'm straight and happily married. I write fanfiction, including but not exclusively slash-one of my OCs just happens to be a homosexual in a culture that doesn't care for that and it's not always happy for him. I enjoy reading slash, also gen and het. Of my dolls, the ones who are old enough to concern themselves about such things are straight for the most part-except for Florian, who is flagrantly bi (good survival characteristic if you're a vampire-doubles your chances of scoring dinner) and Nicolette, who is bi but much more quietly. I don't have a homosexual doll yet, but I don't rule it out as a possibility. It's really nothing to do with my sexuality and choices-I just like a varied cast of characters.

 

I'm straight, my dolls are straight. I don't like yaoi at all, but then I am female and can not relate to it.

But girl pairings/couples (shoujou ai?) I find sweet and cute to be honest.

Girl/girl couples I find so unique and hardly seen in this hobby, its refreshing

(edit I mean its refreshing when I DO see them, since they are so rare and different)

 

Hehe, which is funny because yaoi was created by women for women. (Not that you necessarily have to relate to it even if you are a woman.)

I do think that people have a tendency to work with what they know. If you are familiar with something you tend to be more comfortable with it. Of course that isn't to say people don't and won't branch out and do and explore other things. Or that everyone who's gay is going to have at least one gay doll or vice versa. And as it's been mentioned earlier this board encourages openmindedness, and I know I've personally volunteered more information then I might have on some other boards I participate in. So someone who is homosexual or bisexual may feel more open to express that side of themselves here as opposed to out in "regular" society. So it may just seem like there's a much larger group when in fact it may not be.

But if nothing else I think it correlates less to someone's sexual orientation and perhaps more to someone's tolerance or at least...hmmm eagerness? (can't think of a good word right now) to explorer those kinds of things.

 

Yeah I'm aware of that, I just don't find it appealing, but to each their own!! It's interesting to hear everyones thoughts.

 

As Cloudedmind said, I stick with what I know. Though, I am an anime-fan, and have read read a couple Shounen-Ai, and generally like seeing most alternate sexualities, I'm most likely not going to have dolls with them. Unless it's an important character point, of course.

My dolls reflect my own sexuality, so I guess they're and outlet or safe place. My boy "isn't old enough", though he's well around that age, and my girl is of a race that has no sexuality. When I plan, my future characters are a-romantic asexuals, despite myself being hetero-romantic just because it's a bother and none of them are ever going to date each other. That would be strange.

 

I....don't quite understand. I thought associating your doll/character with your own traits was a no-no? "Your doll smokes, so therefore you must love smoking." What's the difference between sexuality and any other character trait?

 

Well, it's not bad to create a character that overlaps with your own traits, but it can be problematic when viewers assume that that is the case with people's dolls all the time (especially when the trait would be considered something negative) -- the cigarette scenario you gave being a prime example of jumping to conclusions. However, I can see why the OP might be curious about this topic as so many dolls have pretty detailed stories that often include them having some kind of sexual orientation -- depending on where he/she come to the hobby from, this could seem quite unusual considering the number of doll characters who aren't heterosexual.

 

I probably should have posted post-morning coffee. I actually meant to clarify that -- I include character creation under that umbrella, basically in that the dolls become some of the many tools of the imagination, with the characters being the expression of the imagination. I generally consider any exercise of the imagination or creativity as 'fantasy play' -- even when it's a job. (I even call my work 'play' a lot when I'm in the developmental stages of it, when there's a lot of experimentation.) Basically, the time when someone is letting their imagination go roaming and experimenting with different thoughts and ideas to see what works, what doesn't, and so on.

I don't really consider it the same thing as fantasizing about specific subject matter, though I don't really see anything wrong with that either.

(I don't read fanfic or yaoi, and am not particularly interested in anime, either, but I seem to be in the minority regarding those things on the board. I'm just a big RP geek.)

 

I'm asexual (does not experience sexual attraction). None of my dolls are ace, according to their characters though. One of my girl's is gay, the other is straight...and well, the jury is still out on my boy. He could be gay, but he could just also be an experimental little child. We have no idea yet. At any rate... I really don't think gender or sexuality plays a part in deciding what hobbies a person is into. Or rather...I don't think it should. For that matter I feel the same way about clothing. *mind wanders*

 

My dolls' characters are based purely on my imagination; they can be whatever they want to be. They usually "tell" me who or what they're attracted to. Actually, they're sort of everything I'm not and its great fun. I just love the dolls as a creative outlet , and I couldn't care less about manga or anime or role playing, although my hubby and son are big into those things. I would've never even thought that someone's sexuality would be tied to their doll's character; and even if it is for some persons, why would it matter to anyone other than themselves?
(Not meaning to sound "snippy").