Is Elliott trans?

[ParadiseofDarkness]

Please I need to know if he is because I always thought he was a romantic guy. In acutal game dialog, for word for word and where it happens.

Not a "I think he is because I say so" like twitter freaks tends to abuse games and their developers by claiming them as such. Ty.

 

[ParadiseofDarkness]

Please I need to know if he is because I always thought he was a romantic guy. In acutal game dialog, for word for word and where it happens.

Not a "I think he is because I say so" like twitter freaks tends to abuse games and their developers by claiming them as such. Ty.

Why I ask too because I am trans and... I just can't see him as one. I just cant...

 

[PoppyForPenny]

I've never thought Elliot was transgender. He may be something else though. Transmagical? Transspecies?
All those things you notice about him, could they be leftovers from his previous life? As a merperson?
Crabs in his pocket. Raw clams. Hair. Squid ink. Peering off the dock into the water. And never, never coming out in the rain.
But mermaids don't write. They don't have paper or duck feathers to make quill pens. So he traded away his tail, came aboard in Willy's boat, moved in to the little cabin on the beach. Plays the piano, reads at the library standing up, hangs out with Leah, enjoys a good pomegranate, and works on his novel and his poetry.

 

[Lenora Rose]

As far as I know, while there's no particular reason to think he isn't, there also isn't a particular reason to suppose he is.

I don't think ConcernedApe specifically intended anyone to be trans though he may not be against headcanon of same. And among the modders, Diverse Stardew Valley picked Sam and Penny to have trans options, not Elliott (as did Emyn's Queer dialogue but that was building on DSV on purpose).

I know there are mods for enby Abigail as well, and enby farmers, but I think the rest for the vanilla characters is assuming cis and binary.

 

[ParadiseofDarkness]

I've never thought Elliot was transgender. He may be something else though. Transmagical? Transspecies?
All those things you notice about him, could they be leftovers from his previous life? As a merperson?
Crsbs in his pocket. Raw clams. Hair. Squid ink. Peering off the dock into the water. And never, never coming out in the rain.
But mermaids don't write. They don't have paper or duck feathers to make quill pens. So he traded away his tail, came aboard in Willy's boat, moved in to the little cabin on the beach. Plays the piano, reads at the library standing up, hangs out with Leah, enjoys a good pomegranate, and works on his novel and his poetry.

That's what I thought too. People on twitter saying girls can't write poetry with their crazy logic? Thinking "mermaid" means girl... and if elliott wanted to say mermaid is him being a girl, he would have said SHE removed HER tail.... to become a man who can? Blah blah on the poem.

He was a male mermaid or transmagical like you said.

 

[ParadiseofDarkness]

As far as I know, while there's no particular reason to think he isn't, there also isn't a particular reason to suppose he is.

I don't think ConcernedApe specifically intended anyone to be trans though he may not be against headcanon of same. And among the modders, Diverse Stardew Valley picked Sam and Penny to have trans options, not Elliott (as did Emyn's Queer dialogue but that was building on DSV on purpose).

I know there are mods for enby Abigail as well, and enby farmers, but I think the rest for the vanilla characters is assuming cis and binary.

I'll even agree to this even, but I was told he isn't that. That he's trans and not even a male gay or flamboyant man. Their like nope he's a trans you are the idoit.

Thank you for your comment. Means a lot.

 

[Lenora Rose]

I'll even agree to this even, but I was told he isn't that. That he's trans and not even a male gay or flamboyant man. Their like nope he's a trans you are the idoit.

Thank you for your comment. Means a lot.

I think it's common for people to defend their personal headcanon as if it was laid down by the creator when it really wasn't. it's a strange habit. I mean I headcanon that everyone is elves to explain why nobody but babies grows up or ages, but I KNOW it's a personal joke to explain the limitation of computer programming and it definitely wasn't something ConcernedApe put in the game on purpose.

 

[ParadiseofDarkness]

Also to add I personally thought he was suicidal or was hermit in a bad way, until he met people and made friends. Personally how I read the poem. Found out life can be so much better if he expressed himself rather than nothing to look forward and be alone.

 

[LRangerR]

I'll even agree to this even, but I was told he isn't that. That he's trans and not even a male gay or flamboyant man. Their like nope he's a trans you are the idoit.

Thank you for your comment. Means a lot.

That's just people projecting their desires onto the reality...of the fiction.

And if they're posting in that manner, then that just means their jerks with no tact or sense of community outside of their own likes and dislikes (communities build around common hatreds, sadly. There was an online dating site for that not too long ago, idk if it's still up and running).

Long story short, just enjoy the game in your own way, and appreciate it how YOU want to appreciate it. Just try not to smother other people's experiences with the way you enjoy the Game. That's what Art is after all, and Elliott would be sad if you didn't.

 

[PoppyForPenny]

I think that "mermaid" is like "mankind". It doesn't mean all merpeople are female or all humans are male.

 

[Jayamos]

Double hearts to @LRangerR for an answer that goes to the real issue.

Without really thinking about it, I’ve always thought of Elliott as a cis male, romantic in the 1800s artistic sense, emulating Byron or Chopin (though oddly fond of genre fiction). And he works just fine for me that way.

But the whole point is imagining, and if I start to imagine Elliott as genderqueer I could see him as AMAB with a fabulous gown carefully stored under the bed or even as AFAB with a certain Orlando-esque flair. Either way that Elliott has more swagger than my original vision of him and has more possibilities. And upthread you see some other ideas for him.

My point is not that Elliott is cis or trans or anything in between. It’s that Elliott is whoever you want.

In SDV you get to ignore the gender police. Imagine any of the characters in a way that opens things up for you or gives you an anchor. CA has always managed the game in a way that allows the players to envision the game in ways he never thought of. Your Elliott is your Elliott and perfect for your SDV.

 

[LRangerR]

Double hearts to @LRangerR for an answer that goes to the real issue.

I don't know what i did to deserve this, but thank you.

After a little more thinking though, if you're thinking that Elliott is trans, does it actually matter? SDV is already whatever you want it to be. Do we really need to bring politics into an already beloved game? I can't remember a single time where anybody has ever complained about SDV and it hasn't been addressed. Has it probably happened? yes, but my point is that the developers (actually just CA) and the team here are excellent at being awesome to everyone. The game is already inclusive as it is, with men being able to date men etc. No, it's not everything every single person would want it to be, but you know what, it's not a perfect game, it's Stardew Valley. And it's a beautiful game regardless. I am of the opinion that any meddling would take away from the beauty that is what it is.

 

[imnvs]

Do we really need to bring politics into an already beloved game? I can't remember a single time where anybody has ever complained about SDV and it hasn't been addressed.

Actually, after this when you go on to say you're sure it happened? Oh. Yes, it absolutely did. Yes, Elliot can be whatever you want in your own head-canon... but we can't play as anything but cis characters still, and that complaint has been around a while.

The game is already inclusive as it is, with men being able to date men etc. No, it's not everything every single person would want it to be, but you know what, it's not a perfect game, it's Stardew Valley. And it's a beautiful game regardless. I am of the opinion that any meddling would take away from the beauty that is what it is.

Saying something is inclusive because it features one element of diversity/inclusiveness? Yeah, no... because it does not mean that everyone feels included yet...

...and it really sounds like you're saying something like, "Well, CA let the gays and lesbians have their way and that's good enough, so why don't all the rest of you accept that though this game could do better, I think we shouldn't try to include you any better."

 

[Odin]

but we can't play as anything but cis characters still, and that complaint has been around a while.

It's worth noting 1.5 added the ability for you to change the gender of your character, but it's true this change won't be acknowledged within the game, and you're still choosing between two genders. (I know you know this, this is more for the benefit of others reading the thread.)

Saying something is inclusive because it features one element of diversity/inclusiveness? Yeah, no... because it does not mean that everyone feels included yet...

You're right that the game isn't all-inclusive, but that doesn't mean it isn't also more inclusive than many other games. People can celebrate what the games does right and people can criticize what it does wrong and I don't think those are opposing positions in any way. To be clear, I'm not saying there's any point where a game is "good enough", but that a game can still fairly be considered inclusive by some while still having more to do. For example, the game supports 12 languages, which makes it inclusive of people that speak one of those languages, but means it's also not inclusive of anyone that doesn't speak one of those languages.

 

[sameperson_differentfont]

Do we really need to bring politics into an already beloved game?

Trans people aren’t politics, they’re people.

Responding to the original thread- It would be cool if Elliot was trans, but that’s just a headcanon.

 

[Lenora Rose]

I don't know what i did to deserve this, but thank you.

After a little more thinking though, if you're thinking that Elliott is trans, does it actually matter? SDV is already whatever you want it to be. Do we really need to bring politics into an already beloved game? I can't remember a single time where anybody has ever complained about SDV and it hasn't been addressed. Has it probably happened? yes, but my point is that the developers (actually just CA) and the team here are excellent at being awesome to everyone. The game is already inclusive as it is, with men being able to date men etc. No, it's not everything every single person would want it to be, but you know what, it's not a perfect game, it's Stardew Valley. And it's a beautiful game regardless. I am of the opinion that any meddling would take away from the beauty that is what it is.

The politics are there whether you notice or not because politics are like that. They're very personal to some people.


The very first reason I decided to mod my game WAS Diverse Stardew Valley. I did find the game lacking in ways that mod addressed visually, though not entirely in other ways.

And that is partly because ConcernedApe knew he couldn't and wouldn't do everything or be everything for everyone. It's not a bad thing in any way to like the hame as is. It's not bad to headcanon things quietly, though telling people with different headcanon that they're idiots is beyond the pale. It's not *usually* bad to use or write mods.

(though I judge folks who turn Demetrius white or do some really *Stupid* mods like turn your horse into one of the bachelors/bachelorettes, I also accept that the option that allows for positive tweaks also necessarily allows people to be their worst selves. And block and report buttons exist for that reason.)

And if I understand correctly, the OP here wasn't asking for Elliott to be trans, but asking because they weren't feeling it but were chided for it.

 

[Odin]

Hi everyone, as @sameperson_differentfont already alluded to, this isn't a thread about politics in any way, so let's avoid any further discussion of politics (or what is or isn't politics), and focus on the topic of the thread!

 

[LRangerR]

...and it really sounds like you're saying something like, "Well, CA let the gays and lesbians have their way and that's good enough, so why don't all the rest of you accept that though this game could do better, I think we shouldn't try to include you any better."

I mean, if you want to feel attacked, feel free to put words in my mouth, but that's not what I was trying to say.

Trans people aren’t politics, they’re people.

And I never implied they weren't.

... focus on the topic of the thread!

Okay i'm done

 

[imnvs]

I mean, if you want to feel attacked, feel free to put words in my mouth, but that's not what I was trying to say.

No, that isn't what is happening. I'm not feeling attacked. I'm not putting words in your mouth. I'm saying that it sounds like you're being dismissive of their concerns and wants, not that you are attacking anyone. I'm telling you what it sounds like to some people when you say such things so that you understand why people push back.