Says who? Some numbers. (Destiny)

by Schooly D, TSD Gaming Condo, TX, Monday, September 28, 2015, 15:46 (3389 days ago) @ narcogen

The world of Destiny is quite diverse. Notable female characters in positions of power include: Mara Sov, Queen of the Awoken (who are a matriarchal society by the way),

A little bit more than that. The only male Awoken we've even seen on the rift is Prince Uldren (presumed dead) and although he wasn't in charge he sort of acted like he was. There's obviously something unique about the reproductive cycle on the reef that's yet to be explicitly explained in-game.

Ikora Rey, one of thee Vanguard leaders who command all of the Guardian forces,

Yup, one out of three! Women are 33% of the population, right?

Maya Sundresh who has a good chance to be the Exo Stranger and who almost certainly was the basis of the Future War Cult,

Mentioned only in the grimoire.

and who, if you read somewhat carefully, had a wife, Omnigul, one of Crota's most important generals,

The Dark Below has about a dozen of Crota's "most important generals". Omnigul gets pride of place in the strike but I believe she's the only named female-appearing opponent in TDB. The males in the Hive hierarchy, by contrast, include Oryx, Crota, Sardok, Sardon, Kranox, Telthor, Phogoth, Urzok, Urrox, Gulrot, Alak-Hul, etc. It's not necessarily clear to me that Knights are male and Wizards are female, but it does seem that way. So on the other side of the coin we've got Omnigul, Mormu, and Ir Yut.

That's a ratio of 11:3. So again, women are 30% of the population, right? That's how it works?

Amanda Holiday, the City's chief shipwright, Lakshmi-3, current head of the Future War Cult and of course Savathûn, Oryx's sister a cunning Witch-Queen who split ways long ago and who is still out there.

Let's see, in the Tower we have: Lakshmi, Ikora, Eva Levante, Eris, and Holliday. We had Tess Everis but she's been taken away. That's five. Then we have Cayde, Zavala, Banshee, Hideo, Arach Jalal, Shaxx, Xur, Rahool, Saladin, and the Speaker. That's ten. Again, women are 30% of the population, right?

Even on the Reef, for named characters we've got Petra Venj and then Variks and Master Ives. The Queen isn't actually there, and has only interacted with the player in cutscenes. If we leave her out, then Petra is outnumbered 2:1 even in a matriarchal society! Even if you leave her in, then the presumed "matriarchy" is the only place where named female characters are 50% of those that appear!

Frankly, casual insinuations of sexism is very nearly as bad as sexism itself.

Nope, not even close.

It's a touchy and complex subject and when accusing someone of it you'd better have a weight of evidence on your side. And you don't, in my opinion.

Evidence, I don't know. The weight of numbers is definitely on his side when it comes to representation of the female gender among named Destiny characters.

1. How do you know that any of these characters self-identify as male or female, or that they even classify themselves according to the outdated and bigoted gender binary? On their appearance? Voice? Casual sexism is casual violence and it does nothing to advance us as a society.

2. Stop using sexist "he/she" pronouns when describing persons who could be genderfluid. Until Bungie explicitly specifies their preferred pronouns (i.e. not inferred from other characters in-game since they could be making the same mistake you are) you should use acceptable gender-neutral ones instead.