Prejudice

Becoming a vampire turns many mortal factors like gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation on their head. However, especially with issues of race and ethnicity, this is as hugely prevalent in the mortal world today as it was in 1454 and there are many vampires who are racist and will play off racism or other discriminatory themes. Not taking the time to research how matters of race affect a game set in a historical time period contributes immensely to racial erasure and trivialisation of racism historically. It is frustrating for BIPOC (black, indigenous, and other people of colour) gamers to see it happen, and contributes to many marginalised gamers feeling unsafe in LARP settings.

Gender usually goes first for a vampire's held prejudices. Race and religious beliefs last. These two are the most strongly rooted in any human psyche and any vampire still clinging to a sense of humanity will care about theirs. It is the double rock around which their entire mortal identity was formed.

This is a part of the game world and such themes are permitted in roleplay at any point. Any discriminatory behaviour that you can find in the historical setting of the Renaissance is permitted in roleplay. Any player can remove themselves and their character from a scene at any point without any negative consequence. Our playerbase is a warm and friendly one - we look after each first, and our characters second (or last!).

Often, racism is taken out of games by white organisers who feel uncomfortable putting in it; they feel uncomfortable so presume that any players they might have who belong to a racially marginalised group must be flying off the walls.

Problem with this is, they are white, and they have no concept of what it’s like to be subject to racism on a daily basis. One of the most pressing modern micro-aggressions that all BIPOC gamers face is erasure.

"Erasure" refers to the practice of collective indifference that renders certain people and groups invisible. It alludes to the tendency of ideologies to dismiss inconvenient facts, and is increasingly used to describe how “inconvenient people” are dismissed, their history, pain and achievements blotted out.

The casualties of ‘‘erasure’’ constitute familiar castes: women, minorities, the queer and the poor. In some cases, the process is so routine that it has a name; the suppression of women’s contributions to science, for example, is known as ‘‘the Matilda effect,’’ named for the 19th-century women’s-rights activist Matilda Joslyn Gage. It refers to how female scientists have been left out of textbooks, and seen their research appropriated and their deserved Nobel Prizes given to male colleagues and supervisors.

What would it look like to emerge from erasure? There has been a blank around the lives of older women, for example, who report feeling invisible as they age — which is, as it turns out, less feeling than fact. There are so many “inconvenient” groups that we even can’t even name them all. Race should not be an inconvenience to consider for a LARP setting, not when racism is still so damaging.

“Growing up in the UK as a black person means that you’re living an existence that is constantly erased, particularly in school. The common theme running throughout my history studies was the capacity the learning structure had to critique at length the mistakes made by other governments and how that shaped their nation’s narrative, however, that gaze is rarely turned inwardly. We use the failures of other countries as our teaching aids while still never truly exploring this country’s dark history of imperialism and colonisation.”

“What we are and are not taught at school goes beyond the classroom; it trickles through to the rest of societal workings. When you’re never taught about black peoples’ contributions to history, it affects the way you contextualise yourself and your identity. Your frameworks and references are also impacted as a result and limit the extent to which you can engage with the particular content matter. However, it doesn’t just stop with the individual’s identity. This lack of knowledge around black British contributions and Britain’s horrific relationship with race can serve racist narratives that assert that we need to “go back to where we came from”.”

Ironically erasing racism from LARP - especially from periods like the Renaissance or the middle ages where it was the direct exploitation of ethnic minorities and marginalised groups that funded big European advances - all contributes to national erasure. In doing so organisers are hand-waving it away as if it didn't exist in the past for the purpose of talking about it now.

It is damaging to ethnic minorities. LARP has been a pretty exclusive hobby as it is, as has the fantasy genre as a whole. Let’s not add to it.

“By never teaching us about Britain’s horrific relationship with race, it suggests that this country has never had a problem with race in the same way that the US has. It means that we get to boast about how multicultural our cities are and how we welcome diversity without ever having to take accountability for how many African and Asian nations have had their resources and cultures pillaged and diluted.”

Racism exists. Classism exists. Sexism exists. Mental illness and the bias against it exists. All these themes are present in the Renaissance era - however: the older a vampire gets, the less they care about some of these prejudices, and they turn their interests of oppression to matters of clan, age and blood instead. The "human" prejudices are not core themes of this game either, but they exist in the world and are themes that can be roleplayed. Sexism becomes null for many vampires; usually by the time a vampire is a century old they have been forcibly woken up to the fact that monsters exist who were female in life; they have been subjugated or belittled themselves by female and male elders alike, and they are as terrified as feminine-presenting elders as they are masculine-presenting elders. However human characters have suffered a strict patriarchal, racist and bigoted world and will take those same biases into the Embrace.

It takes time for monstrosity to exchange itself for something new.

We have a set of mechanics that positively encourage negotiation while throwing into the spirit of the intensity. Of course, if you're engaging with a clear vampiric bigot, and you don't feel up for roleplaying with them at that point in time, you can extract yourself with the Lookdown mechanic - but you cannot demand that player change their roleplay. Some concepts only function based on their prejudices and we are warmly welcoming of simulated conflict.

This is a difficult, old world, and we encourage players to think about the reality of their character's prejudices and views - this will launch great roleplay and group dynamics.

For every prejudiced vampire there will be an equally strong ally for that particular theme. Tensions drive the best stories.

There has been immense trauma created by the church and its members are still pushing some rather damaging agendas in this time; there is vicious infighting between religious factions and even their subdivisions, and some vampires do care strongly about religion. You are welcome to roleplay religious conflict sensitively - that is, do your research, know your stuff, do not make a parody of anything, but please do bring this into conflict in your roleplay if your character feels very strongly about their spirituality or their religion.

Constantinople has just been sacked and taken over by the Ottoman Turks. Be advised that there will be plenty characters unhappy about this, and unhappy with the Ottoman Turks.

You are warmly encouraged to roleplay classism and white-on-white racial discrimination between white characters who may for, example, hail from different white countries or different Italian city states, and loathe each other. You're equally welcome to roleplay racism against characters of marginalised ethnicities or groups too. It is simulated fiction, and as long as you are able to keep the divide separate, you're good to roleplay it. (Please don't go running after any of us Brown and Black folk too, checking up on whether we are Really Okay with the racism. That is uncomfortable as hell behaviour. It's roleplay. We're fine.)

I am a queer organiser who belongs to a marginalised ethnic racial group. I have yet to encounter (though am very keen to hear from non-white gamers on this!) anyone who is a fellow BIPOC gamer that wants racism to be washed out from a game’s setting or downplayed for its impact and importance. What is often the big no no is erasure and pretending it doesn't exist - especially in a historical setting. A lot of BIPOC gamers have faced racial gaslighting their whole life. They repeatedly have to face in-game or In Character racism being "removed" to make it more comfortable for a white audience who have themselves not checked if that is even desired by their BIPOC players; it is sometimes even a relief for marginalised gamers when their cohort of white friends actually throw into racism in a game because it acknowledges its presence in the world. You don't need to make a deal of it off-game, or congratulate marginalised gamers for "taking it." Don't do that. Just roleplay your character with their prejudices.

Thus far everyone we've spoken to who is in an ethnic minority and attending the game is very happy for racism IC ("In Character"), whether that's directed at them or other people. It's aimed at characters, not players.

Be present. Be kind. Cut loose. Throw into the spirit of the era and the trauma, with all its heartache and pain. Some of the best stories come out of the most challenging of themes.

There is to be no ableism or discrimination aimed at players on an off-game or OOC ("Out of Character") basis however, be that for their gender, age, class, sexual orientation, race, religion or body image. This includes fat-shaming for what people do or don't eat. Any such discrimination will face a single, strict warning - or will have you removed immediately from the game if the severity is judged to be too high to risk a repeat, and you will no longer be able to play.

We have a zero tolerance for off-game sexual harassment of any kind. This includes continually asking a person to socialise off-game when the person has already said no or has indicated they are not interested. No one needs to provide any reasoning why they do not want to engage with someone.

Gamers of white ethnicity are not permitted to roleplay characters of Brown and Black ethnicity, but you are able to select any clan including those traditionally associated with non-White ethnicities, i.e. Followers of Set, Children of Haqim, who have all been Embracing vampires of white descent in the recent centuries. Characters who are themselves racist to these clans may roleplay that racism - though it is strongly encouraged to research the racial tensions properly so you do not create a caricature of an insult.

BIPOC gamers can choose character concepts that are from a marginalised racial group, or they can choose to play a white character. We (unfortunately) have very few BIPOC gamers in the LARP community; it is not difficult with this size of a playerbase to simply tell people in a brief that X or Y is playing a white dude/dudette/Tzimisce Thing. I myself will be playing a white British man at one point, and an Italian male Giovanni vampire for the auction scenes. So I'll be a Black person, playing ethnic White. You are absolutely allowed to do this if you want.

Absolutely no blackface, brownface, or yellowface

If you are roleplaying Christian ceremonies or religious scenes with a Christian paradigm, please do your research so as to roleplay it realistically and sensitively - although your character is welcome to corrupt the practice as a vampire and put a dark spin on it.

Muslim and Jewish characters are restricted to players who have a lived experience of being Muslim or Jewish, respectively.

Anyone may roleplay a Ravnos, but you must be willing to read a rather more thorough brief on that clan.

Summary

BIPOC roleplayers are welcome to create or choose characters of white ethnicity - or a character from a marginalised ethnicity. BIPOC roleplayers have themselves experienced racial discrimination from an early age and within a white-centric hobby such as LARP; we have less concern that any such roleplayer will not put due diligence into their character for cultural sensitivity, but any BIPOC roleplayer choosing a race that is not their own will be asked to read a document we have prepared on cultural appropriation in costuming, and we will have some back-forth with them. All players of the following clans should expect long clan briefs: Followers of Set; Children of Haqim; Ravnos.

Italians and Spanish are sometimes seen as "less white" than other European races. This is pre-transatlantic slave trade, so a weird time. However for the purpose of defining "whiteness" in a modern playerbase, Italian and Spanish players are also classed as white and cannot play any marginalised Brown, Black and indigenous characters. You're welcome to play any other non-marginalised white ethnicity, however, even if it's not your own. Just please play it sensitively, do some research over the year and fall in love with a time out of time :) <3

The Romani and Clan Ravnos

Why the G-word is not a neutral term

"Gypsy" is commonly used to describe the Romani people. But the term carries many negative connotations, and its derivative carries even more: when somebody is "gypped," they are, according to Merriam-Webster, "defrauded, swindled, cheated."

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known recorded definition of the term "gypped" dates back to the 1899 Century Dictionary, which says that it is "probably an abbreviation of gypsy, gipsy, as applied to a sly unscrupulous fellow."

It also appears in 1914, in Louis Jackson & C. R. Hellyer's Vocabulary of Criminal Slang. The noun "gyp" was described at the time as "current in polite circles," and "derived from the popular experience with thieving Gypsies." As a verb, the term is defined as "to flim-flam" and to "cheat by means of guile and manual dexterity."

Europeans used the word “gypsy” as a racial slur throughout centuries to justify the discrimination and persecution of the Roma people. It’s crucial for people to understand that these origins still have a direct negative impact today.

“It is a story of suffering that parallels the trials of Jews in Europe. However, while the Holocaust has at the very least made Europe grapple with its history of anti-Semitism, there has been no such reckoning for the Romani. While the Romani were also targeted by the Nazis and sent to die by the thousands in concentration camps, the post-war German government did not recognize them as victims of racial persecution.” (Why it’s Time to Stop Saying “Gypsy”)

Although it is rarely talked about, the situation for Romani people has not improved much; they are still victims of hate crimes, receive inadequate health care and housing, experience segregated education, and die in prison.

The following is from a beautiful article over on now.org by Naomi P.

The media offers two stereotypes of Romani women: the beggar, who is dirty and exploiting social welfare, and a hypersexualized magical being who threatens the patriarchy. So, while the use of the word “gypsy” seems innocent, it is dangerous to Romani women. It conjures up a romanticized image of poverty and sexualization, which doesn’t acknowledge that there is nothing romantic about being a victim of institutionalized racism. There is nothing romantic about the link between perceived uncontrollable sexuality and forced sterilization. There is nothing romantic about being a victim of domestic violence but afraid to speak out because law enforcement won’t believe you or it will further oppress your community. There is nothing romantic about lacking political power and representation, and being left out of both anti-racist and feminist politics.

However, that doesn’t stop the rampant consumerism and pop culture references associated with “gypsy.” Just to name a few examples: The Gypsy Shrine, Gypsy Warrior, Shakira’s song “Gypsy,” Fleetwood Mac’s song “Gypsy,” Cher’s song “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves,” and the latest, Netflix’s original series Gypsy. There are over 2,000 “gypsy” costumes on Amazon and over 250,000 “gypsy” items for sale on Etsy. When folks unknowingly or knowingly profit off of the word “gypsy,” claim they have a “gypsy soul,” or use “gypsy aesthetic” for a day at Coachella, they are reinforcing racist stereotypes of Romani women and dehumanizing us. People in the US must recognize the link between the language we use and how cultural depictions inform public policy for marginalized groups. Beyond language and the word gypsy, this is about how gypsies are struggling for liberation, and how Romani women suffer while gadje (non-Romani) profit off of our likeness. So before you put on that coin skirt and scarf, or proclaim your “free-spirited gypsy-ness,” remember that we already exist and will be always be gypsies and Romani.

“Simply put, Romani are the largest ethnic minority in Europe, originating from northwest India, migrating through the Middle East, and some through North Africa, to Europe. There are Romani living around the world, with estimates of 10 and 12 million living in Europe and another million in the US. Europeans imposed the word “gypsy” on Romani when they came to Europe, believing that we originated from Egypt because of our dark features. Romani have a history of persecution in Europe; it is estimated by Roma historians that over 70 to 80 percent of the Romani population was murdered in the Holocaust, a fact that is little known or recognized. Even lesser known, Romani experienced chattel slavery in Romania for over 500 years ending in 1860.” (Read more.)

The English term gipsy or gypsy is commonly poorly used to indicate Romani people, Tinkers and Travellers, and use of the word gipsy in modern-day English is so pervasive (and is a legal term under English law—see below) that some Romani organizations use it in their own organizational names. However — according to the discourse of those who study the Romani people —the word, while sometimes positively embraced by Romani persons, is also as often rejected by other Romani persons as offensive due to it being tainted by its use as a racial slur and a pejorative connotation implying illegality and irregularity, and some modern dictionaries either recommend avoiding use of the word gypsy entirely or give it a negative or warning label, which is the more important point to recognise. Given so many Romani people have even normalised the prejudice, there is added need for sensitivity.

While in the UK following a British House of Commons Committe many stakeholders and witnesses were proud to associate themselves with this term it was still divided and globally the situation is very different as education expands and more Romani people begin to become aware of the internalised helplessness they have had to face in accepting the term. With Romani people still facing violent harassment and physical abuse propagated by these old stereotypes that are entrenched in the term "gypsy" it’s ever more important to recognise that it is not a neutral term no matter what our current governments dictate - we are still in an evolving society that does not always handle race matters well. We will not be using the G-word to refer to any travelling or nomadic communities, the Romani people included. You may use it in roleplay - for the negative slur it is. This is the desired consensus of those who are attending the game from Romani ethnic heritage. Awareness is key.

You can use it as your character during the game hours, but not outside of roleplay.

The effort to substitute the word "Roma" for the far better-known term "Gypsy" may strike some as futile, but few other groups carry the burden of such heavy stereotypes with so little reprieve.

Thank you for any research that you do on this, and making games more inclusive a space by adding to personal education. It’s really appreciated <3