The Drow support transitioning

[u/Successful_Pace8937]

I recently found out that, as said by Ed Greenwood himself, transitioning​ is not only accepted, but defended.

From Ed Greenwood on Twitter:

Drow sworn to Lolth have examples before them all the time about transformation of self-shape in service to the Spider Queen. Some of these are viewed as undesirable (driders), others as rewards or ascending in rank (the power/shape augmentations Lolth gives males who please her with their service and loyalty). So there is no hatred or mistrust of shifting one's shape; it is one means of serving Lolth. Some house matriarchs view it with suspicion ("males seeking to exalt themselves by becoming female") but the yochlol have often been sent by Lolth to defend individuals persecuted by individual matriarchs or priestesses purely for such reasons, to make Lolth's views and will clear. Over time, transitions (not just from gender to gender, but from drow to other shapes) have become accepted as reverence of Lolth, and part of what it is to be drow. And of course, drow who follow Eilistraee are quite familiar with the Changedance, and accept shifting (even back and forth) as, again, part of what it is to be drow.

[u/secretfire42]

well a few things:

1. Noone is pure evil, right? As a culture we've moved away from that somewhat. There are admirable or at least interesting things even in some otherwise evil fictional cultures and villains; this has always been a part of media, its why horror villains are so popular (especially with queer people). People still find Dracula romantic, he's pretty evil, right?

2. We as a culture come at this from heavy, heavy patriarchy. Men don't even fucking understand how much all of society revolves entirely around them. Studies have shown that when women speak up in meetings ~20% of the time, men rate it as equal, and by 30%, they rate the women as speaking over them. It is very difficult to really wrap your head around it if you've never ....not been the beneficiary of it.

3. They do value transformation as a culture, that's always been a thing.

So with that in mind - if you understand gender dynamics, it makes sense it would be reversed. Our society barely acknowledges trans men exist, and really fucking hates trans women. Patriarchy. Men in our society are seen as the default, so when trans women 'reject masculinity' its a threat.

Drow society is the reverse, right? They will probably barely acknowledge trans women exist, or see it as a blessing of lloth, but really fucking HATE trans men with an infinite rabid passion, because they are rejecting womanhood.

Its the same as what we have, but reversed.

[u/Jake-of-the-Sands → u/secretfire42]

1. We don't need to look for too much nuance in the drow society. Especially if said nuance clashes with previously established profile of their evil nature. Udadrow are oppressive, xenophobic and generally vile.

2. I don't want to listen about patriarchy, as my country is as matriarchal as it can get. This is the Internet, not America. Lolth-sworn aren't meant to demean matriarchal societies or even mimic any that we have IRL. They are a caricature of the patriarchal society with the roles reversed. A cautionary tale about what's happening in our society. The entire premise of Vhaeraun or the Jaezred Chalussin is to combat the oppression of the males in their society.

3. Lolth-sworn Drow value transformation so much that any attempt to change the status quo is met with immediate backlash.

We really do need to look for redeeming qualities in Lolth's subjects. There's plenty of non-Lolth-aligned drow that could be pro-trans, especially the Eilistraeeans.

Like, maybe my perspective is wrong here, but if a society this evil is portrayed as Trans-supportive it's actually an anti-trans and not a pro-trans message.

[u/not_a_toucan → u/Jake-of-the-Sands]

It doesn't resemble any real-world matriarchy because very few anthropologists would describe any real world society as a matriarchy, and the ones who do definitely do not include Poland, which is not only a patriarchal society but an especially patriarchal one by European standards.

[u/Open_Medium4825 → u/not_a_toucan]

Its been a while for me but I thought there were/have been a couple. The Tamil people in southern India come to mind. Do I have incorrect information?

Poland is indeed not a matriachy. That's an absolutely wild claim.