I think the ethical boundary for me is consent.
As a matter of law, society defines certain categories of relationships in which consent on the part of one of the participants is inherently impossible. In such cases, any sexual activity between the participants is classified as assault or rape committed by one party perpetrated against the other.
Obvious cases are teachers and students, correctional officers and prisoners, adults and children, caregivers and the mentally or developmentally disabled. From a legal standpoint (and I'd argue, an ethical one) the second class of participant in each case is assumed to be at the mercy of the former, and/or incapable of making informed or competent decisions. Therefore, consent is not possible. Any sexual encounters are inherently forced and indictable, no matter how 'willing' the second party is or seems to be.
Consenting adults, free of the kinds of encumbrances above, may choose to roleplay sexual situations that include feigned aspects of force, dominance, immaturity, restraint, incest, whatever. But the law requires the clear and explicit consent of both parties - and not ex post facto, but in advance. You can't punch someone out of the blue, then have sex with them, then claim afterward that it was all part of the game because the assaulted person never said 'no'.
Cantr has a standing rule that roleplaying sex should never involve minors, and should involve the consent of both players. This requires some OOC communication -- confirming ages, interests, and boundaries.
I'd argue that ethically speaking, roleplaying sex with characters incapable of consent IC, requires even an even higher bar of OOC coordination, definition, explanation, whatever.
Even if you satisfy that ethical hurdle, however, the fact remains that by participating in such activity, if it is public in the context of the game, then you are inflicting that activity on everyone else around your characters, and likely without the consent of those characters' players, and also likely without their desire -- in fact, with their active antipathy. I guess that kind of stuff happens in other situations too, but people are entitled to their disgust. They're entitled to leave, to refuse to play it out, to raise questions, and to complain formally or informally.
cutecuddlydirewolf wrote:Certain people RP in a certain way, and that's their choice.
As long as it is explicitly, clearly and legally their choice.
Other players can, equally, choose to react to it however they are moved to, and especially if they don't consent to being involved in it in advance.
I'm actively opposed to reading erotica involving children or mentally disabled people, or being exposed to it in any way. If I can't play Cantr without being exposed to it, I'll quit. I doubt I'm alone.
I kill threads. It's what I do.
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