The Sims Drops Gender Boundaries

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The latest update for The Sims 4 has removed all gender boundaries that affect the appearance and behavior of a character. The makers say the changes are “to make sure players can create characters they can identify with or relate to.”

According to Maxis, more than 700 content pieces that were once restricted to a specific gender are now open to use on any character. This includes accessories such as clothing and jewelry, plus physical attributes including hair, physique, voice and even walking style.

A spokeswoman told the Associated Press that with the changes “female Sims can wear sharp men’s suits like Ellen (DeGeneres), and male Sims can wear heels like Prince.”

Several players who’ve tried out the free update have noted the customization options now include a wide range of choices that were previously determined by the character’s gender, including whether or not they can get pregnant and whether they can use a toilet while standing up.

As The Guardian notes, the game has always had a progressive attitude to gender and sexuality with even the original incarnation allowing kisses between same-sex characters, while the third edition introduced same-sex marriage six years before it became a reality in the US.