The Sims franchise, developed by Maxis, has made a lot of strides since I installed my first Sims game circa 2000. For one thing, in the most recent iteration, you can set a Sim’s gender (which determines their pronouns) separately from their body shape/type, whether they prefer masculine or feminine clothing, can pee standing up, or can impregnate or be impregnated by other Sims. This still isn’t a perfect system by any means – make “nonbinary” an option, Maxis! – but I do find it thrilling that it’s possible to make trans Sims now, and to put your cis Sims in gender-non-conforming outfits. (Shhh, don’t tell anyone that I gasped and giggled aloud when I made a handsome butch-lady Sim and put her in a pale pink suit with bright pink eyeshadow.)
But while these in-game gender innovations are fairly new, The Sims has always been impressively progressive when it comes to sexual orientation. As the fan-created Sims Wiki puts it, “In The Sims series, every Sim is technically bisexual, as he/she can be directed to have a crush on, fall in love with, engage in romantic interactions and [have sex] with a Sim of either gender, provided they are of the appropriate age group(s).” It’s amazing to me that companies like Disney have been so slow to put adequate queer representation in their works, while Maxis has been here the whole time like, “You wanna make your game super queer? Go right ahead!” In the latest version of the game, there are even bi/pan/lesbian/nonbinary/asexual pride flags (plus too many other kinds to list) that you can buy for your Sims and hang on their walls. It’s a small touch, but I almost cried when I first noticed it, because I felt directly catered to as a queer Sims player.
I’ve always played The Sims in an excessively queer way; I’ve actually heard from many of my peers of various sexual orientations that they did this while growing up, too. In my youth I think it was a way of mentally practicing for, or processing, the beautifully bisexual life I envisioned for my adult self. But why have I continued doing it into adulthood, when my real life is every bit as bi as I ever hoped it would be?
Well, for one thing, there are just a lot of queer people in my life, and it makes sense for my Sims to reflect that reality. If I’m gonna spend hours building a gorgeous house I wish I could live in IRL, obviously I’m gonna live out extravagant versions of my dream lifestyle in that house, including sexually and romantically.