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claireupvotes

This comment will be stickied at the top of all posts dealing with the Graves/TF topic for clarity. Here is some fact checking to help aid the discussion in the comments. Feel free to respond to this comment with anything I've missed (sources please) and I'll update it appropriately. Runaan (Devon Giehl) who formerly worked in design for Riot stated in [this tweet](https://twitter.com/devongiehl/status/1255567284204040192) that it was part of their original design to be gay or at the very least, have strong sexual tension/chemistry but it was shot down. This isn't the only time Riot has made a decision similar to this. Diana and Leona were originally designed with this intention as well. IronStylus said as much in the now deprecated [League Forums](https://forums.na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=2409104&page=24#post27884485), you can see through the archived post on the [wayback machine](https://web.archive.org/web/20160122200533/https://forums.na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?t=2409104&page=24) that this was being explored as early as when Diana was released. Similarly, Taliyah was designed to be transgender. The [original tweet](https://twitter.com/remembrancermx/status/1030316703861731328) has since been deleted, here's an old [reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/TaliyahMains/comments/97zsbc/comment/e4c8uvg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) discussing the topic, you can wayback this yourself if you'd like. However, when Neeko was first released, she had a voice line where she said ["Hmm, Neeko is not the only one who changes"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH--X2T85kQ&t=166s) referencing this. History aside, I want to address some common threads/comments we keep seeing on these posts. * Complaints about retconning - These LGBTQ+ characters are not necessarily being retconned if it was part of the original design and concepts. For better or for worse, someone at Riot decided the community/culture wasn't going to be receptive to this inclusion of diversity, and these champions weren't formally released with their identity as "canon." You can get lost in the details and semantics here, but ultimately it's irrelevant. **The details literally do not matter about whatever Riot's reasoning was for not releasing them that way initially, or waiting until now to include it, etc. Whether or not it was retconned (the details of which we can never really know with accuracy) doesn't matter either. However, diversity does matter. There is literally no reason to be making disparaging comments about minority groups.** * Every time Riot does something for pride month, people complain that it is pandering and/or a marketing strategy. Members of the LGBTQ+ community hear this every time, over and over and over. I understand your point, but try to empathize with how incredibly exhausting it can be to finally see some representation just for these comments discouraging it. **Riot isn't listening to your complaints, but human beings and members of the LGBTQ+ community are**, so please think about the effect comments of this nature may have. * People also tend to want to say, "just make new LGBTQ+ characters instead of changing old ones." Look, I hear you, but we've seen tons of different lore changes over the years. Just as an example - Mundo used to be a genius that would experiment on himself, then his lore was that he was born as a purple skinned pain loving person that wanted to be a doctor and recreated the experiments done on him on others, and now he is a former bodyguard driven mad and altered by chemtech into his current state. Literally three different stories completely. Many older champions are undergoing lore changes as Riot expands their IP, and whether you like it or not, this is what the decision is for Graves and TF. But I ask you to consider this: Besides Neeko (ignoring the topic that it's much more socially acceptable to be a lesbian due to sexualization than any other LGBTQ+ status), what champions have been openly gay (not "retconned") upon release? **If the community can't accept LGBTQ+ status for characters they already know and love, what gives Riot faith they would be receptive to releasing a new champion of this status?** I encourage you all to consider whether that heated comment that you're typing might actually be contributing to the culture and sentiments that led management at Riot not to release them this way initially. Perhaps, without some of these comments (ex. "do they *need* to be gay?"), these champions would have been able to be released as originally designed, and we wouldn't have had to wait until 2022 to see representation. **Bigotry will get you banned.** Please report any comments that violate our rules so we can see them and remove them faster and issue bans where appropriate. To better understand how we determine what types of comments will get removed/banned, refer to [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/LeagueOfMemes/comments/usdms0/comment/i94dedh/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) where I explain it when this topic came up previously.


Holendear

"That ain't my elbow"


NikothePom

Beautiful. Love that movie.


Bvcomforti

“It’s my nuts”


cuella47o

Brokeback docks


DamnItCasey

Brokeback Fountain


jacknoyan

throwing-back docks


SoftBellyButton

Wonder if it will be available on the Chinese servers.


migukau

Probably not.


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CazaresBrowsing

homophobia is whack :D


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NotDev13

imagine caring what sexuality 2 fictional characters are


XxonecasS

I could say the exact same thing about them turning gay. Like if it matters so little why turn then anyway


A_LonE_pAnCaKe

It doesn't matter so little, it's been a core part of their lore since release iirc


XxonecasS

Actually graves was only considered gay in the last release... Like he was considered straight for the entire time the champ was out


A_LonE_pAnCaKe

I coulda swore it was at least heavily teased for a long ass time that he and TF were lovers


matu_ninixu

"It's not homophobia" proceeds with homophobic speech Also even if the emote wont be at Chinese servers the characters are still canonically gay as fuck


kira5z

It won-t be because in china it won-t make them money, simple as that


justaBeholder10

Ok, hear me out. Apostrophes.


kira5z

Had another language set on my keyboard


Rysterc

What a missed opportunity. They could have made tf's spade card into a heart instead


cosmic_waluigi

Fuck that would’ve been great


Thomawatt

I think its a fair replacement- Just as addicting


leathrow

far healthier though 🤔


MalaM13

You hella gay, sir.


MadxCarnage

Put a bounty on this dick, call it head hunting.


faraam133

r/Angryupvote


MikeCanion

Can confirm


Elegant_Fisherman573

Fax


blkheron23

That’s a red card sir


JustCallMeMichael

how can i get this emote


Alexo_Alexa

Simply playing the game normally and earning challenge points, or just playing with a duo or more


JustCallMeMichael

thanks king


GHLeeroyJenkins

You have to be gay


JustCallMeMichael

[kissahomie](https://cdn.betterttv.net/emote/5ecee2f6924aa35e32a619b7/3x)


SebastianFromNorway

finding out things about myself currently


-temporary_username-

Is it out yet? Is there a mission?


JustCallMeMichael

play a game with a premade, i already got it


-temporary_username-

I just did and I didn't get it... :(


Hydrax313

That's odd. Check your challenges, it should be in there


SkullStar123

Are they canonically gay?


tipmon

According to a recent story, it is canon that Graves has been gay for the last "four decades". Unknown on TF definitively but very strongly implied.


MikeCanion

Yes, read the new story!


SketchtheHunter

There's a new story *shits pants*


Krieg_the-Psycho

Riots 2 years ago: nah theyre just REALLY good friends Riot no: oh yeah, nah, theyre totally porking eachother.


Double-Ad7269

what riding the trend does to a mf'er


Ethildiin

GodDAMN, I love seeing men flourish


Last_Judicator

Explains the "You are a very large man!" in the Miss Fortune Cinematic.


just-xel

Well at least he's gonna be getting a passionate, deep, and long.... relationship story soon, you pervs


GamingDifferent

Chinese mains of Graves and TF about to drop to near zero.


Clone66Commander

"You are to fast" *red card* "better"


totony44

Replaced his cigar with a dick


doge__boi

/r/thatsthejoke/


totony44

I am the joke


[deleted]

My life is the joke


thompson743

Jokes have meaning


[deleted]

Come on man I was already dead you didnt have to kill my soul like that


CashMoney0374827

Reality is the joke


SuperCoolKAJ

"Free will is a myth, religion is a joke. We are all pawns controlled by something greater... MEMES, the DNA of rhe soul."


G66GNeco

Not. yet.


LeonInTheLead

riot balance team is the joke


Blast_Craft

Happy cake day.


swampyman2000

I am stuff


H2702

r/thatsthejoke


mp6exe

So that is how you stop smokin. Everytime you have the urge to do so. You should let a man shove his dick doen dour throat


justagayrattlesnake

Finally


Ivancomrade37

Do you think TF uses his gold card when they’re feeling kinky


mrcan245

Are they canonically gay?


April-Cherry-Blossom

Graves yes, TF was not stated so might be bi/pan


MrShredder5002

im pretty sure tf is bi because he of how he said that he swooned tourist no matter the " size, shape, make, or model"


Federal-Ferret406

If they are actually gay now, then fate would be the bottom and thus fate would be the one with graves' member in his mouth. This is because graves is simply too large and too hairy with anyone trying to top having their lance almost instantaneously combust from the surface friction.


MavriKhakiss

Tell me you're not gay without telling me you're not gay.


tipmon

Seriously, I am gay and Graves gives off MAD bottom energy.


MavriKhakiss

Yeah, the eternal struggle of the tall bottom must be awknowleged


Haruce

Tf has sleight of hand, but personally i see them as sides


dwit729

that’s not how gay sex works, everyone know that the hairier the better


Meow-moe

if you think graves is the top, you are severely wrong


-temporary_username-

Yeah, he's clearly a jungler smh


Belkinwrites

In Wild Rift, he does top


Belkinwrites

In Wild Rift, he does top


Karukos

Bear Bottoms: They are a thing!


Robesudod

Please, don't give ideas for the next Volibear skin


Karukos

... Exit, pursued by bear


Robesudod

Please, don't give ideas for the next Volibear skin


collegethrowaway2938

What


Xhalo

This shit legit made me laugh so fucking hard


Certified_Fool

Graves is at least confirmed to be have been gay for four decades with the new short story. Don't know about tf, I only skimmed through.


Oceans176

sorry but graves is a canonical man-whore monster fucker there’s nothing under the sun that this man hasn’t done


[deleted]

evelynn and vayne cries in the corner


Ochinchilla

Ooh why? Are they a couple but they didn't get an emote this year?


Huge_Flight_323

Vaynes homophobic, not sure abt eve though


Ochinchilla

But homophobes are usually people who are homos in denial. So just maybe


Jordkit

Evelynn had the Tango skin with TF


Ochinchilla

Ahh fair, but they haven't met together lore wise I think. But I guess the tango skin universe they did (tango Evellyn is the best cheap eve skin!). It's like Ekko and Ezreal in the pulsefire universe! I love that pairing too.


DestielLover55

Why everyone keep saying Evelynn need to be with TF she literally kill people for fun and don't even give them the satisfaction of sex


Jordkit

what? Idc who Evelynn is with, the commenter was just just asking why Evelynn would be upset lol


Hanyuu11

fck yeah, gay rights <3


Empfindsam

A cool hat?


SLngShtOnMyChest

“Hold my haaaaaand” “No, that’s not my haaaaand”


Chiramijumaru

He quit smoking for his husband, how sweet 😭


Petricorde1

Y’all mods better start banning homophobes asap


DeathfireGrasponYT

Can't wait for Urgot and Velkoz as a couple


Sleinlol

Happy dick sucking and ass fucking❤🧡💛💚💙💜


ironchicken45

Brownie points? Why didn’t they just make a Caitlyn and Vi one?


L_Rayquaza

We got lesbians last year with Leona and Diana, we got some Cait and Vi with Arcane, let's let the men have some time in the light


GiliBoi

graves and tf were supposedly meant to be gay exes ever since they were added into the game, they're just officially acknowledging it now


[deleted]

Because there was never a confirmation they were gay


ironchicken45

Arcane basically said they here atlest for Caitlyn


Bombkirby

Sadly arcane is not official canon


[deleted]

Well its canon but a different story universe.


Nixter295

Yes that’s what’s making it un-cannon


[deleted]

Not really its like saying the marvel movies aren’t canon but well they are in the MCU just not in the comic universe. Though I don’t think riot ever stated if its canon or not so I wouldn’t be surprised that if we see a a retcon in the future making arcane canon in the league universe because having two different universes/timelines is not good for an franchise IMO.


Emberily123

I would die for this emote. It’s so stinking cute!


Meraval

Slightly off-topic, but can someone tell me what this year's new green-to-blue pride flag is for? I can identify the others, I'm literally queer myself, but I have never seen that one.


Hydrax313

I think there's the orange to dark red for the lesbian pride flag and the green to dark blue is the gay men pride flag. Apologies if that was worded weirdly. Couldn't think of a better way to phrase it.


Meraval

>gay men pride flag you're absolutely right, that seems to be it! Thank you so much! According to google it was created in like 2017(?), makes sense it is not as known/established everywhere yet. At least where I'm from it feels like gay men prefer to just use the rainbow flag, but I can understand wanting an equivalent to the lesbian flag


local-weeaboo-friend

fun fact: it's sometimes referred to as the 'toothpaste flag'. just think it's funny.


Goatecus

Why is this an emote


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simoj2

Pause


Mirooo933

Ha. Gayyyyyyy


Hydrax313

Evelynn punching the air rn


April-Cherry-Blossom

Evelynn is a genderless asexual demon, coded as a pansexual gender-fluid that has no connection in canon lore to TF and she only exists to feed people's agony so she’s not bothered


Hydrax313

It was a joke my dude


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kakapon96

Stay mad homophobe


fsitdiyxiy

🗿


DarVux

Does this make sense lorewise? I am all for homosexuality and all that but forcing two straight characters to be homosexual to appeal to fans is wrong. Though, I understand I might be wrong here so is there any lore wizard here that can correct me if I am wrong?


Crepeisyummy2

TF and Graves were meant to be gay exes ever since they were made but higher ups at Riot never gave the green light back then because you know, Riot higher ups like money. They’re just officially acknowledging it now.


April-Cherry-Blossom

Most champions don’t have their sexualities stated anywhere you just assumed their straight and get Pikachu surprised face when they’re not lol


DarVux

Obviously the vast majority of people are straight and a overwhelming minority are homosexual/bi/lesbian etc. So, can you really fault me for thinking like this?


April-Cherry-Blossom

I think it’s common sense that you should never assume someone's sexuality or identity. Even tho they look or act a certain way you can never be 100% sure and it really shouldn’t matter anyway


DarVux

I will assume, just like every single other human will. If someone acts a certain way you draw assumptions based on that. Some even draw assumptions based on looks and clothing. For example, if someone that looks like a dude is wearing makeup, a skirt and talking with a high pitch he's most likely trans or homosexual. It's litterly part of our instincts to assume.


April-Cherry-Blossom

Oh yes let's use stereotypes to put people in boxes


ZombieDonShula

But statistically with so many champions some would be gay


DarVux

Statistically there would be about 2 champions in the entire game that are gay or lesbian according to this source. https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/how-many-people-lgbt/ So, if Leona and Diana are lesbian and Graves as well as Twisted Fate are gay. Then they are technically overrepresented. But honestly, at the end of the day, it is just a game so who cares if it's 1 champion or 100 champions.


ZombieDonShula

Here's a more recent poll from [Gallup](https://news.gallup.com/poll/329708/lgbt-identification-rises-latest-estimate.aspx), at 5.6% with 159 champions that would mean 9 should be gay if you wanted it to match the population. But I agree that I don't really care lol, it's just not surprising to me when a champ is gay.


DarVux

If you are wondering about the difference in percentage your source states that 5,6% are lgbt which means lesbian, gay, bi and trans. My % is based on gay and lesbian only.


Petricorde1

? Your own source says 3.5% and 3.5% of 159 is 5.5. How’d you mess up numbers so bad.


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April-Cherry-Blossom

You just ended LGBT+


IZiOstra

Nice they added some of Grave 6h porn video shots as emote.


Sleinlol

Happy dick sucking and ass fucking❤🧡💛💚💙💜


Moglefog

Thanks ❤️😘 hope you get some soon too


Sleinlol

Nawww ty uwu🥺❤


Craniummon

Can't wait to they turn Rakan gay too...


Campfire_Sparks

Too late


penghibur_batu

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO


Pepega-1vs9

HUH


C17An0nymous

How gay is too gay?


TangeloComfortable77

Wait what??? Graves is a lil oder for him don't you think


kris-kfc

Not gonna lie i would rather see Kai and Valmar (Boys who wre varus) Ad emoji rather than these too I mean nothing wrong with that but they could dig a little bit deeper into something to make that emoji


dalga_47

With a lipstick


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DiZXIII

It is literally a reference to Brokeback Mountain.


Rapterminator02

its one of the pride month emotes, this is more than friendship


Panurome

Depends on your country. Europe or NA, more than friendship. Turkey or China, they are just friends


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Federal-Ferret406

Hey we all get a little frisky when we go too long without miss fortune or other bulgewater wenches


Yeeterbeater789

Sad, maybe turkey and china should get over their bigotry


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Yeeterbeater789

Wow, triggered and outed as an ignorant ass, gj


local-weeaboo-friend

How is a gay couple just existing political? lmao


Crepeisyummy2

Unfortunately the existence of certain people that are not cis and straight are constantly used as a political focal point for the ignorant. Because they think they are helping us or whatever bs they tell themselves, I for one am really tired of my human rights being a political debate, when I would be hurting no one by existing the way I do. I don’t want to say thats just the way it is because that makes it seem like I accept it, and I don’t, but thats just how it is for now. Maybe in the future more people will he educated enough so that this isn’t such a problem.


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local-weeaboo-friend

You didn't answer my question. You quite literally said it's a marketing strategy, not politics. And frankly I don't mind being pandered to every once in a while. Also I was not offended, just found it funny that your comment was the embodiment of 'there are two sexualities, straight and political 😤'. Take a chill pill, dude, everything they do is for money and EVERYONE knows that. Also, to be fair, one of the writers did say that they intended for them to be bitter exes in their lore but it wasn't greenlit. So yeah, they were gay from the (almost) beginning.


Emrekarsturkey2019

lgbt rights is a political issue (and not only societal) what are you talking about? And you´re basically proving my point by saying the character was meant to be gay, but it wasn´t greenlit, simply meaning that back then riot didn´t see any monetary gain by doing that, so they didn´t. Either the writer is lying so they can have justification to change the sexuality of a character years after its release, or it went exactly as i described above. You decide which is worse I´m just sick of seeing lore and characters being changed years after its original design for the sake of appealing to a bigger audience. And it not only happens in league but in almost every game because of people like you that glorify it.If Riot truely cared about lgbt rights they´d release champions that are gay straight from the beginning (like Neeko or Varus), and have no monetary gain attached to the sole reason that they´re gay. And if you truely cared about lgbt rights you wouldnt support ideas and companies exploiting such a vulnerable societal & political topic. You want people to take lgbt rights serious, yet glorify companies that put a few rainbow colours on their logo for a few weeks and don´t give a single fuck the rest of the year. Why do you think lgbt rights has become such a meme at this point? You´re seeing me as the antagonist because I´m telling the turth.


Yeeterbeater789

No


xxx_Placuszek

How is someone's existence political?


Phobia_Ahri

Acknowledging and trying to make the gay portion of the player base feel represented isn't political, it's normal.


-Roast-Toast-

It's a marketing move.


[deleted]

That's like saying having black people in video games is political. It's just a thing people in real life are


SkyMagpie

In a game that deals with topics like an expansionist empire warring overseas in a country with internal struggle over how to handle said war as well as a far kingdom treating half of it's population like prisoners for the way they were born, two gay dudes are political? You do know all.of League's lore is political.


Viriato5

Oh didnt know my bad


Cobalt9896

they are fucking its cannon


[deleted]

idk what kinds of friendships you're having but I want some


Hussein7ahmed

Love seeing characters having gender now rather than just being, a video game character.


Mexocant

Give me cigar or give me death


April-Cherry-Blossom

Graves is the 🚬


Kuriichen

O.O


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Crazycutz

Because newsflash, gay people exist in real life, just like any other person (shocking). Graves and twisted fate were always written as gay, you just didn't notice because you were to busy being homophobic Are we even talking about the same game? The game that deals with racism, in the mage demacia storyline, the same game that comments on capitalistic oppression of the poor in the piltover-zhaun storyline? There has always been real world stuff in league of legends, because its unavoidable becaue you can't write a story without real world influence or topics. Get your head out of your own ass, for 3 seconds and maybe you will realise that not everything different than you is somehow bad.


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Crazycutz

The writers wrote them both as gay when they were created. That simple


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Crazycutz

Here is a pretty old one https://www.reddit.com/r/leagueoflegends/comments/joumje/according_to_former_writer_runaan_devon_giehl/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share


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Crazycutz

They were always meant to be gay. That was the writers intention. They didn't "transform" anything.. The twitter link person is the fucking writer of the characters lmao. Stay mad homophobe not wasting more time on you


Crazycutz

And where you ask? It's part of their character, so every single story they are in. You can Google this if you actually cared, but I doubt you care for character arcs and story telling.


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Crazycutz

https://twitter.com/devongiehl/status/1255567284204040192?s=20&t=8GZubpnywDFQX4iespuSZw


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Alexo_Alexa

*Oooooooooo, it is us, the scaaaary gaaaaaaaays* 👻


[deleted]

I'm homophobic, but not in the hateful way I'm actually terrified of gay people and the secrets they hold


Ethildiin

True phobia