You’ve just walked into the game room and are patiently setting up your notes and props. As the players gather around you, you turn to Bob. His last character, Chance Fortune, was gunned down after a particularly unwise scuffle with some space station guards. You plan on introducing his new character to the rest of the party, who are busily hoisting drinks in the Starbase lounge in honor of their reckless friend. Bob nods and shows you his character sheet.

“Here it is,” he says, and then utters those fateful words. “Her name is…”

As GMs, we play characters of the other gender on a regular basis, yet some of us don’t like the idea of players playing characters of the other gender (I’ve been on both sides of the fence over the years).

What say you? Do you allow players to play characters of the other gender? What factors did you consider when making that decision?