I do think Gale and Wyll (incidentally) aren't being handled with the same gravity and respect for their abuse as other cast members. I hope it's not because they're male victims of female abusers, but it's weird that they're the two whose victimization isn't always afforded weight. They also both are put into positions of being told that if they don't self-destruct the way their abusers want, it's their fault should anyone else get hurt. Not the Absolute, not Mizora, not the Dead Three, not Gortash. Just them. Both Wyll and Gale are taught not to trust themselves or their own abilities independent of their abusers. Both Wyll and Gale were approached and taken advantage of from young ages. And the narrative... tends to reinforce that crap, implying they would be bad people for treating themselves as worthy of protection too. For not submitting to their abusers. Which is manipulative bullshit to the highest degree. That is literally the kind of shit abusers use on kids in real life to keep them from talking. Ex. 'If you tell anyone I'm going to kill your family and it will be all your fault.
It does feel like Larian, when developing this story and the characters, were respectful with the trauma of the female characters (and Astarion but likely because his abuser was a man) whereas Gale and Wyll’s abuse by female characters is regarded as either
1) their fault or 2) a joke or 3) a good thing.
Like the recent holiday cartoon had Wyll salivating over an autograph of Mizora. It was so tone-deaf. Imagine if the cartoon had Astarion blush over a photo of Cazador? Or Karlach wolf whistling at a picture of Gortash?
What is the message here? That Wyll’s abuse is sexy because Mizora is hot? That we aren’t meant to sympathize with him? It does his story a disservice.
I get the cartoon isn’t meant to be taken seriously, but again that’s the thing that Wyll’s abuse at the hands of Mizora is something not considered worthy of tact or understanding.
Unfortunately we have a long ways to go as a society before male victims of abuse are given consideration.
