There is a B in LGBTQ, so a character doesn't have to be a goldstar lesbian to qualify for the award.
For sure, but I don't think that's what people are necessarily discussing here, or at least I know I wasn't. I know the discussion around BG3's playersexuality (vs. bi/pansexuality) is its own can of worms, but even ignoring that I think Shadowheart isn't exactly showcasing any sort of representation, past the playersexual mechanic. There is no discussion or insight or mention of her bisexuality. I do see how her identity (and having to deal with repressing it) is a vital part of her storyline, but I don't see much of a metaphor for anything there besides mayyyyybe a trans narrative if I'm real charitable.
I think this video by verilybitchie sums up my thoughts on the entire pansexual vs playersexual debacle quite well, and I do wonder how she'd discuss BG3's romance system.
IMO, Halsin is the only one (of the companions) who is without a shadow of a doubt pansexual and not mechanically pansexual and states as much. I'd say Astarion as well but there's already enough discourse about how his (unavoidable) banter flirting with both sexes "doesn't count because he was still acting as if he was under Cazador's influence" (which I think is a bit silly, but eh, okay, let's say you can't say that he's pansexual without a shadow of a doubt). What I will say is that in Astarion's case there is a same-sex relationship that's unavoidably discussed if you do his quest, so there's that.
