Queer pregnancies and reproduction in The Sims

Reproduction is a major mechanic in The Sims series, but same-sex couples’ options of reproduction are generally limited to adoption. Only in The Sims 3: Into the Future, is genetic reproduction an option for gay or lesbian couple. In this expansion, a Sim time travels to the future and can interact with new technologies, including reproductive technologies. In the future, a couple, regardless of gender, can have their genes spliced by “engineering a baby” at the hospital. This form of reproduction allows the resultant infant to be related to the two parents without requiring woohooing or pregnancy.

Male pregnancy is coded into games 2-4 as a possible outcome of alien abduction. A male Sim abducted by aliens will sometimes come back pregnant. Male pregnancy in the game gives imaginative possibility to more flexible consideration of sex, gender, and the body. And, indeed, fans have used the coding of male pregnancy to create mods that allow characters of any gender to reproduce with anyone and become pregnant. This includes men impregnating one another, women impregnating one another, and women impregnating men. These mods are often broken by Maxis’ official updates of the game.

In June 2016, Maxis added an update to The Sims 4 that allowed the player to customize the gender of their characters, including the ability to specify their reproductive role separate from their gender designation. This addition to the game allows the player to create male Sims who can become pregnant and female Sims who can impregnate others, among other possibilities elaborated in the section on “gender customization.”

LGBTQ  references in this game series: 

LGB Romance options

LGBTQ Characters

Joined Unions and Marriages Between Same-Sex Couples

Queer Pregnancies and Reproduction

Gender Customization

Citations:

  1. Alien Abduction. (2016, May 12). The Sims Wiki. Retrieved from http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/Alien_abduction.
  2. Aren. (2015, May 16). Same Sex Pregnancy. ModTheSims. Retrieved from http://modthesims.info/d/555389.
  3. Cox, C. (2016, June 2). Sims 4 Removes Gender Restrictions on Clothing, Hairstyles, and Other Character Customizations. The Mary Sue. Retrieved from http://www.themarysue.com/sims-4-gender-updates/.
  4. Maxis press release. (2016, June 2). “The Sims – The Sims 4 Expands Gender Customization Options – Official Site.” The Sims. Rertieved from https://www.thesims.com/news/new-cas-update?cid=6134&sf46255413=1&ts=1464973205332&utm_campaign=sims4_hd_na_ic_soco_fb_ts4-newcasupdate-fb&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.
  5. Missy. (2014, July 18). Sims 3 Into the Future: How to Engineer a Baby. Missy’s Sims and Stuff. Retrieved from http://missymeowrawr.blogspot.com/2014/07/sims-3-into-future-how-to-engineer-baby.html
  6. Tanja1986. (2015, May 15). Babies for Everyone. ModTheSims. Retrieved from http://modthesims.info/d/555097.
  7. The Sims 3: Into the Future. (n.d.)The Sims Wiki. Retrieved from  http://sims.wikia.com/wiki/The_Sims_3:_Into_the_Future.