: Re: Realistically incorporating trans/nonbinary characters In most books I read and movies I watch, there are rarely any LGBT characters, and the LGBT representation I do see is almost exclusively

The primary question is whether or not the trait is a defining trait in your story, or just a detail of the character.

If the trait is central to the character, for example because it makes him behave in a way different from what he'd otherwise do, then point it out early, develop it and keep it in the mind of the reader so that the reader is not suddenly surprised by it, because then it would feel forced. Treat it the same way you'd treat someone being an introvert, or aggressive, or paranoid or in love, or any other character trait.

If the trait is exchangeable, i.e. the story wouldn't change if you dropped it or changed it for something else, then treat it like any background information about the character - point it out when it would naturally come up. Like physical attributes. The hair colour of a character would be mentioned when someone checks them out or when the reader meets them for the first time. Bisexuality could come up during small talk in a bar ("hey nice chick, right?", "Her boyfriend is cute, too.", "Right, I remember, you love both sexes."). And then don't force it. Since it's not important to the story, it should be in the background, not in the foreground.

The media portrayl of non-typical sexual orientations gets flack from both sides. Those who are LBGT or such feel underrepresented, while strictly hetero-normative people feel that every damn show, movie and book now gets packed with the freaks. Both are right, from their individual perspective. If you are LGBT, chances are that in your circles the percentage of others of that type as well as people with an open attitude towards the sexual is above the population average. If you are strictly (maybe even religiously) conservative, chances are that you have very few LGBT people in your surroundings. In both cases, the fraction shown in the media doesn't match your personal experience.

Just keep that in mind. This is why the inclusion of LGBT people can seem forced.

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: Re: Realistically incorporating trans/nonbinary characters In most books I read and movies I watch, there are rarely any LGBT characters, and the LGBT representation I do see is almost exclusively

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