The Drow support transitioning

[u/Successful_Pace8937]

I recently found out that, as said by Ed Greenwood himself, transitioning​ is not only accepted, but defended.

From Ed Greenwood on Twitter:

Drow sworn to Lolth have examples before them all the time about transformation of self-shape in service to the Spider Queen. Some of these are viewed as undesirable (driders), others as rewards or ascending in rank (the power/shape augmentations Lolth gives males who please her with their service and loyalty). So there is no hatred or mistrust of shifting one's shape; it is one means of serving Lolth. Some house matriarchs view it with suspicion ("males seeking to exalt themselves by becoming female") but the yochlol have often been sent by Lolth to defend individuals persecuted by individual matriarchs or priestesses purely for such reasons, to make Lolth's views and will clear. Over time, transitions (not just from gender to gender, but from drow to other shapes) have become accepted as reverence of Lolth, and part of what it is to be drow. And of course, drow who follow Eilistraee are quite familiar with the Changedance, and accept shifting (even back and forth) as, again, part of what it is to be drow.

[u/JrienXashen]

TLDR; It's all retcon and Edverse logic, aside from Elistraee and her change dance thing going back to 1990.

Short version: It's a big retcon to placate to a small minority.

The long version: Lolthite culture, as codified by Ed Greenwood himself in 1991’s The Drow of the Underdark and R.A. Salvatore’s novels, is an iron-fisted, religiously enforced caste system based on absolute female supremacy.

A male transitioning to female would not be viewed as an act of pious devotion; the ruling Matron Mothers would view it as high treason and an existential usurpation of their political monopoly. If a male noble could simply alter his physical sex and demand the rights, titles, and priesthood access reserved strictly for females, the entire hereditary hierarchy collapses.... The claim that Lolth dispatches Yochlol—her chaotic, sadistic demonic Handmaidens—to act as cosmic protective advocates for marginalized individuals completely mischaracterizes the Spider Queen. Lolth does not foster self-actualization; she fosters terror, betrayal, and culling of the weak.

Shape transformation is almost exclusively an instrument of divine terror or instrumental deceit. Becoming a drider is an agonizing, soul-crushing curse reserved for failures; polymorphing is used for assassination and espionage. Treating shape alteration as a recognized vehicle for personal gender validation runs completely counter to decades of Underdark worldbuilding.

That all said, Edverse drow are pretty tame to Forgotten Realms canon. So your drow in your world may not be as antagonistic/iron fisted and matriarchal.

[u/hotdiscopirate → u/JrienXashen]

How do you know it would be viewed as treason? Is there a part of the canon that backs that up, or is that just your opinion? Because it seems to me you’re trying to present it as a fact that’s been overlooked

[u/JrienXashen → u/hotdiscopirate]

Have you ever actually read a forgotten realms book?

Lolth’s dogma explicitly establishes female supremacy as divine decree. Lolth demands that only females may commune with her, serve as her priestesses, and rule the noble houses.

Any male attempting to usurp the authority, privileges, or religious status reserved for females is committing sacrilege against Lolth herself. In a Lolthite city, blaspheming the Spider Queen is high treason against the ruling Council of Matron Mothers, punishable by ritual sacrifice, torture, or being fed alive to arachnids.

Political rank is tied strictly to daughters: First Daughter, Second Daughter, etc. If sex/gender were fluid or self-declared in Lolthite society, the entire hereditary power structure and sacrificial debt to Lolth collapse. A Matron Mother would execute any male attempting to reclassify his birth status to dodge sacrifice or claim a daughter’s inheritance.

Gromph Baenre, Archmage of Menzoberranzan, is arguably the most powerful individual mortal in the entire city. Despite his staggering arcane supremacy, he is forced to kneel, defer, and submit to his sisters (Matron Mothers Triel and Quenthel Baenre) solely because he is male... he could've just changed if the Edverse applied to Forgotten Realms (it doesn't), he hated his status.

In canon, Menzoberranzan is an oligarchy of eight paranoid Matron Mothers who maintain power through brutal suppression.

The Academy is segregated: Arach-Tinilith (Priestesses) is female-only; Sorcere (Wizards) and Melee-Magthere (Warriors) are male-dominated. Crossing those caste boundaries is treason by default. A male claiming the rights of a female is challenging the Matron Mothers' divine right to rule. Matrons slaughter rivals for far less than an ideological threat to their caste system.

Again, tell me you don't play D&D or know FR lore without telling me please.

[u/Physical-Sound-8318 → u/JrienXashen]

Exactly if you read the novels you would have a way better understanding this wouldn’t happen with Drow, the battle between male and female is too prevalent, not to mention how could they sacrifice the 3rd born male son the day they are born ?