I played a lot with friends for a number of years, in a number of groups. We played DnD, Pathfinder, Rolemaster, Spacemaster and a few others.
My first character was male. That was what I was expected to play.
But I pushed those boundaries, and I opened up.
The next characters were aspects of me. Those things missing in my life, missing from the external illusion that was me.
Emotion, feminine strength, feminine wiles, love and caring. Life.
It was a nice 'relief' for awhile. Dipping into a fantasy me. But it wasn't really fantasy.