Ooh, I do this too! I like to throw a twist into my characters, just to make them different from me. That way they become less of a self-insert, and I get to explore a different life experience.

I also had my very patriarchal, xenophobic dwarven cleric go through a bisexual awakening after meeting some fit, hairless male monks. It was remarkable how normal it felt for him to have that dawning realization, even as he was already married (to a proper Dwarven woman). I was a much better ally after that campaign, especially when a new player joined us, who was bisexual.

For my one trans character, I asked my gender non-conforming friends for advice, so that I wouldn’t accidentally make an ignorant caricature.

Make your characters Ace! Or Pan! Taste the rainbow in your games, even if you’re limited to one or two colors IRL.