Simsecret Discussion

[strangetomato]

Man, it's been a while since I've been so involved in a discussion in simsecret (about warnings for gay content, and how this contributes to homophobia vs. it being a legitimate warning for the "genre" of slash). I don't always jump into the fray of these debates, but gender and sexuality are the topics where I can't help but suit up and yell, "Okay, let's play ball!" :P Yes, you could say they are my pet isms, in the sense that they are the ones I am mostly tuned in to.

If anyone wants to toss out their two cents (or more) here, we can continue the chat. Feel free to discuss and debate among yourselves. Just keep it clean, folks.

ETA: After using the sports metaphor above, I ended up with Centerfield by John Fogerty in my head. Argh! It's like I'm stuck at a family wedding back home in The Cove (name of hometownvillage has been changed to protect the guilty). :P

And I've added a music suggestion to hopefully lighten the mood (and because my SO has amassed something of a Big Fat Gay Music Collection).

Comments

[leskuh.livejournal.com]

Also, I think it truly sucks that your book would be categorized in such a way since, from the sound of it, the character's sexuality is so completely secondary to the plot.

Basically, separating stories by character's sexuality is just furthering this idea that people are locked into certain roles when it comes to their sexuality and that there are no gray areas instead of acknowledging that sexuality, while a part of a person, is only a fragment of a whole. Your character's sexuality is a part of hir and a part of the story, but it is not (from the sound of it anyway) the overreaching theme/genre.

[ladymirrabella.livejournal.com]

I've seen this being done with relation of race as well. I remember a similar discussion taking place in another secret community where the poster said a similar thing: they had a gay, black character and it was a fantasy book - it was not about any of those issues. In mine, the very main problem, besides the dead bodies, is that the narrator is a laying bastard - it kind of relates to his problems with people, but not really sexuality.