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

[blissy-lettuce.livejournal.com]

"Warning" for homosexual content contributes to a culture of othering homosexuals, which is just damn stupid. If I started tacking warnings onto everything in my stories that wasn't related to the primarily white, hetrosexual "norm expectation" some readers may go into expecting... tsh.

Many people like that norm because it makes them feel secure, but they lock themselves into such a tiny box. Although, at first, it was hard for me to read through some of your stories I always felt like my ability to understand the expansive and diverse qualities of human nature was expanded afterward - this being because I had never run into a lot of the concepts you were presenting OUTSIDE of a smut-environment, like poly and casual sex. Sheltered Mormon upbringing has screwed me over more than a little now that I am in the "real world."

OP at SS prolly likes their tiny, safe box and wants to try to navigate the world within it, which is really sad, because it says MORE if they get so upset over it they want to write a secret rather than just click that little ol' X. I used to be the same way because of how strictly I was raised - and so of course when I was presented with my first real love, I reacted with anger and fury and nearly destroyed both of us, because we were both women. Homophobia and fury consumed me, till I finally broke - and damn, the sense of peace that came after all those years of anger and confusion...? If I had had stories like yours - even if I did read them in the dark of night glancing guiltily over my shoulder - to read at that time, it would have... made me see that things could work out and I would BE okay. As it is we're now confronting some poly consideration and, once again, among many resources your stories continue to help contribute to the norming of these concepts and help keep me calm, when my poor childhood sculpted brain says I'm about to fall into a dark world of debauchery and misery.

Life is so full of diversity and amazing, unique quirks. I really hope OP realizes that before they end up missing out on a lot of it.

tltr; Homosexual warning -> no. Smut warning -> prolly, depending on level. Stumbling into stories like yours and reading them anyway -> expands world view, IMHO, and is pretty priceless in its own way.

I would say that you are quite brave for writing the way you do - but then again, I wish I didn't have to say it... if that makes sense. xD Your writing is bold, I'll put it there, and I love it. Tacking warnings on might make people avoid it, which I think would be a major loss in many ways for them. /rambling over