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meridian_roseI've read some amazing fiction over at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
therealljidol. In one of my comments on a story I talked about not knowing whether the love interest was male or female, and how it didn't matter to the plot, and the author replied, and we had a brief but lovely discussion about how non-mainstream fic can casually include same-sex relationships and marginalised identities in a way the mainstream media often shies away from.
This post puts forth the idea that these kind of works engage with the reader in a different way, partly because there is no bottom line beyond telling the story the author wants to tell:
"The thing about reading fanfic (and original slash fic) is that you get used to that particular writing/reading culture after a while. You get used to the frank discussions of sexuality and kink, the close attention to diversity and social justice issues in the text, the unrestrained creativity when it comes to plot. The most amazing, creative, engaging stories I’ve ever read have almost all been fanfiction, and I think part of that is because there’s no limitations placed on the authors. They’re writing purely out of joy and love for the world and its characters, with no concerns about selling the finished product. The only limit is their imagination."
Cordelia Kingsbridge, "The Thing About Reading Fanfic and Original Slash"
(http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com/post/107238587354/the-thing-about-reading-fanfic-and-original-slash)
I tend to agree. This is where fanfic and independent writers can shine. It never occurs to most of these authors that they shouldn't be writing m/m or f/f or threesomes if they want to. They have the freedom to do so. Mainstream media, we're told, has to follow certain norms. It's all right to have people tread the line between bromance and romance, such as whenever "Hawaii 5-O"'s Danny tells Steve he loves him, so long as it's made clear that the characters are straight as a ruler - cue Danny going on a date with a conventionally attractive woman, or talking about his ex-wife.
There are some dramas where LGBT themes are a central part of the premise (eg "Queer as Folk", "Looking") and there are also gay and bisexual characters in mainstream media, where their sexuality is part of the character but not necessarily integral to the plot - Nolan Ross would not be the same character if he were straight rather than bisexual but "Revenge" would be the same show. (There are accusations of these characters still not being "good enough" but let's for the moment just focus on the fact they exist.)
If, however, a character's sexuality becomes an important plot point in a mainstream show, this is acceptable to the majority of viewers only if the character is straight. They need to have sex, they ought to get married, they should make babies, now, if not sooner! (Female characters especially are portrayed as needing to Find A Man, while men are allowed and even encouraged to find meaning in their lives that has nothing to with being in a relationship. If a man wants to be in a long-term sexual relationship, or just have random sexual encounters that's okay, so long as he's having sex, and having it only with women.)
If the character is not straight, however, the bigots come out of the woodwork. It becomes seen as an "issue" as in "why is this show forcing gay issues on me?" The moment a gay or bisexual character is actually seen to be in a sexual relationship they go from being a character who happens to be gay to "throwing it my face". You can be gay but don't talk about it or act on your feelings; don't ask, don't tell, don't ever show any public affection. A little like Putin's laws preventing the "propoganda of non-traditional sexual relations"; queer people can exist so long as they live in secrecy and fear.
Because apparently a gay man falling in love with another man is an "issue" in a way that a straight man falling in love with a woman is not; the following excerpt from an article about "Supernatural" examines this double standard:
"There are a lot of different rationales fans and viewers put forward in the argument that Dean should not be shown as canonically bisexual, one being that “the show is not about that” or that it would “distract from the story” or that it “serves no purpose.” Alright, well, for the moment let’s just skip over the fact that no one in the history of ever has argued that depictions of heterosexuality ought to be relegated only to shows that are “about” romance/sex. Or that canonical affirmation of a character’s heterosexuality “distracts” from the story. Or that a character’s heterosexuality “serves no purpose” so it should not be present in the narrative at all. Let’s just skip over the queer-phobic nature of demanding that same-sex eroticism constantly justify its own existence in media in a way heterosexuality NEVER EVER EVER is called upon to do. Let’s just by-pass that particular issue, for the moment."
Rachel A, Supernatural: Halt & Catch Pointless Heterosexuality
(http://thedailyfandom.com/supernatural-halt-catch-pointless-heterosexuality/)
So outside of mainstream media it is considered "normal" to read and write/draw or otherwise create/depict characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual. It's relatively accepted that are polyamorous relationships, and even that there are people existing on the asexual spectrum, people who are transgender, people who are non-binary. Whereas within the mainstream, canonical affirmation of a character's heterosexuality that has no bearing on the plot is accepted and even expected while canonical affirmation of a character's queer sexuality is seen as "distracting" from the plot, often even where it has no bearing on the plotline.
A more positive look at representation reports on this exchange between a viewer and a mainstream television writer (who happens to be a woman of colour and is therefore, perhaps more sensitive to the desire for representation of marginalised identities):
"A woman tweeted to Rhimes:
“@shondarhimes the gay scenes in scandal and how to get away with murder are too much. There is no point and they add nothing to the plot.”
Rhimes, to her credit, responded back:
“@DAbdelhakiem There are no GAY scenes. There are scenes with people in them.”
Perfect response. Especially since I am sure that tweeter, and the many others, do not have issues with the relationships of the straight characters and showing them as fully developed people. Not surprisingly, they only have issues with the gay characters."
Chrysler Summer, Hollywood Is Finally Depicting Gay Relationships In The Bedroom, and It's A Good Thing
(http://www.opposingviews.com/i/columns/hollywood-pushing-gay-relationships-too-hard-tv)
Things are changing, things are improving, slowly. Sometimes though it seems it is one step forward and two back. While the mainstream continues to catch up, in the meantime we have fandom and other non-professional creators, alongside independent creators, who gladly embrace and celebrate a wider range of sexual orientations and behaviours, and their audience is grateful for it.
therealljidol. In one of my comments on a story I talked about not knowing whether the love interest was male or female, and how it didn't matter to the plot, and the author replied, and we had a brief but lovely discussion about how non-mainstream fic can casually include same-sex relationships and marginalised identities in a way the mainstream media often shies away from.This post puts forth the idea that these kind of works engage with the reader in a different way, partly because there is no bottom line beyond telling the story the author wants to tell:
"The thing about reading fanfic (and original slash fic) is that you get used to that particular writing/reading culture after a while. You get used to the frank discussions of sexuality and kink, the close attention to diversity and social justice issues in the text, the unrestrained creativity when it comes to plot. The most amazing, creative, engaging stories I’ve ever read have almost all been fanfiction, and I think part of that is because there’s no limitations placed on the authors. They’re writing purely out of joy and love for the world and its characters, with no concerns about selling the finished product. The only limit is their imagination."
Cordelia Kingsbridge, "The Thing About Reading Fanfic and Original Slash"
(http://ckingsbridge.tumblr.com/post/107238587354/the-thing-about-reading-fanfic-and-original-slash)
I tend to agree. This is where fanfic and independent writers can shine. It never occurs to most of these authors that they shouldn't be writing m/m or f/f or threesomes if they want to. They have the freedom to do so. Mainstream media, we're told, has to follow certain norms. It's all right to have people tread the line between bromance and romance, such as whenever "Hawaii 5-O"'s Danny tells Steve he loves him, so long as it's made clear that the characters are straight as a ruler - cue Danny going on a date with a conventionally attractive woman, or talking about his ex-wife.
There are some dramas where LGBT themes are a central part of the premise (eg "Queer as Folk", "Looking") and there are also gay and bisexual characters in mainstream media, where their sexuality is part of the character but not necessarily integral to the plot - Nolan Ross would not be the same character if he were straight rather than bisexual but "Revenge" would be the same show. (There are accusations of these characters still not being "good enough" but let's for the moment just focus on the fact they exist.)
If, however, a character's sexuality becomes an important plot point in a mainstream show, this is acceptable to the majority of viewers only if the character is straight. They need to have sex, they ought to get married, they should make babies, now, if not sooner! (Female characters especially are portrayed as needing to Find A Man, while men are allowed and even encouraged to find meaning in their lives that has nothing to with being in a relationship. If a man wants to be in a long-term sexual relationship, or just have random sexual encounters that's okay, so long as he's having sex, and having it only with women.)
If the character is not straight, however, the bigots come out of the woodwork. It becomes seen as an "issue" as in "why is this show forcing gay issues on me?" The moment a gay or bisexual character is actually seen to be in a sexual relationship they go from being a character who happens to be gay to "throwing it my face". You can be gay but don't talk about it or act on your feelings; don't ask, don't tell, don't ever show any public affection. A little like Putin's laws preventing the "propoganda of non-traditional sexual relations"; queer people can exist so long as they live in secrecy and fear.
Because apparently a gay man falling in love with another man is an "issue" in a way that a straight man falling in love with a woman is not; the following excerpt from an article about "Supernatural" examines this double standard:
"There are a lot of different rationales fans and viewers put forward in the argument that Dean should not be shown as canonically bisexual, one being that “the show is not about that” or that it would “distract from the story” or that it “serves no purpose.” Alright, well, for the moment let’s just skip over the fact that no one in the history of ever has argued that depictions of heterosexuality ought to be relegated only to shows that are “about” romance/sex. Or that canonical affirmation of a character’s heterosexuality “distracts” from the story. Or that a character’s heterosexuality “serves no purpose” so it should not be present in the narrative at all. Let’s just skip over the queer-phobic nature of demanding that same-sex eroticism constantly justify its own existence in media in a way heterosexuality NEVER EVER EVER is called upon to do. Let’s just by-pass that particular issue, for the moment."
Rachel A, Supernatural: Halt & Catch Pointless Heterosexuality
(http://thedailyfandom.com/supernatural-halt-catch-pointless-heterosexuality/)
So outside of mainstream media it is considered "normal" to read and write/draw or otherwise create/depict characters who are gay, lesbian, bisexual. It's relatively accepted that are polyamorous relationships, and even that there are people existing on the asexual spectrum, people who are transgender, people who are non-binary. Whereas within the mainstream, canonical affirmation of a character's heterosexuality that has no bearing on the plot is accepted and even expected while canonical affirmation of a character's queer sexuality is seen as "distracting" from the plot, often even where it has no bearing on the plotline.
A more positive look at representation reports on this exchange between a viewer and a mainstream television writer (who happens to be a woman of colour and is therefore, perhaps more sensitive to the desire for representation of marginalised identities):
"A woman tweeted to Rhimes:
“@shondarhimes the gay scenes in scandal and how to get away with murder are too much. There is no point and they add nothing to the plot.”
Rhimes, to her credit, responded back:
“@DAbdelhakiem There are no GAY scenes. There are scenes with people in them.”
Perfect response. Especially since I am sure that tweeter, and the many others, do not have issues with the relationships of the straight characters and showing them as fully developed people. Not surprisingly, they only have issues with the gay characters."
Chrysler Summer, Hollywood Is Finally Depicting Gay Relationships In The Bedroom, and It's A Good Thing
(http://www.opposingviews.com/i/columns/hollywood-pushing-gay-relationships-too-hard-tv)
Things are changing, things are improving, slowly. Sometimes though it seems it is one step forward and two back. While the mainstream continues to catch up, in the meantime we have fandom and other non-professional creators, alongside independent creators, who gladly embrace and celebrate a wider range of sexual orientations and behaviours, and their audience is grateful for it.
