Did you see my comment to your reply in my journal on this? If not...reposting it here.
I totally agree with you. (As we often share a fandom brain, lol). I was talking to my friend today about the "closeted existence" slash fandomers put themselves in. It's an interesting twist in something like a slash fandom where you have otherwise straight women writing gay characters and going "underground" about it or hiding it or feeling shame for it. Obviously there's the issue with mainstream culture seeing gay love as this deviant concept that people should be ashamed for associating with. And add on the issue with all of fandom production being labeled as "porn" and porn writing/porn reading = some deviant thing that is shunned by the mainstream. YET...I think it's sad that fandom at large sort of embraces a shame for both of these things -- for writing about gay people or for writing erotica. So yeah, as everyone suddenly locks down and "goes in the closet" about their fandom activity you have to stop and wonder...why are folks so ashamed of this? I would love to see a fandom movement where people weren't ashamed of being a fan or writing stories with gay characters (or stories depicting incest or sex or kinks, etc).
But again, it's always been drilled into me that everyone has to come out when they are ready, right? In this particular instance it's just about fannish activity, but b/c of the deviance associated with it, I do understand some of the worry folks have about outing themselves-- some have friends and family (and jobs) more accepting, others don't.
This is on my mind, and not to make the gay analogy, because I think there's such a whole world of difference and privilege when someone straight is just writing about gay characters compared to someone who is actually gay and having to tell their families or coworkers and risk being disowned -- but I was watching Milk this week and me and a bunch of friends had a vibrant discussion about Harvey Milk's campaign for everyone to come out of the closet -- to show the world that everyone has someone gay in their lives. So I've been in this mood where I'm like really feeling that idea of owning yourself, claiming yourself, being proud of who you are, what you produce.
So all that to say is, yeah I feel you, like always. ♥
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2009-01-24 01:06 am (UTC)I totally agree with you. (As we often share a fandom brain, lol). I was talking to my friend today about the "closeted existence" slash fandomers put themselves in. It's an interesting twist in something like a slash fandom where you have otherwise straight women writing gay characters and going "underground" about it or hiding it or feeling shame for it. Obviously there's the issue with mainstream culture seeing gay love as this deviant concept that people should be ashamed for associating with. And add on the issue with all of fandom production being labeled as "porn" and porn writing/porn reading = some deviant thing that is shunned by the mainstream. YET...I think it's sad that fandom at large sort of embraces a shame for both of these things -- for writing about gay people or for writing erotica. So yeah, as everyone suddenly locks down and "goes in the closet" about their fandom activity you have to stop and wonder...why are folks so ashamed of this? I would love to see a fandom movement where people weren't ashamed of being a fan or writing stories with gay characters (or stories depicting incest or sex or kinks, etc).
But again, it's always been drilled into me that everyone has to come out when they are ready, right? In this particular instance it's just about fannish activity, but b/c of the deviance associated with it, I do understand some of the worry folks have about outing themselves-- some have friends and family (and jobs) more accepting, others don't.
This is on my mind, and not to make the gay analogy, because I think there's such a whole world of difference and privilege when someone straight is just writing about gay characters compared to someone who is actually gay and having to tell their families or coworkers and risk being disowned -- but I was watching Milk this week and me and a bunch of friends had a vibrant discussion about Harvey Milk's campaign for everyone to come out of the closet -- to show the world that everyone has someone gay in their lives. So I've been in this mood where I'm like really feeling that idea of owning yourself, claiming yourself, being proud of who you are, what you produce.
So all that to say is, yeah I feel you, like always. ♥