[ SECRET POST #5079 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #5079 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 33 secrets from Secret Submission Post #727.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

Is it a bad trope to have a single sister among many boys who is a lesbian/wlw and partially blames being surrounded by men for it? In an original project I have a bisexual (heavily preferring women) woman who is the youngest of eleven brothers and sometimes blames having so many men around her for preferring women.

But I don't want to do something offensive.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

Having a bi character that has lots of brothers isn't homophobic. Implying that her sexuality could have been influenced by environmental factors is not great though. There's no strict scientific explanation for human sexuality variations, but I believe it's been thoroughly debunked as being the result of environmental factors.

Additionally, the idea that homosexuality could result or be influenced by environmental factors is heavily pushed by homophobic institutions. Especially those that insist that homosexuality is curable.

Those institutions have caused a lot of harm, and continue to do so. I think even the suggestion of an environmental influence on someone's sexuality is therefore best avoided altogether.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

This. I don't think anything good comes from implying that one's environment can influence one's sexual orientation. It's too close to the idea that you can make someone gay or conversely, pray away the gay.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

I'm not a fan of the "girl who's tomboy because she has sooooo many brothers" cliché and the addition of "my brothers made me bi" is even worse. Sorry.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

No need to be sorry I wanted to know if I should avoid it. Looks like I should.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

You could rescue it by editing out any hint that having brothers made her bi and say instead that perhaps realizing that she felt the same way about girls as her brothers did (assuming they're straight) made her realize that she was bi.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

The bigger question I have is why "blame" is involved in the character's perception of her own sexuality.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

Well she was born in 1916 and the current time is in the 1950s

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

But does the character herself feel like being bisexual is bad? Because if she doesn't, "blame" doesn't make sense.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

... I think this is well in the realm of something someone may think to or wonder about themselves, and that it can be written about well or used to create a complicated character. But it’s a hoary trope with homophobic roots, so even if it’s used thoughtfully (or ironically, like if the character “blames” her brothers entirely tongue-in-cheek or as self-defense), its presence may still offend or turn people off quickly.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

SA - just read your mention that MC is born in 1916 and it’s set in the 1950s. Honestly, I think that is a mindset that fits the time period. I guess I’d advise considering carefully why or how this detail fits in with what you’re working to get at with your writing.

Re: Is this a homophobic/bad trope

[(Anonymous)]

"Sick of men" is a real claim made by many women as to why they're lesbians. Whether it's the true reason or not isn't relevant, because if a real person can believe it about themselves, so can a character. It's more offensive to me that everyone expects only queer characters with the most correctly woke views of their sexuality. That idea shits on so many of us and implies we're not valid.