case: (Default)
Case ([personal profile] case) wrote in [community profile] fandomsecrets2011-04-23 03:53 pm

[ SECRET POST #1572 ]

⌈ Secret Post #1572 ⌋


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


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Notes:

I've heard people say that they're not getting LJ notifications for new posts - there's an RSS feed right over here that you can use! Just a heads up for those unaware.

Secrets Left to Post: 12 pages, 276 secrets from Secret Submission Post #225.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 - not!secrets ], [ 1 2 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeats ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments and concerns should go here.

(Anonymous) 2011-04-23 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
What is with fandom's tendency to read non-delicate, athletic female characters as lesbians? First Rainbow Dash and Azula, now this? Is there some underlying belief that assertive, somewhat rough women can't possibly be attracted men? You do realize that's mostly a remnant of a lot of hateful, sexist cultures believing that to be properly heterosexual, females had to be submissive and fragile?

(Anonymous) 2011-04-23 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
From wandering amid many corners of the internet, my observation is that most people who think Azula is gay actually like the character and are not using "lesbian" in a derogatory fashion. There's no offense intended by the view, and they're not perpetuating that hateful, sexist culture. They... simply think she's a lesbian for one reason or many. I've actually seen a good number of self-identified lesbians believe Azula is gay as well. Could you kindly explain what's so bad about this? There appears to be a subset of fandom who finds offense by it, as if being perceived as a lesbian is some dreadfully horrible occurrence, which in itself can be seen as reinforcing the view that gay = bad and something you don't want to be, EVER.

[identity profile] quasiarti.livejournal.com 2011-04-23 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
I think the complain is that when a tomboy female character appears the fandom quickly idetinfy her as a lesbian

[identity profile] avocado-love.livejournal.com 2011-04-23 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Speaking as a non-delicate, athletic female: Yes. That is the belief IRL, too.
ext_81845: penelope, my art/character (bored)

[identity profile] childings.livejournal.com 2011-04-23 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I agree. There's nothing wrong with people reading a character as gay if they want to I guess, but when the majority opinion is that a "butch" female character is gay I start to wonder if people are only reading the character that way because of their gender expression. Gender =/= sexuality, people.

(Anonymous) 2011-04-24 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
Or maaaaaaybe, just maybe, it's because actual butch lesbian characters are rarely treated with anything but scorn in media and those of us who ARE butch lesbians would like a character we can identify with?

(Anonymous) 2011-04-24 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
Do you really want to pick Azula for that?

(Anonymous) 2011-04-24 06:28 am (UTC)(link)
Azula wasn't even butch, ffs. She was very concerned with her looks that included stuff like lipstick and her nails, very feminine coded appearances. She wanted to rule the world but she also wanted to flirt with boys. It always bothers me that when people see a female character who is powerful/enjoys power she has to be following a masculine image.

If I was going to pick a tomboy rolemodel from Avatar it would be Toph. And, hey, she did get an on-screen kiss with a girl!

(Anonymous) 2011-04-24 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Azula was vain. Are we to believe vanity automatically trumps all of the other traits she showed, like her stoicism, aggression, drive to dominate (all of which are traditionally masculine characteristics), and the fact that she wore manly armor in the third season? Oh, and there was the fact that she burned a doll and loved military history. Your typical girl doesn't act anything like that. Katara and Suki were warriors who retained a feminine image and mannerisms. Contrast their behavior with Azula; it's pretty different. Azula's decision to wear lipstick doesn't erase how she behaved, and she fulfilled a male role.

It always bothers me that when people see a female character who is powerful/enjoys power she has to be following a masculine image.

There are plenty of femme fatale characters in media that might suit your needs better. Azula isn't one of them. It always bothers me when people try to downplay a girl's more masculine or gender-neutral traits to make her seem more feminine. You don't have to sling dirt around like Toph to be a tomboy, you know.

(Anonymous) 2011-04-24 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
And as for Toph: we all know she only kissed Suki because she thought she was Sokka. I'm not sure why you even brought that up. What I don't get is why people try to claim she's a lesbian. She actually had a little crush on Sokka. You also seemed to be putting Azula's attention-getting in "The Beach" on par with her desire to rule the world. Not hardly.

[identity profile] xerxes92.livejournal.com 2011-04-25 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
YES

[identity profile] cloud-riven.livejournal.com 2011-04-24 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
THAT was what was bugging me with the secret and headcanons and I was trying to figure out why. It's the pigeon holing of butch = gay, and we haven't even seen her character play out yet.

(Anonymous) 2011-04-25 08:16 am (UTC)(link)
FU, this butch lesbian will go on reading gayness into whichever female characters I damn well please. Especially Azula. I read Ty Lee as gay too, but oh dear, she's more typically girly. Guess that doesn't go with your rant.

Then again, there aren't many women in Avatar who aren't assertive when they need to be, and Katara is rough around the edges sometimes, so go ahead and complain about anyone thinking of any woman in that show as gay.