sorry this is so late! there are lots of issues behind this, and probably some i’m not even aware of yet, so i’m positive i won’t be able to list them all here, but:
- general lack of lgbt representation is huge… people have extremely limited examples of lgbt characters they can relate to, which is why so much lgbt (and mostly m/m) fic exists. content creators have the responsibility to provide representation, which has been improving somewhat but is still not particularly common or well-researched
- transphobia comes into play here – many trans guys have said that reading and writing m/m fic helped them discover their identity & so blanket statements like “girls shouldn’t read or write m/m fic” excludes certain people from what could be a valuable resource in self-discovery, especially since there’s hardly ANY accessible trans resources out there
- sga girls can also discover their identity through m/m fic – just as any sga person can discover they’re sga through exposure to other sga relationships, regardless of gender. once again, the lack of representation needs to be addressed
- the prevalence of misogyny & lesbophobia in fandom is another issue. so many m/f ships are abusive and/or generally misogynistic in nature, and f/f ships virtually don’t exist – but when they do, they’re often portrayed in a lesbophobic and/or misogynistic light. this is something that Everyone involved in fandom needs to address and examine, regardless of their gender or orientation
- homophobia toward gay men is a concern in the opposite direction – a lot of m/m fic written by women is admittedly very homophobic in nature, and some (especially cishet) women use it to fetishize m/m relationships & male gayness in general. this concern NEEDS to be addressed separately from the “girls reading m/m fic” issue FIRST, however, because fanfiction is a result of these attitudes & behaviours, not a cause
- i also want to point out that some people have claimed women reading & writing m/m fic is similar to men’s abuse & oppression of women in the porn industry. it is not. please stop making this comparison.
please feel free to add to this post
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