I demand an explanation for this shit.
May. 2nd, 2009 06:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
megwritesDear Authors of the World,
If I read one more novel where the only openly gay, lesbian, trans, or bi character in the book dies, somebody's getting a fucking slap. I'm getting tired of this. That makes two books in a row, and I've lost count of how many in total.
I'm not asking that no GLBT characters ever die. But maybe if there's only one in the whole book, they could, I dunno, live to see the sequel. Or you could have more than one token queer. Whichever.
And yeah, same goes with race and gender. If the straight, white males or straight white people or straight males (or any permutation therein) have a higher survival rate than everyone else? Then the problem is with you and not me and you need to get some help for that.
Because I promise you that it will translate into your sales being at least one book less than they would have been.
Love Conditional On Compliance,
Me
If I read one more novel where the only openly gay, lesbian, trans, or bi character in the book dies, somebody's getting a fucking slap. I'm getting tired of this. That makes two books in a row, and I've lost count of how many in total.
I'm not asking that no GLBT characters ever die. But maybe if there's only one in the whole book, they could, I dunno, live to see the sequel. Or you could have more than one token queer. Whichever.
And yeah, same goes with race and gender. If the straight, white males or straight white people or straight males (or any permutation therein) have a higher survival rate than everyone else? Then the problem is with you and not me and you need to get some help for that.
Because I promise you that it will translate into your sales being at least one book less than they would have been.
Love Conditional On Compliance,
Me
no subject
Date: 2009-05-03 04:25 pm (UTC)Well, a lot of it, I think is a lot of unconscious homophobia on the part of writers who know they should be diverse in the GLBT sense, but aren't sure what to do with GLBT characters (because ZOMG! The gays are so different from hetties!) so they sort of kill them off and think that maybe, somehow, they makes them a tragic hero and will get them the Diversity Pass without them having to really write a gay character.
And you're right. IT SUCKS SO MUCH ASS. Frankly, I was disappointed about that in Watchmen. Couldn't they have just had the lesbians go into hiding? I could deal with that. I mean, plus, to have a character who was so radically open at a time (I mean, dude, the 1940's) when that sort of thing could get you beat up, killed, or incarcerated in a mental institute just deserved better treatment.
*sigh*.
no subject
Date: 2011-03-26 08:48 am (UTC)Which isn't to say it's unproblematic in the source, but they also aren't the only lesbians in the graphic novel.
I thought the correct answer for what to do with GLBT characters was have them need to call a plumber. or HVAC. Saying they own as opposed to rent. If they're more hands on, they could rebuild an engine.