A Note About Sexuality

MCMWednesday, February 5, 2020

This post is the opinion of a straight white cis male on matters that deal with identity and experiences I haven't personally lived. As per my opinion policy, this is not meant to supplant more-relevant insights into these matters. If I am able to contribute something, cool. If not, feel free to ignore.

This is a general note that I will hopefully remember to point back to in the future, along with another post (that I can't locate anymore, sigh) about unshared realities. The topic here is: how to interpret my characters' sexuality when you read my work.

The short answer: unless otherwise specified (and I mean specified) assume that all characters are pansexual.

Yes, that's a pretty big blanket statement, but I'd like you to think about it on a practical level, based around this fact: if I don't mention who a character is kissing, I probably haven't thought about it, so I probably don't care. Not that I'm dismissive, mind you — it's just that if you see two characters and you think "they'd be great together" and I haven't explicitly said it's impossible, you should feel safe in assuming it is possible.

Remember: I'm the person who believes fanfiction should be legitimized and encouraged. Slashfic to me is a term that should become extinct, because it carries this implication that certain pairings are verboten, when in most cases they're simply not explored in canon.

What if you see hints that are never realized? Isn't that queer baiting? Well, to loop back to my missing "unshared realities" post: if you see something you believe to be true, that is the reality you should embrace, regardless of whether I ever explicitly confirm it. I do my very best to never tease something without following through, but when you write the kinds of things I do, sometimes people from certain backgrounds and mindsets see things I didn't anticipate. It may sound condescending, but whatever your interpretation is, that's the truth, and I cannot and should not take that away from you.

If I have a character who is decidedly interested in one specific type of person, and that type only, I will make it as clear as I can as soon as I can, so there are no misunderstandings. But if I don't define it, you should feel free to ship whatever pairing you like, because I guarantee that if you ask me, I will probably say: "Ooo, yes. When you write that story, send me the link!"