Shane said
it does bug me to think of a distorted version of my lifestyle turned into
somebody else's fantasy
Although I put myself on the 'pro-slash' side, I do think this is an issue that slash fans ought to consider. I can imagine (let us say) a Native American objecting to 'Cowboys and Indians' stories (or those new age books which present travesties of native american religious practice etc.). And there are hoards of other examples of people objecting to the inaccurate depiction of their lifestyles by outsiders. I myself object (vocally and regularly :-) to the distortion of working class life by patronising middle-class people.
I think it is important for slash fans not to conflate the objection Shane makes in this post with the other objections we have heard (sheer dislike of homosexual people, and the defence of supposed canon) which I think can be much more easily dismissed.
I would like to say to Shane that in my experience 99 percent of pro-slash fans that I have met are respectful towards gay men. I think that for many women their like of this literature is part and parcel of a tolerant lifestyle. But I know that might sound patronising, as if you should be grateful for my tolerance, and I don't mean that at all.
I can't resolve this issue to my own satisfaction, let alone anyone else's.
Alison
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