Maybe I'm just easily offended
Aug. 31st, 2020 12:14 pmLast night at my critique group, that one woman went on a five minute ramble about how she knows gay men in real life and none of the act like the ones in my story. All the men she knows are open and easy about sex and wouldn't think twice about taking a third man to their bed and maybe she just needs to stop expecting my characters to be like the men she knows (in real life) and just accept that my characters are different from all the gay men she knows (in real life!).
And I'm just...
A. Yes, the gay men I know in real life are more open and easy about sex. I even know a married couple who have a live-in boyfriend. However, I dont' assume they represent ALL GAY MEN EVERYWHERE because... that'd be kind of like stereotyping gay men and last time I checked, that's kind of wrong.
B. I bet none the gay men she knows (in real life) are 200 year old vampires from the 19th century who might have different cultural norms and hang ups.
C. Bisexual men exist (that's appropro of nothing except my character is bisexual and was in love with his female sire, which prompted the lady to be "so, maybe he's not even a gay man." Which... *tears hair*)
Anyway. It just really rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, even if my vampire was straight, I'd expect him to have a slightly different view towards sex than someone who was raised in the 20th/21 centuries. Especially since, in vampire years, he's young and might be clinging to his values.
I seriously dislike this woman.
ETA Or, maybe because I'm asexual, I'm not qualified to write gay men. At least not professionally.
And I'm just...
A. Yes, the gay men I know in real life are more open and easy about sex. I even know a married couple who have a live-in boyfriend. However, I dont' assume they represent ALL GAY MEN EVERYWHERE because... that'd be kind of like stereotyping gay men and last time I checked, that's kind of wrong.
B. I bet none the gay men she knows (in real life) are 200 year old vampires from the 19th century who might have different cultural norms and hang ups.
C. Bisexual men exist (that's appropro of nothing except my character is bisexual and was in love with his female sire, which prompted the lady to be "so, maybe he's not even a gay man." Which... *tears hair*)
Anyway. It just really rubbed me the wrong way. I mean, even if my vampire was straight, I'd expect him to have a slightly different view towards sex than someone who was raised in the 20th/21 centuries. Especially since, in vampire years, he's young and might be clinging to his values.
I seriously dislike this woman.
ETA Or, maybe because I'm asexual, I'm not qualified to write gay men. At least not professionally.