Representation matters

[annathepiper]

A lot of QUILTBAG SF/F fans in my general age bracket will most likely point at Mercedes Lackey and her Vanyel trilogy as the first piece of fiction they ever saw that not only had queer characters in it, but had a male couple front and center as the primary characters. Me, I’ve written before about how Elfquest was a lot more of a turning point for me. But I can also add that Tanya Huff’s work was seminal as well, because she was the first author I can actively remember reading who not only included non-standard sexualities in her cast, but did it in such a way as to have it not be a big deal at all. They were just there, just like the straight people, participating in and contributing to the plot. Their sexuality was not a source of angst or an Issue of the Week. And I loved that.

It was, in fact, a lot like what I was beginning to learn that real people were like: i.e., that they included gay people, and lesbian people, and in general people whose sexualities didn’t necessarily match up with mine. Yet they were all people, just trying to live their lives in peace, just like me.

I mention this because of seeing Seanan McGuire put up a couple of posts addressing questions of sexuality of characters. She answers the question of why exactly is Dr. Kellis in the Newsflesh books gay (answer: he’s gay because he’s gay), and then puts forth a great answer to someone who saw fit to criticize her anonymously for having a pretty notable number of non-standard sexualities in her work (read, as near as I can tell: any at all).

I applaud Seanan wildly for both of these posts, because she is absolutely right: representation matters. And QUILTBAG characters should not have to have their sexualities (or lack thereof! Because some people have no sexuality at all!) justified by “a bearing on the story” or an Issue of the Week plot or whatever.

For the record: I write queer people right alongside my straight people. You’re going to especially find them in Faerie Blood and the forthcoming rest of the Free Court of Seattle trilogy. Because hi yeah, I’m queer, and I know a lot of other people who are queer, and spoiler alert: we like to see ourselves in SF/F novels too. Just like you. If this bothers you, then I suggest you look elsewhere for your reading.

But if instead it’s something that’d make you happy, hey, I hope you’ll consider reading me.

And you should definitely consider reading Seanan if you’re not already. Because she’s made of 100 percent pure organic awesome.

Mirrored from angelahighland.com.

Comments

[mmegaera]

As a quilter, I've never heard the term QUILTBAG before. I'm curious as to its meaning, as the context seems to have nothing to do with quilting.

And, as I'm fond of saying, people are just people, people. The wild assortment makes them more interesting, not less.

[annathepiper]

QUILTBAG is basically a broader term that the queer community uses to encompass more groups of people than you'd get with LGBT.

You can find an explanation right over here.

[mmegaera]

Ah. Thanks!

[batyatoon]

The first author I can remember reading who included nonstandard sexualities in such a way as to have it not be a big deal at all ... I am pretty sure that was Diane Duane, with The Door Into Sunset. (Third book in the series. I went back and read the first two later.)

(Interestingly, I read ElfQuest and never saw the same-gender sexual relationships. I don't know if that means I was more than usually clueless or if they were more implied than stated outright, or both.)

[annathepiper]

I eventually got to Duane, but long after I got to Elfquest!

Though yeah, there wasn't overt same-sex stuff in most early EQ. It got more obvious later with Dart and Kimo, though there were several three-way relationships where it was more implied (because they were actual triads and so the same-sex elves had relations along with the differing-sex ones).

[batyatoon]

Oh, the later ones -- yeah, I never read much past the end of the Kings of the Broken Wheel storyline. Prior to that ... I do recall the triad of Pike/Skot/Krim, but as you say, it's more implied than outright stated that there's any physical relationship between Pike and Skot (as opposed to the two of them being Krim's co-mates); one could read it either way.

And of course there are earlier relationships that lend themselves generously to slash (Cutter-Skywise being the most obvious, with Leetah-Nightfall a close second I think), but they definitely weren't overtly sexual.

Man, someday I really should read the later stuff.

[annathepiper]

Tyleet, Dewshine, and Scouter also become a triad when Scouter Recognizes Tyleet. This is post-Kings.

You may want to consider getting caught up sooner rather than later, considering that a new storyline is in fact NIGH. :)