FYI, I write a lot of slash, plus femmeslash, het and gen stories. This is totally my POV on the question.
In fact, it has been argued that slash is not really about male homosexuality at all; rather, it is about a female fantasy of heterosexual sex acted out via ostensibly male bodies.
I can see how people would argue that and for many writers and readers I suspect that its quite true. However, for me it isn't.
Slash for me is about opening up more possibilities, about reinterpreting not just what I as a woman can do but also what men can do. There are so many rules about how people interact that are gender based, not just for women but also for men. Writing stories where two men, preferably manly-men as that's the sort of guy I like, interact romantically and/or sexually, allows me to say things about society and the way we're enculturated that I can't necessarily say otherwise.
Of course, I write a lot of AU, so I'm reinventing the rules of the world most of the time as well as putting two guys together.
I would agree in a limited way that it's not about male homosexuality. I'm not male and I'm not homosexual. However, I don't feel that the slash I write is about my fantasies as a female and the stories generally aren't about acting out a standard script of heterosexual relationships.
For what it's worth, I'm bi and somewhat polyamorous, so my slashed guys usually end up bi instead of gay. *laughs*
I think that my slash stories tend to be my fantasy of what society and interpersonal relationships could be if our culture was more accepting and more open. The smut that I do write always serves the plot and character development. PWP isn't my style.
Not sure that this is terribly coherent but it's my 2 cents.
no subject
In fact, it has been argued that slash is not really about male homosexuality at all; rather, it is about a female fantasy of heterosexual sex acted out via ostensibly male bodies.
I can see how people would argue that and for many writers and readers I suspect that its quite true. However, for me it isn't.
Slash for me is about opening up more possibilities, about reinterpreting not just what I as a woman can do but also what men can do. There are so many rules about how people interact that are gender based, not just for women but also for men. Writing stories where two men, preferably manly-men as that's the sort of guy I like, interact romantically and/or sexually, allows me to say things about society and the way we're enculturated that I can't necessarily say otherwise.
Of course, I write a lot of AU, so I'm reinventing the rules of the world most of the time as well as putting two guys together.
I would agree in a limited way that it's not about male homosexuality. I'm not male and I'm not homosexual. However, I don't feel that the slash I write is about my fantasies as a female and the stories generally aren't about acting out a standard script of heterosexual relationships.
For what it's worth, I'm bi and somewhat polyamorous, so my slashed guys usually end up bi instead of gay. *laughs*
I think that my slash stories tend to be my fantasy of what society and interpersonal relationships could be if our culture was more accepting and more open. The smut that I do write always serves the plot and character development. PWP isn't my style.
Not sure that this is terribly coherent but it's my 2 cents.
Good luck with your article!