Putting on my ranty-pants again...
Okay, maybe not a rant. A short... diatribe? mulling over? discussion? on the fluidity of human sexuality, and why people who stubbornly refuse to get it bug the crap out of me.
A few weeks ago, I finally got around to seeing Kinsey , starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. It's a well-written, directed and acted biopic of the renowned sex researcher. Considering its subject matter, I should have made an effort to seek it out much sooner. For one thing, I was surprised to discover that Kinsey's first report, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, was first published in 1948.
In this report, Dr. Kinsey revealed that nearly 46% of his male subjects had "reacted" sexually to persons of both sexes during their adult lives, and 37% had had at least one homosexual experience. The study also reported that roughly 10% of American men were more or less exclusively gay for at least three years between the ages of 16 and 55.
The book came out over sixty years ago, and yet people's brains still explode when they're asked to entertain the possibility that human sexuality might not exist in a state of black-and-white absolutes. I blame it on the pervasiveness of heteronormative conditioning in Western society, but that excuse only goes so far. There comes a time when people need to open their eyes and see the world as it truly exists.
I've been writing fiction featuring gay male relationships for well over a decade now, if you count slash fan fiction – a genre written by mostly straight women for a mostly straight female audience. Professionally written m/m romance fiction has grown out of this tradition.
In both cases, we're dealing with a very specific fantasy, which focuses on fetishizing male homosexuality for a female audience. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that – just don't expect it to be an accurate depiction of real-life gay or bisexual male’s experience, because it isn't.
Don't get me wrong, it's touching to read about a couple of guys who decide to give up their former sluthood and start picking out curtains - the first ten or so times. Now when I read this stuff, I start jonesing for an insulin shot. I know this is romance, and readers want their happily ever after, but very few real-life HEA's happen like this.
But there is a silver lining here, in that trends in popular fiction tend to come and go. In a few years I doubt anyone will lift an eyebrow at books that freely mix gay, bi, menage and heterosexual relationships. Hopefully that will open up the doors for other authors who, like myself, dislike being pigeonholed.
Frankly, I stopped thinking of my work as m/m a long time ago. It’s simply contemporary fiction featuring GLBT characters - where the “B” and “T” are not silent.
A few weeks ago, I finally got around to seeing Kinsey , starring Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. It's a well-written, directed and acted biopic of the renowned sex researcher. Considering its subject matter, I should have made an effort to seek it out much sooner. For one thing, I was surprised to discover that Kinsey's first report, Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, was first published in 1948.
In this report, Dr. Kinsey revealed that nearly 46% of his male subjects had "reacted" sexually to persons of both sexes during their adult lives, and 37% had had at least one homosexual experience. The study also reported that roughly 10% of American men were more or less exclusively gay for at least three years between the ages of 16 and 55.
The book came out over sixty years ago, and yet people's brains still explode when they're asked to entertain the possibility that human sexuality might not exist in a state of black-and-white absolutes. I blame it on the pervasiveness of heteronormative conditioning in Western society, but that excuse only goes so far. There comes a time when people need to open their eyes and see the world as it truly exists.
I've been writing fiction featuring gay male relationships for well over a decade now, if you count slash fan fiction – a genre written by mostly straight women for a mostly straight female audience. Professionally written m/m romance fiction has grown out of this tradition.
In both cases, we're dealing with a very specific fantasy, which focuses on fetishizing male homosexuality for a female audience. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that – just don't expect it to be an accurate depiction of real-life gay or bisexual male’s experience, because it isn't.
Don't get me wrong, it's touching to read about a couple of guys who decide to give up their former sluthood and start picking out curtains - the first ten or so times. Now when I read this stuff, I start jonesing for an insulin shot. I know this is romance, and readers want their happily ever after, but very few real-life HEA's happen like this.
But there is a silver lining here, in that trends in popular fiction tend to come and go. In a few years I doubt anyone will lift an eyebrow at books that freely mix gay, bi, menage and heterosexual relationships. Hopefully that will open up the doors for other authors who, like myself, dislike being pigeonholed.
Frankly, I stopped thinking of my work as m/m a long time ago. It’s simply contemporary fiction featuring GLBT characters - where the “B” and “T” are not silent.
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The HEA ending is pure fantasy. So is finding your perfect partner right out of the gate - both staples of traditional m/f romance as well as m/m. I don't mind pandering to what readers want, but only up to a certain point. I just can't bring myself to write stuff that's so sappy it makes me choke.
Cat wrote: "I just can't bring myself to write stuff that's so sappy it makes me choke."I'm so with you there, hehe.
I found Kinsey, the movie, to be very educational...and reaffirming to my gut instinct. We are all sexual beings. Period. It's societies shame and religion(s) that have ruined it for those of us that believe in human nature.
...and...
"I know this is romance, and readers want their happily ever after, but very few real-life HEA's happen like this."
To be fair, het romance is also usually unrealistic both in execution and HEA's ;) Also, you're speaking generally here; not all gay romances are unrealistic, imo. I guess it depends on how far the author takes it into fantasy vs. keeping it reality based. Of course, if you keep it too reality based, romance readers complain.