How does this idea sound?

[Laura]

Chris Buckley pushed the envelope, and of course there are other authors who spotlighted nasty people as the MCs. But if your goal is to be traditionally published, your prose better be amazing AND you need to find a risk-taking publisher/agent. It’s a hard-sell to create really unappealing MCs. Just my opinion.

[Christine]

You're really asking two different questions.

Is it too offensive or dangerous? I personally wouldn't find it so, but I'm sure many others would. It sounds like a solid story to me.

Is it mainstream publishable? Maybe. Don't forget publishing is a business based on the number of sales. A publisher just wants to know if they will make a profit on your book, not if it's good or bad, not if it's dangerous or offensive. They are in the business of making money, so that's a judgement call on their part.

A publisher would want to know your audience - who is going to buy your book? That's a question you need to answer before you think about mainstream publishing.

[Christine]

It's ok to rile up some readers. Part of being an author is shining a light on things that can be uncomfortable. After all, if someone is LGBTQ, that doesn't make them perfect.

[caitlyn]

I think you would definitely have some people who found it offensive, however I also think that you're almost certainly going to be able to find SOMEONE who finds anything offensive. So I suppose it's a matter of how willing you are to have that potential. I think there's a very big difference between a gay character who is not a good person, and a gay character who is not a good person BECAUSE they are gay. Or perhaps worst of all, a character who is clearly being made to represent gay people and having those things twisted, which many, many people have done and I am tired of it (I am bisexual/queer). But, part of striving for equality is looking for characters that are written well enough that their sexuality matters because it's a part of them, but plays no part in how good or bad they are.
The same goes for the BLM stuff. It doesn't sound like you're making it a part of it because the black people are "bad", and honestly, it's a massive time of unrest and times such as these have always been used for backgrounds to stories. Often with success because it's the emotional intensity of it all — which of course, you know, I'm just rambling now.
(I'm also in the under 25 age group and I think that I at least, know a few other people both queer and straight, who would agree that it's not offensive)

[Christine]

I think Caitlyn made some excellent points. Well said.