Happy Pride Month & Queer Reading Month!
Hi everyone, I wish you all a happy and safe, beautiful and successful, wonderful and literary Pride and Queer Reading Month!
June is the perfect month to read more queer/LGBTQIA* literature. For example, my own (always lesbian/sapphic) books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jutta-S...
But it’s also the ideal month to ponder on queer sensitivity.
Lately, a non-binary reader criticized a text passage in Returning Home to Her, one of my novels, where my main character is reflecting on a drag queen, which is expressed in a way that might be perceived as misgendering or, at least, very insensitive. My reader felt hurt by the way the scene was written (and I’m really sorry about that!). I can actually understand why that was the case. In fact, I had fully been aware of that problem before I decided to publish it exactly like I had written it, because I did it for a particular reason.
My MC is a reserved person with a disability, who grew up in a very “normal”, straight, heteronormative world and spent many years of her life trying to protect herself from being hurt. That’s why it took her a long time to realize that she’s actually a lesbian, but she was too afraid to come out at first. In the scene in question, my MC is attending a Pride event, which is a completely new experience for her. The things she experiences feel weird to her (far too colorful, gaudy and extreme) and she feels out of place.
That’s why I chose to write it like that on purpose – so as to show that my MC desperately tries to distance herself from the queer world that’s still new to her and makes her uncomfortable.
I’ve never had the intention to annoy or even hurt (!) anyone with my words, I just tried to elaborate this trait of my MC, who is by no means to be perfect or the mouthpiece for me, the author of the book.
What do you think? Is it okay to write scenes like that if there is a certain reason to do so? Or are the (potential) feelings of the readers more important than my artistic license? Or should I, maybe, only try to make clearer that the whole thing is really an issue for my MC, but not for me as the author?
I’d be curious and glad to hear/read/know about your opinions. Many thanks in advance!
June is the perfect month to read more queer/LGBTQIA* literature. For example, my own (always lesbian/sapphic) books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jutta-S...
But it’s also the ideal month to ponder on queer sensitivity.
Lately, a non-binary reader criticized a text passage in Returning Home to Her, one of my novels, where my main character is reflecting on a drag queen, which is expressed in a way that might be perceived as misgendering or, at least, very insensitive. My reader felt hurt by the way the scene was written (and I’m really sorry about that!). I can actually understand why that was the case. In fact, I had fully been aware of that problem before I decided to publish it exactly like I had written it, because I did it for a particular reason.
My MC is a reserved person with a disability, who grew up in a very “normal”, straight, heteronormative world and spent many years of her life trying to protect herself from being hurt. That’s why it took her a long time to realize that she’s actually a lesbian, but she was too afraid to come out at first. In the scene in question, my MC is attending a Pride event, which is a completely new experience for her. The things she experiences feel weird to her (far too colorful, gaudy and extreme) and she feels out of place.
That’s why I chose to write it like that on purpose – so as to show that my MC desperately tries to distance herself from the queer world that’s still new to her and makes her uncomfortable.
I’ve never had the intention to annoy or even hurt (!) anyone with my words, I just tried to elaborate this trait of my MC, who is by no means to be perfect or the mouthpiece for me, the author of the book.
What do you think? Is it okay to write scenes like that if there is a certain reason to do so? Or are the (potential) feelings of the readers more important than my artistic license? Or should I, maybe, only try to make clearer that the whole thing is really an issue for my MC, but not for me as the author?
I’d be curious and glad to hear/read/know about your opinions. Many thanks in advance!
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Jutta
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Jun 03, 2023 03:52AM
Anyone who can (and wants to) help me out? I'd be really glad to hear your opinion!
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I feel like this is a problem when people are not able to separate author from art. I mean, I get where that person comes from, sure, and I understand that it could be a trigger for them and made them feel a certain way by reading that passage, no doubt about that and everyone is fully entitled to their emotions, no question about that.That said, I feel like it's also important to be congruent with the character and make sense of what they are doing and thinking with their own character and experiences, always from a place of respect and understanding of course. I wouldn't say you need to compromise your art for that, I mean, even Murakami could be called misogynist if we were to judge him for some of the traits of his characters, how big of a mistake would that be!
Keep writing what feels right for you, always!
Patri wrote: "I feel like this is a problem when people are not able to separate author from art. I mean, I get where that person comes from, sure, and I understand that it could be a trigger for them and made t..."Hi Patri,
I’m really grateful for your comment and for your nice and kind words! I really appreciate what you've written and feel a little reassured now. :-)
It’s certainly a good thing to do some thinking about sensitiveness and respect, and of course I don’t want to discriminate against or even hurt people, intentionally or unintentionally.
But it’s always been important to me to make my own characters seem as real and authentic as possible, which also means that they are sometimes inconvenient (or maybe even dislikeable). In ideal circumstances, readers should realize that the things my characters do, say, think or feel don’t necessarily correspond to my own opinion, though! I suppose it’s my job as a writer trying to achieve this demanding goal.
(Oh, and I’d already been wondering about Murakami’s misogyny, by the way, but I’ve only read one of his books so far …)
Anyway, thank you very much for your reassurance! ❤️
