Degenerate Women Keep Fandoms Alive

Fangirls at Malaysian Meet and Greet. Image via worldofbuzz.com.

Degenerate, harlot, fangirl.

These are some of the names that are attributed to people, specifically women who enjoy a genre of literature called "BL" or Boys' Love. A genre that explores love between men who love men, openly, romantically and sometimes sexually as well. And not just the men, there is a genre called GL or Girls' Love for the ladies and all those on the gender spectrum. For most of us who enjoy this genre, it truly is about the story the love that is shared by the characters within the setting. The vulnerability that is expressed between the two people and the willingness to explore love, and all the ramifications that come with love, is magical.

Unfortunately, many people do not see BL as anything positive, especially when attributed to women.

“China’s ‘rotten girls’ are escaping into erotic fiction about gay men.”

Guardian article in question. Image via theguardian.com.

This is an exact quote that is featured in a recent article for The Guardian. The article would further go on to describe women who enjoy this genre as pseudo-feminists with a fetish and desire to rebel, which is far beyond the truth.

I will discuss the genre of BL, the fandoms associated with them and the overall importance of why we need a genre like this to be explored, not just on obscure websites, but to be openly enjoyed throughout all mediums.

I had my first taste of BL when I was 16 years old. I was heavily involved in the Harry Potter fandom. Harry Potter was my life, my blood, my very existence for many years. I grew up with the series as it was written!

At the time, there was nothing more exciting than learning the next book's release date. Finally, the anticipation of what would happen next is ending! The day of a book release, having to line up at my local bookstore, frantically hoping and praying that you would get a copy of the newly released book, was an adrenaline-fueled rush that rivals any theme park ride.

Barring the author’s disturbing and inaccurate points of view, I will always look back on that time as some of the best memories of my childhood. When I was 16, I was scrolling through a website in the early stages of the internet and discovered some fans were writing tales based on this universe. They were filled with mystery, adventure, and love…

Between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy?

Draco and Harry. Image via towlerroad.com.

Upon first look, I was beyond confused but exceptionally intrigued. As a queer kid who was raised in an ultra-religious household, the idea of same-sex love was foreign, considered deviant, and therefore very exciting. It’s that excitement and intrigue that led me to click the link of the story and lead me down a path to discover hundreds if not thousands of stories written by incredibly talented people. Fan fiction, they called it, and I was hooked.

To give a brief history, fan fiction and what we know of it has been around for centuries. Stories of same-sex love are spread throughout every country, every culture, and every race you can imagine, but the culture of fan fiction as we know it today started in the 60s with Star Trek. Women started writing about the two main characters, Spock and Captain Kirk, in a romantic relationship. It was a phenomenon that began due to the closeness and oftentimes amorous connection that both the characters had on the show.

Spock and Captain Kirk. Image via cnn.com.

In the book, Star Trek Lives, Creator Gene Roddenberry is quoted saying about the relationship, "I definitely designed it as a love relationship. And I hope that for men…who have been afraid of such relationships…that they [Spock and Kirk] would encourage them to be able to feel love and affection, true affection…love, friendship and deep respect. That was the relationship I tried to draw. I think I also tried to draw a feeling of belief that very few of us are complete unto ourselves. It’s quite a lovely thing…where two halves make a whole.”

Many attribute these phenomena to the start of what we know as fanfiction today. But things did not start with Kirk and Spock. Around the world, men-loving-men stories have been shared for decades across various cultures. For instance, in Japan, yaoi is the term for boys who love boys. In China, it is commonly referred to as Danmei, stories about warriors who find love in hopeless places with other men. The list continues with, most recently, an episode of South Park talking about the pairing of Tweek and Craig in romantic settings. What is often called a phenomenon has actually been a historical part of our very culture of storytelling for many many years. But unfortunately, just like then, it is still condemned today.

Young adult author Foz Meadows wrote an incredible piece detailing the history of fan fiction and boys' love. In their article, they talk about the fact that part of the reason why BL or same-sex love stories are condemned is oftentimes because of the fact that women are very closely associated with them. Does this mean that only women write these stories? Of course not, but because it is populated by mostly women, it is oftentimes treated as less than and not actual literature. This notion is absurd, considering a majority of literature is often new stories based on earlier ones.

Author Foz Meadows. Image via geeksout.org.

I can honestly say right now that some of the most incredible works of literature I've ever read were written by people who dedicated incredible amounts of time to writing for absolutely free! This ignorance towards these labors of love is a travesty to the world of writing and literature. But why do these women flock to this genre of writing?

Foz Meadows would go on to describe the fact that through fan fiction, women are allowed to learn how to love and how to be loved in return. It is a way for us to freely express our ideas of love without being degraded. You know exactly what I mean if you read anything ever written by cis heterosexual men. Women are often degraded and described as mere parts to a partner or within a story. It's disheartening and dehumanizing, but through fan fiction and boys' love, women can explore what it means to love with men as examples. It allows us to feel closer to the male gender in a way that is safe.

Princess Leia. Image via usatoday.com.

I was taught to be afraid of men. But through these stories of love, I was able to see men in a more human perspective and not as these horrible creatures of harm and anger. The irony is that, it is these same men who get angry at women who write boys' love or get involved in any type of fandom. We're belittled for loving this genre because of the fact that it allows us to portray men in a vulnerable state and it's that vulnerability that we who enjoy the genre of BL love so much. The idea that men are allowed to be vulnerable, to express love, to express sadness, and every emotion that is human, freely without any restraints, is beautiful.

Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. Image via filmdaily.co

Which brings me back to The Guardian's article, which was written by a woman. Everyone doesn't understand this concept of boys' love and fan fiction; think of the term 'fangirl.' A term used to describe someone overly obsessed with something. When in reality, it's people who resonate with character or specific media and are able to make sense of their humanity within that media. People like late author Anne Rice would even take it a step further and ban people in the past who wrote fan fiction using her characters like Lestat and Louis.

Lestat and Louis. Image via thespool.net

The idea that reading love stories or even writing them makes them unworthy of recognition as traditional literature. When, in reality, fandoms and fan fiction fuel these fan cultures. It keeps them alive! Name me a more dedicated fandom than the Hannibal fandom. I'll wait. Hannibal ended several years ago but the amount of people who still love and appreciate the show speaks volumes.

Boys' love is a genre of literature that inspires people of all ages, sexual orientations and races. It's not because we want to fetishize gay love, but because we want to experience love, freely and without restraint. We want to be able to read about love without being degraded and dehumanized. Those who write fan fiction and engage in fan culture keep those fandoms alive and continue to inspire said culture to expand and grow within its own universe. To condemn people for partaking and loving these alternative universes completely derails the very existence of fandoms. Additionally, it allows for unnecessary gatekeeping of mediums that should be shared and enjoyed by all. Whether it be Harry Potter, Hannibal or Star Trek, it cannot be denied, through the art of BL writing and storytelling, that people continuously inspire and connect as human beings.