I'm not sure if you're asking for the opinion of those people who are going with you, or everyone's, but… I think it may be a good idea if you offered us your ideas, and we (or those going with you) could discuss it. I always find it easier to come up with ideas when there's some starting point -- I think others may agree.
Well, completely without starting point, this is what I think.
Concerning underage slashers:
It's funny, but I think that if you're talking about underage slashers, it really isn't the slash part anyone's worried about. It's the smut. The R-rated or NC-17 smut. And I'm sure there's enough het smut out there, so as such, it doesn't make much sense to be worried about underage slashers.
So I suppose there are really two aspects to consider when speaking of underage slashers: a) the slash and b) the smut (or should I say 'sexually explicit scenes', *ahem*).
Let's start with the slash aspect. From where I'm standing, reading slash (regardless of whether or not a certain fic contains sexually explicit scenes) has mostly positive effects. When we talk of underage slashers, we're mostly talking about teenagers -- people in a part of their life when they decide what they'll be, who they'll be. How they are going to act and what morals they are going to respect. They're easily influenced. I think reading slash gives them a positive input for open-mindedness. Homosexuality becomes a part of their world, unquestioned and perfectly acceptable. I think there are a lot of people out there who have come to terms with homosexuality in the outside world by reading slash. Fierce opponents of homosexuality likely won't be swayed by reading slash, but what about those who aren't quite sure what to think about it yet? And I can speak for others, I'm sure, when I say that though I've never discriminated anyone based on their sexual orientation, and always disagreed with anyone who did, homosexuality was just something… Out There, for me. When I finally met someone who was openly bisexual, it was odd. Uncomfortable, simply because it isn't a thing we're used to, and I didn't know how to react to that. I'm not sure how it is in the US, but here at least, you rarely hear someone say they're gay. It's still taboo, especially for those going through their puberty. So, accepting something doesn't mean you're comfortable with it. However, after reading slash, I've come to think of homosexuality as the most natural thing in the world. I'm sure it's had the same effect on other people.
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Date: 2004-02-04 03:02 am (UTC)Well, completely without starting point, this is what I think.
Concerning underage slashers:
It's funny, but I think that if you're talking about underage slashers, it really isn't the slash part anyone's worried about. It's the smut. The R-rated or NC-17 smut. And I'm sure there's enough het smut out there, so as such, it doesn't make much sense to be worried about underage slashers.
So I suppose there are really two aspects to consider when speaking of underage slashers: a) the slash and b) the smut (or should I say 'sexually explicit scenes', *ahem*).
Let's start with the slash aspect. From where I'm standing, reading slash (regardless of whether or not a certain fic contains sexually explicit scenes) has mostly positive effects. When we talk of underage slashers, we're mostly talking about teenagers -- people in a part of their life when they decide what they'll be, who they'll be. How they are going to act and what morals they are going to respect. They're easily influenced.
I think reading slash gives them a positive input for open-mindedness. Homosexuality becomes a part of their world, unquestioned and perfectly acceptable. I think there are a lot of people out there who have come to terms with homosexuality in the outside world by reading slash. Fierce opponents of homosexuality likely won't be swayed by reading slash, but what about those who aren't quite sure what to think about it yet? And I can speak for others, I'm sure, when I say that though I've never discriminated anyone based on their sexual orientation, and always disagreed with anyone who did, homosexuality was just something… Out There, for me. When I finally met someone who was openly bisexual, it was odd. Uncomfortable, simply because it isn't a thing we're used to, and I didn't know how to react to that. I'm not sure how it is in the US, but here at least, you rarely hear someone say they're gay. It's still taboo, especially for those going through their puberty. So, accepting something doesn't mean you're comfortable with it. However, after reading slash, I've come to think of homosexuality as the most natural thing in the world. I'm sure it's had the same effect on other people.