#and i know we've had a lot of queer rep from rick since all flawed

[actual-howlinglikeaseaturtle]

I'm trying to put it into words. And I can't. But I'm still gonna try.

It absolutely breaks my heart watching people tear this book to shreds, and not because I somehow think it was perfect or void of problematic elements.

But I was active in the fandom when HOH came out. And maybe you were too and you still feel differently than me, that's fine. But to me, the reason I feel so fiercely protective over tsats is cause I remember the absolute shitstorm that came after HOH. After Nico came out/was outed. I remember the joy, the rage, the support and the condemnations. I remember articles critiquing the book for it's "strong homosexual themes" when it was literally just a fourteen year old boy confessing to having a crush on another boy. I remember it all so fucking vividly. And I especially remember the very real fear a lot of us had that Rick was going to kill off its then only gay character. And instead Nico actually got a love interest! This was so huge! And yes it was sloppy, and rushed, but to a lot of us, we were just grateful that a queer character in a popular children's book series got to be happy! And out in the books, and not just after it finished.

Idk. I'm probably not explaining this well but I guess part of me is still stuck in that mindset. Of just being happy, cause with all the homophobic backlash HOH received it could have gone very differently. So to now have a book specifically centered around Nico and Will and their relationship...it's really special to me. And it's such a fucking bummer to see all this hate.