#representation in fandom

[justwannatalkaboutmyshows]

For some reason my “safe” fan fiction is Klance (like… Keith and Lance from Voltron) and I think my favorite thing about Voltron fanfic is how the fandom as a whole treats Pidge. Pidge is almost never depicted as a cishet girl. Pidge is very often depicted as either nonbinary or trans and also quite frequently ace and/or aro.

I feel like in so many fandoms people complain about not being able to find representation in those groups (esp acearo) and then there’s Pidge. And I really feel like Pidge is a fandom favorite too we all just really love that little nerd.

[jules-writes-stories]

i haven’t read your fic yet but i was scrolling and saw amma and it was so unexpected i burst into tears and i want you to know that

because i don’t know if you meant it but this is what i mean when i say i want representation. to be able to see a part of me without having to look for it. i don’t even call my mother amma.

This truly made me tear up in the best way. Thank you for sharing with me. I absolutely meant it this way, and representation is so vital and affirming and YES. Lady of Autumn is Amma ♥️

[moonlit-typewriter]

Percy’s face when Sally mentioned Grover playing a role in getting him kicked out of school…

The way his face scrunches up really tight before relaxing? That’s anger.

But not the kind of anger we see in him in the last episode.

This is the kind of anger that makes you cry. The kind that’s underpinned by embarrassment and hurt and feeling like you’ve been treated unfairly.

Percy knows he didn’t push Nancy into the fountain and he thought that, if anyone would have his back, it was going to be Grover. And then he didn’t. And it’s unfair to Percy. It’s Wrong. Because no one believes him, apparently not even his best friend.

And the way he closes his eyes and takes a really deep breath? That’s a tactic that’s literally recommended to stop yourself from crying when you’re angry. It allows your body to “catch up” with your mind.

What do you wanna bet that Percy learned that from a school counselor?

[alexsays-no]

Sometimes, you just need that validation ♡

Disclaimer. Validation doesn't come from people or what other people think of you, but sometimes it helps when the people you love remind you that you're seen. (I had this dream, and I just needed some comfort after, and the people I love really did that for me) sending a big hug to my trans fellas out there ♡♡♡

[orionsangel86]

There is something about proudly proclaiming a show "tumblrista catnip" that makes me emotional.

Something about how for years tumblrinas were ridiculed by show creators.

Something about Supernatural having a meta episode set at a convention with all the weirdo fans that made the main characters uncomfortable. Something something about Becky and the message that fangirls are gross and obsessive.

Something about Sherlock and the way fans were portrayed as crazy obsessive nutjobs for trying to figure out how he faked his death.

Something about creators mocking fandoms, dismissing them as freaks. Something about queer people not being welcome to engage in their creations because "why do you have to make everything gay?"

Something about the malicious culture of queerbaiting throughout the 2000s/2010s, followed by Bury Your Gays tropes across the media landscape because hell, you should be grateful we even gave you queer characters to begin with - and everyone dies in our show! You ain't special!

Something about Destiel questions being banned from conventions...

And then...

Something instead about Good Omens, and letting the story adapt naturally, embracing the fanbase and leaning into the fanservice.

Something about Our Flag Means Death, and the genuine outpouring of love and affection between cast, crew, and fandom that culminated in an explosion of fanworks that were never once mocked or deemed gross or wrong.

Something about Sandman, and staunchly digging in their heels on the queerness of it all, refusing to give in to the homophobes and instead avidly mocking THEM on social media rather than us.

Something about the writers hearing about fandoms favourite ships and excitedly stating that YES! We DID lean into that because it happened naturally and made sense.

Something about a firefighter coming out as bisexual after 7 seasons...

So yeah, something about a new high quality show made FOR US. By creators that love US. Respect US, and WANT our love.

Something about US FINALLY being a target audience for the best shows being made on TV now.

Tumblrista catnip. Creators saying "we made this for you. You are important. Your voices have been heard."

It just... all got a bit overwhelming for a moment there.

[magicicephoenix]

</Gives Moon & Sun plushies of themselves>

Enjoy!

they traded :)

[cy-cyborg]

Just a reminder that unless your amputee character lost their limb less than a month ago, their stumps don't need to be bandaged.

[somewhereincairparavel]

a huge chunk of the pjo fandom has turned into such a superficial, judgemental and PROBLEMATIC group who defeat the purpose and point that the books were trying to make, it's so fucking atrocious. the prime example of mischaracterizing/reducing the value of characters who are already misunderstood/misjudged in canon. this fandom does this to every.single.character.ever omg

percy jackson is so relatable to many people is because he didn't have to capacity to absorb textbook knowledge but was HIGH on street smart knowledge that got him to succeed. the whole point of his character is that he had low self esteem because he was ridiculed at school by the faculty and the students for being a 'dumb' and 'useless' guy that made him think he's an inconvenience to his mom. the baggage he carried is so overlooked.

the fandom saying stuff like 'annabeth had adhd and dyslexia too but she carried percy' is so fucking disrespectful. one, she's an athena kid who's supposed to be smart that's like the whole point, and that does NOT mean percy wouldn't survive without her. he's a DIFFERENT character and he doesn't need to be a scholar to be a powerful demigod who has his own identity. stop belittling him and comparing all of their adhd/dyslexia struggles. just because annabeth is smarter does NOT mean percy has less value than her, and that whatever comes out of his mouth is just silly gibberish, which is exactly what y'all are trying to imply. no he did NOT get by with just "luck" he's smart and capable enough to actually achieve things. It isn't rocket science.

making jokes like his only purpose is to have a goofy personality and wondering how he 'pulled' annabeth is NOT cute whatsoever. just deprives him of his canon developement and fails to recognise him as an important person because he is not book smart. the level of belittlement. in a way rick also contributes to this character assassination because he added another scene of piper saying something along the lines of 'thank god annabeth is there to keep percy from going wild/doing something stupid' like no miss girl

I could go on about how the fandom infantilizes nico, brushes of hazel's flaws/traits because she's a 'smol' bean (when she literally cusses out octavian, why do y'all hate the idea of her being bold/badass when she literally is??) belittling frank's power because he's 'just an innocent goof', saying stuff like 'in my head leo is a tall guy because rick did him dirty with the height when he is so hot' that's basically implying that he loses his attractiveness because he's short and wanting to confine him into those toxic masculinity standards

slandering rachel and calling her a pick me for liking annabeth as though annabeth already had a claim over percy in BOTL when he wasn't even in a relationship and even had a small liking to rachel (belittling BOTH rachel and percy in the process, is percy not allowed to have feelings too? is he only obligated to like annabeth?), also with the fandom's clear misogyny in their treatment of nico liking percy vs rachel liking percy, go on a moral policing hunt when it comes to jason, piper and percy but goes right ahead to defend and glaze luke's behaviour to annabeth, percy and silena (also victim blaming silena because she was manipulated as a teenager by a fully grown adult who KNEW what he was doing, using her)

stubbornly not wanting to recognise jason as an important character and reducing him into a 'whiney pick me guy who wanted everything to be about himself' and that he's 'boring' not realising that his abusive environment both as a baby and as a teenager suppressed him into struggling and not being able to feel worthy to even have feelings of his own, villianizing and getting on pipers throat for calling percy unimpressive simply because she LOVED and was LOYAL to her then boyfriend?? is she not allowed to have a preference??? heck id be more concerned if she did call percy hot whilst being in a relationship wtf.

and DONT get me started on the grover belittlement and erasure please, saying that percy and grover are only annabeth's 'sidekicks' on quests, as though he wasn't capable to go on a hunt for pan all by HIMSELF not knowing he'll ever be back.

[extraaa-30]

the adhd kids missing the deadline but saving the day anyway is so personal to me actually

[immortalmuses]

Watch Echo. Please. Please.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to see this kind of representation, this kind of investment from a company like Marvel, in telling indigenous peoples' stories. They consulted with the Choctaw nation, they DUBBED THE ENTIRE SERIES IN CHOCTAW. Choctaw is an endangered language! Fewer than 500 people remain that speak it fluently! And here it is, preserved in a Marvel Show about a Native Super Hero!!!!

I know you have MCU fatigue, I get it. I understand that some of the disney+ Marvel shows have been underwhelming. But I am BEGGING YOU. Just watch Echo. Just give it a chance, give Her a chance. The world is a better place with stories like this in it, and the only way we will get more of them is if we show companies like Marvel that their investment isn't a waste.

[hainethehero]

It is almost heartbreaking the way the toxic buddie stans are completely disregarding how 911 is trying to engage with discourse surrounding homophobia & LGBTQIA+ hate in workplaces in the show, and are crucifying one of the queer characters who is explicitly gay, just because their faves aren't a couple.

Like, this 👆 scene was devastating as much as it was badass because of Chimney. Tommy didn't fight back, and instead shifted his stance a little. He looks visibly uncomfortable and hurt but doesn't respond, alluding to the fact that he doesn't want to cause a scene, and/or doesn't feel empowered enough to stand up for himself and his boyfriend.

The scene could've been such a catalyst for deeper discussions about queer representation in service jobs like firefighting. It could've even led to discourse about intersectionality and how Hen faced her own struggles in the LAFD because in addition to being queer, she is black and a woman.

But no.

Instead, y'all are raving on and on about how Tommy is ugly, Lou is d*sgusting, how the cast and Oliver hate him and his character & how Buck and Eddie should be together and anything other than buddie = queerbaiting.

If you only want Buck to be bisexual with Eddie, then you NEVER cared about bisexual/queer representation in the first place.

[cepheusgalaxy]

Wish more people understood the difference between "shipping this aro character because i want to explore their aromanticism and where they stand in the spectrum" and "shipping this aro character because i don't care about their orientation".

[youryurigoddess]

Homophobes: But did the plot really need a gay relationship?

Me, a gay who’s watched seasons of unnecessary heterosexual drama stretched out:

[the-great-kraken]

if you see a male character kiss a male character, you assume they are gay.

if you see a female character kiss a female character, you assume they are a lesbian.

if you hear a character say they don't feel like their gender, you assume they are trans.

so why do a-spec characters have to jump through so many loops?

a character saying they've never had a crush or don't want a relationship or that they don't understand romantic love is so often ignored or used as fodder for other queer or autistic headcanons (reinforcing stereotypes that aroace people are secretly gay or always autistic)

why is it that our stories are always "up to interpretation"? why do we have to wait for the words aromantic or asexual to be said to be taken seriously? why is it that even when characters say they don't want relationships, fans will scream and cry about sex/romance favourable aspecs and qprs?

when it comes to gay and trans characters, even the likes of bisexual lighting is often treated as though it canonises their sexuality. for aroace characters, even the most explicit coding possible is swept under the rug in favour of other "interpretations"

i'm so tired of fighting for representation just to have it ignored and minimised by fans. let characters be aroace. please.

[mirrorofliterature]

on my last post -

I really hate the recent fandom trend of adding diversity to things for the sake of diversity, because it leads to shallow and often harmful representation of marginalised groups.

idk write whatever you want but maybe do a little research first.

[denjoust]