Is it harder to write DEI-focused stories at the moment?

[TheLobster]

I'm of the opinion that portraying characters -- with a variety of identities and backgrounds -- having sexy adventures and finding love and joy and happiness is a political act in our current environment, so maybe that makes my work political?

You are deliberately writing in themes that you yourself perceive as political, but then you're expressing puzzlement when others have the same impression? The mind boggles.

I'll also mention that there are hundreds of erotica writers and thousands of readers and fans who interact in communities outside of Lit's forums, mostly on Bluesky right now, like a whole Dark Matter universe that exists in parallel and rarely interacts with this space in an observable way. And they make the continual cyclical conversations here about Loving Wives and whatever seem absolutely quaint

"Ho, ho! Look at all y'all losers here! How quaint that you're still using this outdated forum when there is this newfangled other platform right there! Such nerds and losers!"

...Seriously?

 

[Kelliezgirl]

When it comes to wokery in particular, the argument that it's a US-specific issue kind of falls flat. This has long since been an Anglosphere-wide phenomenon, whose excesses are sometimes more pronounced in other English-speaking countries. (Just look at Airstrip One the UK, where you can get jailed for almost three years for a mean tweet that contains a thoughtcrime).


Tulips, bicycles, and legal weed, probably.

When it comes to wokery in particular, the argument that it's a US-specific issue kind of falls flat. This has long since been an Anglosphere-wide phenomenon, whose excesses are sometimes more pronounced in other English-speaking countries. (Just look at Airstrip One the UK, where you can get jailed for almost three years for a mean tweet that contains a thoughtcrime).


Tulips, bicycles, and legal weed, probably.

I didn't say it was a US specific issue. I stated that the OP brought it up in an American context.

And of course, it's a left wing government imposing speech restrictions in the UK.
But we'll continue to pretend people are fleeing the "far right" and all.

 

[Voboy]

The term, DEI has become hyper-politicized and I think if you reference it in your erotic stories, it'll pull your readers right out of them.

Also, down the road, it'll make those stories look dated.

This, I think, is the more practical concern: I was looking over some of my old stories recently, and everything that mentioned "masks" or "the pandemic" instantly felt ancient. I suspect most buzzwords are like that, and "DEI" is most definitely a buzzword. The concept it represents is a bit more permanent, but they've not been calling it "DEI" for long and they won't be calling it "DEI" forever.

I try not to use such buzzwords, unless I'm trying to make a broader point or, as @lovecraft68 suggested earlier, throwing them in to amuse myself. I don't use them for their own sake. They're simply not really an important part of my life.

 

[PennyThompson]

"Ho, ho! Look at all y'all losers here! How quaint that you're still using this outdated forum when there is this newfangled other platform right there! Such nerds and losers!"

...Seriously?

Umm why did you take this as a personal insult and not just an observation?

 

[Bamagan]

Umm why did you take this as a personal insult and not just an observation?

Lobsters are notoriously 'crusty' critters...

 

[TheLobster]

Umm why did you take this as a personal insult and not just an observation?

Gee, I wonder...

Maybe it's the gleeful flaunting of numbers?
Maybe the strawman simplification of what kind of discussion takes place in AH?
Maybe the mocking laughter emoji had something to do with it?
Maybe the fact the entire remark was apropos of nothing that has been discussed in this thread so far?

Nope, can't be any of that. What could it be then?

Lobsters are notoriously 'crusty' critters...

Very crunchy, too.

 

[lovecraft68]

I get the occasional whiny comment about pronouns and whatever, but nothing too serious. I see a lot more transphobia and sexism on the Author Hangout forum than I ever get in the comments section

I'm of the opinion that portraying characters -- with a variety of identities and backgrounds -- having sexy adventures and finding love and joy and happiness is a political act in our current environment, so maybe that makes my work political?

I'll also mention that there are hundreds of erotica writers and thousands of readers and fans who interact in communities outside of Lit's forums, mostly on Bluesky right now, like a whole Dark Matter universe that exists in parallel and rarely interacts with this space in an observable way. And they make the continual cyclical conversations here about Loving Wives and whatever seem absolutely quaint

1-I think the pro noun situation and trans backlash is at times a result of a group that wants to be accepted like everyone else (as all should be) but then constantly shove it in your face about how special they should be treated. If you want to think that opinion is phobic, that's your call.

2- I wouldn't call different people having sex and fun and romance political only because if we're that far gone, that's sad.

3-I'm not on Bluesky; I'm not a social media type in general other than an X account to promote e-books. I can imagine Blue Sky is no different than other platforms where as you say cyclical conversations are the norm. Instead of a few people here, you can get a large number of people chirping in and all with variations of the same basic one.

 

[PennyThompson]

Maybe it's the gleeful flaunting of numbers?
Maybe the strawman simplification of what kind of discussion takes place in AH?
Maybe the mocking laughter emoji had something to do with it?

"Gleeful Flaunting" is going to be the name of my cottagecore band

I'm not even particularly active on bluesky, I just keep an eye on it occasionally. My point was to suggest that not only is Author's Hangout not representative of erotica readers, it's not even representative of erotica writers.

I don't mean that to hurt your feelings, it's simply an observation. Obviously I'm here on AH along with you, because I find it to be interesting and valuable often enough to be worth coming back! But I'm willing to bet that the average demographics here are a pretty darn narrow slice of the human pie.

 

[Writer61]

Just look at Airstrip One the UK, where you can get jailed for almost three years for a mean tweet that contains a thoughtcrime).

As a close follower of UK politics, I am baffled by your reference. Can you provide a link?

 

[TheRedLantern]

I'm of the opinion that portraying characters -- with a variety of identities and backgrounds -- having sexy adventures and finding love and joy and happiness is a political act in our current environment, so maybe that makes my work political?

2- I wouldn't call different people having sex and fun and romance political only because if we're that far gone, that's sad.

Is there a dystopian sci-fi challenge event coming up? Cause if so, I'm calling dibs on this idea.

 

[TheLobster]

As a close follower of UK politics, I am baffled by your reference. Can you provide a link?

Here's an Aussie reporting on the case.

The tweet in question reads:

"Mass deportation now, set fire to all the fucking hotels full of the bastards for all I care... If that makes me racist, so be it."

 

[SmokingFap]

Agreed.

Live and let live. I don’t care about any particular persons politics, live life, religion, racism, etc. but I also don’t want to be held hostage at sporting events, in stories, or by them
Going door to door forcing me to listen to their beliefs while they force it into my face. No reason at all for the grandstanding or pushing your beliefs onto someone else when they are not interested and haven’t asked

This is true of the readers here, and true of most of the authors reading comments from the readers.

No one is forcing you to go to a sporting event or a concert where one of the performers is expressing a political belief. You certainly aren't being held hostage by anyone once you discover you don't enjoy their particular content if it includes politics or religion. And no one is forcing their beliefs on you in any story on here. You have free will. You can choose not to indulge in any form of entertainment. Period.

 

[PennyThompson]

I wouldn't call different people having sex and fun and romance political only because if we're that far gone, that's sad.

Well, I would point to the ways that politicians in the US and UK are currently trying their hardest to make it impossible for trans people to even exist in society. Arrested if you try to use a public bathroom that matches your gender identity, assaulted if you use a bathroom that matches your chromosomes.

Eleven years ago it was illegal for gay people to marry their partners in most of the US. Would you say that at that time, writing a story about two men falling in love and getting married would be a politically neutral act?

 

[Voboy]

"Gleeful Flaunting" is going to be the name of my cottagecore band

Best thing I've read all day, and that includes about 3,000 of my own words, plus a poem I'm sorta proud of.

 

[AwkwardMD]

You are deliberately writing in themes that you yourself perceive as political, but then you're expressing puzzlement when others have the same impression? The mind boggles.


"Ho, ho! Look at all y'all losers here! How quaint that you're still using this outdated forum when there is this newfangled other platform right there! Such nerds and losers!"

...Seriously?

Snowflake behaviour

 

[lovecraft68]

Well, I would point to the ways that politicians in the US and UK are currently trying their hardest to make it impossible for trans people to even exist in society. Arrested if you try to use a public bathroom that matches your gender identity, assaulted if you use a bathroom that matches your chromosomes.

Eleven years ago it was illegal for gay people to marry their partners in most of the US. Would you say that at that time, writing a story about two men falling in love and getting married would be a politically neutral act?

Point I want to make on your point is eleven years ago gay people couldn't get married

Now they can

That's progress, is it not?

But all we hear about is how awful it still is for everyone. Maybe that's why the 'progressives" are doing more harm than good with the incessant crying about perceived injustice.

As for trans folks I am going to just get this over with because I will not be told to fear my opinion.

I believe in feel free to feel free as long as you're not free with me. Do as thou wilt as long as you don't hurt yourself or others. I have nothing against anyone on a surface level, be who you want to be.

When biological men want to walk into women's bathrooms and spaces because they feel uncomfortable being in the men's room somehow that makes it okay for them to make millions of women from the ages of small girls to grandmothers uncomfortable. That's okay to you? 99% bowing to the 1%

Men beating and hurting women in women's sports, why are there women's sports to start with? Can't say mother, can't say 'she' Don't get me started on telling young children about gender identity, puberty blockers or sexually mutilating procedures.

No one should be forced to live another's fairy tale.

If you're pro trans you're anti woman. I have daughters, and now a granddaughter, a wife, sister, etc and none of them want men-and if there's balls between your legs you are a man-in their spaces and if I'm around when someone wants to that then the gandalf thou shalt not pass rules applies. I won't stand by and watch women tormented and made to live in fear. But I guess they're phobes too?

Brand me as whatever you want, I don't take the knee, I stand for what I believe and I believe we're all free until you start inflicting harm on others and they are although of course they're all victims.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

No one is forcing you to go to a sporting event or a concert where one of the performers is expressing a political belief. You certainly aren't being held hostage by anyone once you discover you don't enjoy their particular content if it includes politics or religion. And no one is forcing their beliefs on you in any story on here. You have free will. You can choose not to indulge in any form of entertainment. Period.

I'll go one further. How is the singing of the national anthem itself at a sporting event any different or any less political than anyone taking a knee during it?

I'll tell you the difference. The majority vs the minority and the majority doesn't like the minority. That's all. So the next question is, is it okay to hold an opinion or a stance and to express that opinion or stance if it differs from the majority?

 

[lovecraft68]

"Ho, ho! Look at all y'all losers here! How quaint that you're still using this outdated forum when there is this newfangled other platform right there! Such nerds and losers!"

...Seriously?

They all ran from toxic X to then pollute and make another platform toxic. I heard from someone on there that once the migration began BS was flooded with reports of "I don't like this content" the Karens had arrived.

 

[PennyThompson]

If you're pro trans you're anti woman.

That certainly is honest! I guess I'll go write some entirely non-political stories about trans people existing and being happy, then

 

[lovecraft68]

[No personal attacks or trolling - including creating accounts for this specific purpose. Heated discussions are fine, even welcome. However, personally attacking / kink-shaming a fellow author or reader is not allowed within the Author's Hangout. Threads which devolve into the exchanging of insults will be closed and repeat offenders will be given a timeout, per the AH rules.]

 

[SmokingFap]

[No personal attacks or trolling - including creating accounts for this specific purpose. Heated discussions are fine, even welcome. However, personally attacking / kink-shaming a fellow author or reader is not allowed within the Author's Hangout. Threads which devolve into the exchanging of insults will be closed and repeat offenders will be given a timeout, per the AH rules.]

 

[pink_silk_glove]

... aaaaand the thread goes Fukushima.

 

[lovecraft68]

That certainly is honest! I guess I'll go write some entirely non-political stories about trans people existing and being happy, then

Honest is what it was meant to be.

You cannot empower any group by elevating them above another.

Write whatever you want, but sarcasm noted and appreciated.

 

[lovecraft68]

Well, this thread is due to be locked shortly.

Too bad, people need catharsis like this.

 

[HordHolm]

... aaaaand the thread goes Fukushima.

Surprised it took so long...