linkout

I had some cheermaking things to post about today, but they'll keep until later.  I spent last night being aaaargh! to the point of numbness because of some fandom-related things.

Look, I appreciate that people want to write stories for their OTPs with settings and scenarios that move people, but obvs., just as setting a J2 fic in post-earthquake Haiti was a poor decision, so is writing hurt/comfort bingo fic featuring the members of My Chemical Romance in a WWII concentration camp.  (Thanks to kita0610  for sharing this. You may feel a desire to throw things when you read more.)  ETA: eumelia's thoughts on why this is troublesome.

Also, unrelated, a well thought-out reaction to a fandom!secret which caused hurt to trans people and their friends . As smirnoffmule  says,  "don't under-estimate your own power to do harm".

xtricks  has an essay up, titled Anger, !Fail and Fandom that is particularly good, and addresses this fact.

It's just disheartening, and here's why: much of fandom's focus is on stories -- fiction. So many talented and creative people are able to imagine and re-imagine other worlds, and imagine what CHARACTERS might feel in any possible situation, including being the victims of bigotry, but putting ourselves in the shoes of other real people is too hard, or something?