Homophobia in Haixing

[extrapenguin]

If I were to write a Guardian fic the point of which was something completely unrelated to homophobia, but which ended with Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan getting a happily ever after, what level of societal homophobia would not throw you out of the story? Would you find it jarring if they dared hold hands in public? If they dared kiss? If they introduced each other as romantic partners in casual-ish conversation without too much euphemism? Their nearest and dearest would know, and marriage wouldn't be on the table anyway, but ... what is the range of attitudes that wouldn't have the readership's suspension of disbelief come crashing down?

On the one hand, I want this to be happily-ever-after dancing on roses without a cloud in sight; on the other, a lot of the relationship developments of canon make more sense if Haixing is at least somewhat homophobic. So: advice?

Comments

[bonibaru]

I agree with this. I think that canonically you have to overcome Shen Wei's reluctance to show affection or emotion without significant public restraint, much more than anything they showed about the society at large.

The canon is open to do whatever you want. If you write homophobia into the story, as long as you tag/warn for it, it's author choice I think (but give sensitive readers the option to tap out via tags, if it's a subject they find untenable even in what you might consider a mild form).

[extrapenguin]

But Shen Wei's reluctance and restraint would obviously be heavily tied up with societal opinions?

If you write homophobia into the story, as long as you tag/warn for it, it's author choice I think (but give sensitive readers the option to tap out via tags, if it's a subject they find untenable even in what you might consider a mild form).
See, my view is that canon-typical levels of $THING (whatever $THING may be) are the price of entry for fic/should be expected to exist in fic without being warned for*. Before this thread, it would not have crossed my mind that someone could watch the same show as I did and somehow interpret its setting as completely free of homophobia.

* Exceptions for the AO3 archive warnings, but even so, if a fic is Choose Not to Warn, one should go in with a baseline assumption of canon-typical.

[bonibaru]

See, my view is that canon-typical levels of $THING (whatever $THING may be) are the price of entry for fic/should be expected to exist in fic without being warned for*. Before this thread, it would not have crossed my mind that someone could watch the same show as I did and somehow interpret its setting as completely free of homophobia.

No one makes overt homophobic comments, insults, or threats at anyone in the series. If you did that in a fic and didn't warn for it I would expect that it could be upsetting to some people who were not expecting to see homophobia beyond canon, if canon levels are "don't ask, don't tell" and in your fic it went farther than that - someone asked, or told, and the consequence in the fic was unpleasant/negative/hurtful. Agree that "choose not to warn" is, in itself, a clear choice.

[extrapenguin]

No one makes overt homophobic comments, insults, or threats at anyone in the series. If you did that in a fic
I wouldn't; that's not what this discussion is about. This is about me asking what range of homophobia people would consider canon-typical. No-one has answered "insults and threats". The characters plausibly having concerns about other people's homophobia, OTOH, would be canon-compliant to me, since Haixing society is (mildly) homophobic.

Also, homophobia is not a mandatory archive warning, so homophobia can be found even in fics marked as No Archive Warnings Apply.