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

[jo_lasalle]

Your thing really helped me figure out what I meant with being "jarred" in my own comment** - because it's really not that I need more homophobia in my fic or anything, but in that judgement of how to extrapolate from the silence, something like "Shen Wei and ZYL get married and it's completely normal and issue-free" is a very strong call. Not a wrong call, but very strong, much like going wildly in the other direction would be. So it's like, sit-up-and-notice, for me.

**And I'm not saying that you're saying the same thing I'm saying, just that your point here made me figure out my own thing better.