Reactions to non-heterosexual main characters

Everyone experiements in college. But on a serious note, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. Indiana Jones takes place in the 1930s and 40s, and things were a lot different back then. Being a gay person today isn't exactly easy, and back then, it was a lot worse. If he had come out of the closet, he could easily have lost his job and reputation. Chances are he would never have been able to get a job again, or at least not a good one. So maybe that's why he tried to have a relationship with women, but always failed. Maybe he simply wanted to fit in, but never did. This could also explain why he doesn't seem to have any friends or family. He doesn't fit in anywhere.

Of course, that's just speculation, and probably wrong. But it does prove how easily it is to assume someone's sexuality, and how little it really matters. James Bond is well known for sleeping around, but does that mean he's straight as an arrow? Or to put it another way, how would people react if James Bond had a Bond boy in the next movie, rather than a Bond girl? The rest of the movie is the same as always, complete with Daniel Craig back as James Bond. The only difference he now has a male love interest, rather than a female love interest. And we're not talking a stereotype drama queen, overly feminine gay Bond boy, but rather someone just as badass as James Bond is. It could even be another agent, like 009 or something. So he's bi now, rather than straight. Would that really be so bad?

 

'Indy, I worry about you, hurtling headlong into that cave, retrieving the crystal skull thingymajig, racing back to me.'

'Jack, these two weeks with you, with you and Reggie, have been the...'

'You don't have to say anything,' said Jack, 'put on your hat, take your whip. I'll see you here on the river bend in a half hour, I love you.'

'My God,' thought Indy, 'he loves me, a real man with an aeroplane here in the Amazon jungle. Who'd have thought?' His mind was a spin, only the season before he hated snakes, although this was absolutely not a reference to anything but that dear delightful Reggie, the pet who had become like a third leg almost.

Indy cleared his throat and leaped from the cockpit. 'Now remember don't start the engine. I want to enjoy our flight back to civilisation, and probably I'll need a poo before we go, so even if I say 'start the engine,' don't you fuss, just remind me when I get back.'

'Ya,' said Jack, they fist pumped. It was incredible the way they discussed bodily functions even in this early flush of their love. It was significant thought Jack wishing as an aside how he might summon a sexual attraction toward anybody let alone Indy. He loved him obviously but like a piece of furniture or a sunset. All part of h...delete, draft on in private

 

I would have no problem with Alec Trevelyan in a ball gown. Just saying.

 

Well, a very real problem, at least for me, is that as a hetero-sexual male, I have no real idea of the emotional life of non-hetero-sexual males. After many years of living with my wife, I beieve I can make something of a reasonable guess about her emotional life. But it seems cruel and insensitive to inflict my imaginings onto people of a different sexuality. Sure, I have family who appear ahh, "non-standard", but not all of them will even admit their sexuality, and asking them to 'teach me' seems equally cruel and insensitive.

As a result, non hetero-sexual couples get only a passing glance in my writing. What is more cruel to these communities? Semi-exclusion? or total proof I don't know what I'm talking about?

You know, a handbook would be nice.

 

I would be hard pressed to guess at the emotional life of people with which I share a sexuality. Pretty much the only advice I feel I can give is to picture the emotions and relationship you have with your wife, but instead of her being the object of your affections, imagine it's another man and you'll have a fairly accurate depiction of how your emotional life would work were you a non-hetero man and you can extrapolate from there. I've been involved with people of different genders, and while the reasons and mechanics of the relationship may vary, the feeling and emotions involved are pretty similar.

 

My best friend is a non-heterosexual male, and while these things never generalize to everyone in a particular attraction-set, you'd be amazed at how similar the complaints about one's spouse can be, no matter what the particular set of organs and how they're being used is.

 

Yeah, you're overthinking this. I don't know what kind of fiction you write, but it's definitely more difficult to pin down the emotional inner workings of a boy soldier, a politician, a spy, a gangster, an alien, you know, all those things people write about without having been there themselves, than it is to imagine a gay person. If you wanted to, that is. We don't need token representation. As a bisexual male with close to zero representation in fiction, I can tell you, most people relevant to this conversation will get over it.

If it ever comes up though, and you happen to need to know, the differences in thoughts and reactions would have more to do with the way the non-normative characters have been treated throughout their life than the way they love. That part's the same.

And please don't think I'm giving you a hard time. You're right that this is potentially contentious material, but if you ever want to give one of those characters more that a cursory role, you have very little to worry about, as long as you avoid stereotypes of mincing fairies and butch bulldogs.

 

i've read some seriously good things on here.you all make good pionts.theres more to us then gender roles,approved standards,one way to live,and one set of values.just from reading the last few posts its got me thinking about things.i never ever want to have a set way of thinking about things,so i appreciate it

 

Replies - more stimulating than the question posed series @ writerworld

'You have a nice time with Frank?' said Mary.

'Ya, we sat up until 4am, drinking beer and talking about relationships.'

'Relationships, that's not like you,' she said.

'Yeah, y'know mainly important stuff and his feelings.'

'His feelings.' she smiled. 'So, why don't you go fuck Frank?' she said, passing him the laundry basket, and she stamped into the kitchen.

'Honey...I did not fuck Frank...are you jealous of my friendship with...I have known that guy since USS Carl Vincent...'

Mary leaned on the taps. 'I suppose it is the eternal question,' she said, 'can a man be friends with...another man? What does Frank have to say on the issew?'

'Nothing, he says you're controlling, I am sorry.'

'Does he? Now listen to me, man. Get back to your room and back on the internet, do you hear me?'

...

 

isnt a bit of a head scratcher trying to work out how others might percieve things.from talking with people over the years its pretty odvious were not all wired the same.for instance guys are supposed to go crazy when they see a woman in lingerie but It doesnt do zip for me or some of my friends, and nails down the backs meant to be some big turn on according to who I dont know.and were all into football and cars, but thats not the case.and a lot of my female friends were raised that all men are cheats and liars.because were all the same.which is a giant load of crap because john lennon,george orwell and hitler were all men, but they arent anything alike.the same as all women arent nuts and sluts like we've heard, and their more than decorations and trophys and appendages that hang off your arm.thankgod people are way more complex and complicated then that.previous generations standards probably dont apply to anything these days.we know how something looks isnt whats going on inside.eyes can lie, because even salt can look like sugar.but i know the best way to tell when someones really beautiful is to ask a blind man

 

You bug my apartment matty?