LGBTfest

[hathycol]

Oh, and I signed up for LGBTfest, in two fandoms I've never written in before. (Discworld and Torchwood, if you're interested.) I've been spending some time mulling on both the issues I've chosen, so... well, it should be interesting. Because, well, I am me.

I've never felt any shame in the fact that I fancy women, but there's always the awkward questions when you have, in fact, spent some productive years sleeping with men. It's no one else's business who I shag and fancy, it really isn't, but there are times when I keep quiet about who I fancy because I don't want to be ostracised in work. I didn't do that, once, but that was when I seeing Clare, and I wasn't going to hide the person I was with. It's not... I don't know, it's not relevent, but when I've talked about fancying girls, people have (on two seperate occasions) just assumed I'm a lesbian. Or assumed I'm straight, because of the aforementioned sleeping with men. And I'm not... proud is the wrong word, you know? I'm not 'proud' of who I am. I'm proud of my A-Levels, I'm proud of my achievements, but I'm no more proud of being bisexual than I am of my height. It's a fact of life, that I'm not and never will be ashamed of, but is just another facet of my existence. That said, I have had a go at people for homophobia, on one notable occasion at my manager, and I have bawled out my housemate for transphobia and will always do that. I don't say it's because "OMG IT IS BECAUSE I FANCY GIRLS TOO". Yes, there's a personal element there, because there's my situation, there's the situation of people I'm very close to, but at the end of the day, I will stamp on it because it's bigotry, and it's offensive. Nothing more, nothing less.

I wonder sometimes if that's because my only connection with the LGBT community is through LJ, really; I'm not involved with LGBTSoc here, and... I don't know. I sit and I fret about things, and I'm afraid to voice them, sometimes. I think about the character of Ravi in Hollyoaks, who is sleeping with Nancy and Kris The Transvestite (it's a big threesome triangle, don't ask) but his justification is just that "he's greedy" and doesn't classify it as part of himself, it's just a thing. Part of me thinks that yes, that makes sense and the program is making more a big deal of infidelity than the genders, which I actually really support, but saying "greedy" just adds to the idea that being greedy is the standard trope for bisexuality. I probably fancy the same percentage of the population as anyone else, straight or gay; I just like a larger demographic, that's all. Something else worrying me is this new film, Lesbian Vampire Killers. They are people that kill lesbian vampires, not lesbians that kill vampires. Okay, well, let's get sexualities in titles of films, let's talk about it, but why are they killing the vampires? Is it because they're bad people, or are they somehow inherently worse due to being lesbians? I've not seen it, and I know it's meant to be a comedy, but I honestly worry about stuff like this.

And I'd like to make the kind of intellectual post that people link to, and say "THIS", but I don't know if I can; because my bisexuality is something that I've just accepted and got on with. That I only had issues with some of the twats that I went to high school with. That my parents both... well, accept it, and my friends have always been cool with it. That doesn't mean that I shouldn't think about it, though, and that I shouldn't wonder about my own stance, and how I work through talking openly about my sexuality with a world and a future workplace that may, or may not, be hostile.

I think that's why I'm doing LGBTfest. That, and I have two wonderful prompts that I'm very much looking forward to getting my teeth into. Possibly in the manner of a lesbian vampire.

Comments

[sebastienne.livejournal.com]

Oh, I thought that the Lesbian Vampires were Killers. I feel slightly less optimistic about the crack, now.

There was a woman protesting about the film being advertised on a bilboard near her church; and not because it mentioned vampires or killers.

Oh, world.

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

Me too; I was parsing it like Natural Born Killers. It sounds significantly less fun now.

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

No, they are in fact the killers of lesbian vampires. I think the title is a deliberate play on words, and it's one of the writers of Gavin and Stacey that's actually really cleverly written, so I hope it's not as offensive as I'm afraid it might be.

YOU CAN'T HAVE THE WORD LESBIAN NEAR A CHURCH! WHAT IF THEY THINK THEY'RE WELCOME? THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

[doyle_sb4.livejournal.com]

I read this post while nodding like a toy dog in a back window. THIS.

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! It helps for me to burble like this sometimes.

[ann-pan.livejournal.com]

"why are they killing the vampires? Is it because they're bad people, or are they somehow inherently worse due to being lesbians?"


I just assumed the reason that the film had Lesbian Vampires in it was because Lesbians are sexy, Vampires are sexy, hence Lesbian Vampires are super uber sexy!


Better than your run of the mill vampire any day. But still vampires and hence they have to be killed because otherwise they will rip us all apart in a feeding frenzy.

*has had way too much sugar*


So in essence, I don't think they are worse because they are lesbians, I think they are better.


Anyways, good luck with the LGBT fest. I'm not 100% sure what it is, but it sounds fun!

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

So in essence, I don't think they are worse because they are lesbians, I think they are better.

If that's the case, then that's great! The trailers look a bit... iffy, to say the least.

LGBTfest is a fic prompts community that provides prompts for people to write about, on the theme of LGBT. It's at lgbtfest and it's quite good fun; I took part last year and quite enjoyed it!

[dragonlady7.livejournal.com]

I've always been a bit confused about Gay Pride etc-- I get that it's in opposition to all the mumbled "they"s by not-really-uncloseted, somewhat-intimidated homosexuals, but I have never really been Proud of Who I'm Fucking-- it's never seemed to me that it ought to be anybody's business beyond practical considerations of, say, whether I'd need a pair of twin beds or a double in my hotel room, or if I'd like to be invited as a couple or by myself sometimes, etc. Social stuff. Not sexual.
I also have always been annoyed and frustrated by the "Bisexuals Are Attention-Seeking Whores" trope, as well-- I'm pretty much a monogamist by nature, and what it comes down to is that I find very few people sexually attractive enough to pairbond with, and genitalia aren't my primary selecting factor. Nothing against horny sluts, of course-- I'd love to be one, I just am actually not wired that way, whether by nature or nurture I don't know. I just don't get interested in sleeping with very many people. I only really want to sleep with the ones I want to Share My Life With.

So it makes me really, really annoyed that there seems to be so much Attendant Cultural Baggage behind my selections of a partner.
But I do acknowledge that it has been so much easier for me to just slide by unremarked in the world now that I'm pairbonded with someone of the opposite sex. And yet I think it's weird how astounded people are when I refer to an ex-girlfriend. Really? (Lesbians are usually the most astonished.)

But of late I've not wanted to mention her not because I'm ashamed or worried that people will think less, but because I'm worried people will think I'm just saying it for attention, or I'm one of Those Girls That Makes Out With Other Girls To Get Male Attention, and lemme tell you, that shit is annoying. I don't want to be silenced, and I won't put up with homophobia, but I'm really not interested in making this into A Thing.

Ug, anyway, I think you did say it better. So, I'll just say, THIS!

... All of this makes me wish I ever watched TV so that I could participate in these things. I keep finding all these wonderful fandom things and they're all for things I've never, ever, ever heard of. :(

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

I think Pride - in terms of "fuck the lot of you, I'm not ashamed on who I am and I'm claiming my territory" is quite a good idea; it's important not to hide things, I think. But in terms of being proud as in the actual technical meaning of the word, then no. It's more that I'm not ashamed, you know?

Yes, being bisexual has a lot of crappy baggage. People are always surprised by it when you're actually seeing a man. Oh, and don't get me started on what I'm cheerfully calling the Katy Perry phenomen. I have in fact kissed a girl and in fact liked it, but I'm not doing it for the attention of a pop song. Argh. But I don't want to tak about it in work just for the sake of talking about it, but at the same time, the longer I don't mention it the bigger a thing it'll be if I do. And it shouldn't be.

It's all very puzzling.

[tau_sigma]

Something else worrying me is this new film, Lesbian Vampire Killers. They are people that kill lesbian vampires, not lesbians that kill vampires. - I, I, I, you have a serious point an' all, and I will come back to this when NOT tipsy and think about that, but right now I am thinking OHGOD terrible title. I would assume lesbians who kill vampires, but lesbian vampires who kill is an equally good assumption, and why would anyone kill lesbian vampires? That's just strange. (And, frankly, it does sound like they're being pursued by homophobic people.)

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

Linguistically it worries me, as well as a homophobic level. WHY OH WHY.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

I like this post, a lot. *nods* Especially the point about pride - bisexuality as normal really rings a bell for me. (What would you say, though, about pride construed as well, not being proud of being bisexual per se, but being proud of being bisexual in a world that makes life hard for bisexual people?)

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

I sort of just answered this up there - I'm okay with the concept of Pride, as in the big two fingers to a generally hostile world, but as in the actual word 'proud' then... no, I'm not proud, it's just part of who I am. BUT things like Pride means that I can do that, so...

This? Is BLOODY TRICKY.

[sunlightdances.livejournal.com]

I am suddenly finding this when having to switch people's pronouns when they're asking me about my love life. So, idk; my brain feels like it's melted. But lots of nodding from me too.

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's always tricky; I have to admit, whenever I'm seeing new person I'm always careful not to mention pronouns for a while. That might just be me, though...

[sunlightdances.livejournal.com]

I got kind of thrown, someone asked me, "Who is he?" and I couldn't think of a way of replying that didn't use pronouns. I seriously cannot think on my feet. Hmm. Thinking about it now, I could have just avoided it with, "Works in London" (or something) couldn't I?

[purplerainbow.livejournal.com]

Aw damn, I thought there would be lesbians who hunted vampires in that film. I'm disappointed.

In all seriousness though, I agree with your point about sexuality not being relevant. As I've been with a guy for so long, it's really not important that I also fancy girls, but it's still part of who I am. I don't really talk about it now, but I still don't like it to be assumed that I'm straight. I kindof want everything I suppose!

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

So many people are confused and wanted a film about vampire-hunting lesbians; alas.

I wish that people didn't automatically assume straight, to be honest; that would solve a lot of problem!

[hannahbassill.livejournal.com]

Hey darlin, as you know I'm bi and have been a fair few years lol.

No offence but vampires whether straight, bi or gay = bad coz it's a horror genre. Therefore vampires have to be killed end of. No discrimination there. Who does discriminate these days? Whether from open-mindedness or fear of the rammifications.

I've seen the trailers and they look funny, B-movie style. That's all it is.

Andy says "you couldn't get more B-movie if Bruce Campbell were in it!"

... I mean hell, Red Dwarf with the "Attack of the Surfboarding Killer Bikini Vampire Girls" coulda inspired this, no?!

But yeah, I'm sure bigotry wasn't in mind, just humour in a horror setting. Roll with the punches girl, I do.

*HUGS* xXx

[hathy-col.livejournal.com]

Who does discriminate these days?

Um, everyone. Adoption laws? Proposition 8 in America? The fact that if you admit to being a transexual you are classed as being mentally ill? The Daily Mail?

The idea that people 'don't discriminate' is a load of bullcrap propagated by idiots like Jeremy Clarkson; we live in a world that still assumes the primacy of a white middle-class straight patriarchy. The discrimination is deep and embedded in our society. Things are getting better, yes, but they're still pretty bad. I will not 'roll with the punches' when I live in a world that is bigoted and biased and full of hateful, vile people. What's worse, sometimes, is when the bigotry isn't intended, when it's an unconscious assumption about otherness.

No offence but vampires whether straight, bi or gay = bad coz it's a horror genre. Therefore vampires have to be killed end of. Then why bring up that theyre lesbians at all? Look, I can't debate this film on the basis that I've not seen it, and I wil go and see because, you know, film about vampires and I have a tiny crush on Matthew Horne. I wasn't saying that it was going to be an awful bad film full of homophobia, I was merely pointing out that the possibility was there and I was worried about that, because I'm fed up of living in a world full of assumptions that lead to hatred. Being bisexual or not doesn't affect my views on this.