Queer Tim, concerns I have for the fandom and DC
Okay there is so much I could complain about with DC and the writers and how they do so much wrong, and how I know at least 100 other people on Tumblr and Ao3 that could write a better DC universe.
There is so much racism, sexism, ableism, and so many others that I could spend hours naming and explaining, but I want to bring up a concern I have.
With DC finally accepting more LGBTQ+ community characters and making cannon I just have some concerns especially when I have seen the ship wars and have been kicked from fan groups for this opinion.
I'll use Tim coming out as Queer. [I'm not sure if he is explicitly stated if he is Bi or Pan, I personally belive in Bi tim, but I'm open to opinions.]
I'm worried that DC specifically the writers will use this as a one off for attention, but it will be forgotten in comics in a year after DC decides they want to move on with other storylines.
That is a problem in of itself that has happened before [seen with Diana and others <you can name examples but I want to get to my points.>]
That in of itself is concerning because Bisexual erasure is a huge problem that not many people want to address that and there are a lot of microagressions that happen, and when it is addressed it hasn't been taken well. [Bisexual male presenting are treated as if being Bi is just a step to 'becoming gay.' That they will do it eventually 'because they are just scared of coming out.' Bisexual female presenting are treated as Sl*** and men like to *use their behavior to get more girls* not to mention the expectation that Bi female presenting are often put with the expectation of *being down for a threesome.* And the general Bi problem of <They just want attention.> <What one gender wasn't enough.> <Your just experimenting your not really Bi.> <No one is really Bi, your probably just acting out.>]
Not to mention that some people from within the LGBTQ community also throw hate onto Bis and some have even tried to remove Bis from the community.
Moving on from that. There is also the idea that the fandom has issues with ships. I'm not saying don't ship, but I'm saying there is a line between shipping and enjoying the community, and actively becoming more of a problem to people trying to enjoy content and creators.
I know a fan favourite Tim ship is TimKon. For anyone who is new to DC [because I know navigating a new fandom can be hard.] Kon is a clone created by Lex Luthor using both Superman's and Lex's DNA. He was the superboy of the 90s and 00s. (A major simplification but a quick summary.)
Some people ship them in a completely harmless way of 'they have a good dynamic and chemistry.' They could see them together, would prefer them together, but if other relationships happen it won't be the end of the world because as long as those relationships are handled well and the creators don't mess up the ship isn't hurting anyone.
And than there is the people who will die on the hill of a ship and will turn one less than completely supportive comment into a declaration of war. [And to be clear I'm not hating on those people, I used to be one back when I first started being part of fandoms, but it was unhealthy and creepy.]
Some TimKon shippers <I know they have calmed down but they are still there> wanted to remove Stephanie completely from DC because she was dating Tim, or they completely ruin her character in content they write.
Here is a quick example of what I mean.
Stephanie is now emotionally hurting Tim, or Tim is being trapped into the relationship
Tim contacts his young justice or teen titans [depending on continuity or what the author does.] And Tim realizes he was gay just pretending and starts dating Kon.
A bunch of unnecessary drama used only to ensure that we see Kon as the good guy.
[And bonus if the fic has unnecessary smut.]
Stephanie is a sweet determined kind wonderful character who is a badass in her own right [and deserves her own post I'll do later.] She would never do that to Tim. The two may not have had the most healthy of a relationship back in the 00s but they wouldn't go out of their way to hurt the other like that. Before dating they are good and sometimes portrayed as best friends.
Tim is not a weak owo boy who is in need of protecting. He is a vigilante, a detective, and his own type of badass. He would put his own life down before someone else could get hurt especially someone he cares about. He is smart and just knows things.
These works of fiction are a betrayal to the characters and even though DC writers mess up [more like kill and than burn in the sun] characters we should know better as a fandom.
The idea of 'realizing I'm gay after a toxic relationship' while has happened and is not our of the relm of possibilities goes against cannon [and most of us like to ignore cannon because I could point you to POC misrepresentation] you can't ignore how much Tim and Steph care about eachother [in their sometimes too overprotective, misguided and worried way.] They did love eachother, and sometimes to those of us who are Bi, Omni, Pan, Polysexual and many other under the Bi/Pan umbrella can come off as disregarding and refusing to acknowledge the idea that there is more than Straight, Gay, and Lesbian.
Not to mention that in most if not ALL fandoms you see ships that are used just to write smut. I'm not saying you can't write it, do as you please, but there is a fine line between having it within a story or be a story and on the same level of creepy as 'straight men fetishizing Lesbian couples and female'.
I've seen it happen with TimKon. [Which also is creepy because most of the time they are still teenagers]
Moving onto my next point with this is using the Bisexual identity or others within umbrella terms as a way just to get the ship to work, or using it to get attention.
IE making a character Bi in order for there to be a plot device of the couple getting together, and only acknowledging it within the terms of a Same gender, or not hetero format.
You see it happen in first where a charcter will break up another character because they are Bi and than next chapter bam new relationship.
You also see that some people refuse to acknowledge someone as bi when they are in a straight presenting relationship.
I'm glad DC didn't make Tim and Kon come out at the same time as it would only make this problem worse. I'm not saying some of the writers make the best choice (because they clearly don't.) But having previous stated statement happen would only cause a push back to fixing this problem.
I know there are much more high priority things that should be addressed [sexism, racism, mischaracterization, bad authors] but this is also something I hold dear as someone part of the Bi umbrella. [If curious because I know someone would take this as a way to tear it down I'm Biromantic.]
I'm hoping DC going forward will handle Bisexual characters and any of our umbrella buddies properly.
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