I dont have anything new to bring to this conversation tbh; but it's tiring how people would rather let their (internalized) misoginy go unchecked and not even try to see why men are usually more popular as characters and ships, than to stop blaming (usually) sapphics when we complain about how men-centered most fandom communities are.
I dislike to use the word "representation" in these contexts because usually the problem is not representation but visibility.
"If you want to see sapphics then write them yourself!"
We DO...oh we do. There's not a "lack" of sapphic media because art goes beyond what your mainstream publisher has on their catalogue. There's plenty of sapphics and non-sapphics that create sapphic art or woman-centered media.
But if we are going to play by capitalistic rules one cannot deny that, on a large scale, these works are usually overlooked and undersupported BECAUSE men-centered works are just, specially in fandom spaces, more popular.
Of course I'm not gonna force anyone to stop writing their mlm fanfics and threaten them to write sapphics at gunpoint. Because people cannot be forced to do something they don't enjoy. Which is precisely why people have to at least do a bit of introspection and ask themselves why (usually) they enjoy male characters more. (If I see the "badly written women" excuse one more time I will combust).
Fandom spaces are not the "safe haven" people make them to be, and even if people want to pretend; misoginy, homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism,etc, still run rampant in these communities.
If someone asks you to maybe check yourself on one of these to analyze how you build relationships with art and media and the subjects and themes they depict and your response is to complain to the person and say that it's a "you" problem you are a coward, and also, that's just overall very shitty behaviour and usually proves their point.
Do whatever you want, I don't care. Just dont come whining to us sapphics when we rightfully complain about misoginy.
