We need to have an honest conversation about who we choose to celebrate, because clearly some people aren't having it.
Writing fanfiction, romanticizing, building entire creative universes around men who actively support harmful politics is not "just harmless fun." I'm sorry, but it isn't. The "separating art from the artist" argument is tired and, frankly, it's a deflection. You don't get to pour your creativity and attention into someone's cultural image and then claim zero responsibility for what that contributes to.
And before anyone says it, being outside the U.S. does not exempt you. Doing it for free does not exempt you. Distance is a privilege, not an absolution. The people being harmed by these systems don't get to opt out because they're far away, so neither do you.
The fandoms has never been apolitical, no matter how badly some of us want it to be. The figures we romanticize, the stories we center, the humanity we choose to extend, all of it makes a statement. All of it has weight. Pretending otherwise is just comfortable. It's not true.
Our creativity is genuinely powerful. We know this. That's why it matters who we direct it toward. Choosing to humanize and uplift men who actively undermine the dignity of marginalized people is a choice, and it has consequences regardless of your intentions.
We can do better. We should want to.
Our stories shape the world we live in — choose to create with integrity, not complicity.
