i've been thinking about it all day and i think the reason i hate the "fanfic is the only place to get lgbt rep" discourse so much is *not* bc i don't like fanfic but because i think it's a terrible idea to tell young LGBT readers they won't see themselves in historical works

like there is nothing more powerful than seeing ur experiences echoed through time and if you're posting about how you'll never see queer identities explored in old lit you're telling LGBT kids they don't have a history to look back on and i think that's horrible

like go ahead, read all the fanfic you want, i guess, but you don't have to put it in opposition to classical work because i promise u there is queer classical literature out there and you can feel seen by the people that came before you

especially w/ the cultural damage done to the LGBT community by the AIDS crisis.... falling back on the art and writing of people that came before us is one of the most powerful treasure troves we as a community have

and even though the tweet was specifically about classical authors saying the best lgbt rep is in fanfic is doing a massive disservice to the multitudes of incredible LGBT authors and the massive increase in LGBT titles being put out, especially by smaller houses

obviously a book being published isn't an inherent representation of its worth but still. it's powerful to see yourself in published media and realize that your story is one worth telling

this thread brought to u by me angrily shelving textbooks in the back room of the library lost in thought