By Jack Croxall

Something of a strange title so I think some explaining is in order. About three years ago, a scene popped into my head as scenes sometimes do. Two girls aboard a spaceship were sneaking into a place they didn’t have clearance for. Giant water tanks filled with oxygen-producing algae and genetically engineered creatures were the backdrop, but in the foreground was romantic tension. Both girls already knew that they were gay, so it wasn’t going to be a story about discovering sexuality, but it was going to be a story. In fact, the scene developed into my third novel, Anchor Leg; a sci-fi mystery novel in which the main character, Seren Temples, just so happens to be a lesbian.

Fast forward to the present day and Anchor Leg is quickly becoming my most popular eBook in terms of downloads. It’s had some good reviews, it’s had some bad reviews. And that’s totally fine. Better than fine, actually, critical reviews have certainly helped me improve my writing in the past. But in the unfortunate case of Anchor Leg some of my bad reviews have not been constructively critical, they have been homophobic. Homophobic to the point of marking the book down because there was no “warning” in the book info stating that Seren is a lesbian and therefore lives “a lifestyle [some reviewers] find discomfort with”. Additionally, “I would not have bought the book if I’d have known [that there was a lesbian relationship in it]” is an assertion I’ve encountered more than once as well.

So the question is, should I include a warning to readers that Seren Temples is a lesbian? As you might have guessed, I don’t think I should. And here’s why. Firstly, Anchor Leg is principally a sci-fi mystery novel. It’s set aboard a spaceship, and Seren has to solve the mystery of who is sabotaging her ship and why. Her relationship with another female is a side plot, an important side plot, yes, but not what the book is about. Secondly, there are also a couple of heterosexual relationships depicted in the book (no one’s asked for a warning about those BTW) and none of these relationships, gay or otherwise, lead to any sex scenes, something DVDs for example warn prospective viewers about. Thirdly, this is science fiction, a genre that has proudly broken new ground and embraced character diversity throughout its literary history. I feel that most readers know that going in and expect a diverse range of characters.

However, all of the reasons above pale in comparison to THE reason I shouldn’t provide a warning. Providing a warning that your main character is a lesbian suggests that there is something problematic with having a main character that is a lesbian. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with a lesbian main character. We live in a society that should be, and is (largely), striving for equality. I feel I would be doing a massive disservice to cultural progress if I started warning readers about any characters in my books that come from a minority, if I started warning readers that some of my characters don’t conform to what a particular person might consider normal. Plus, you never know, including such characters unannounced may even help some people to challenge their own prejudices.

Jack Croxall is an author/blogger living in Nottinghamshire, UK. He posts for Allies Everywhere monthly.

Books: https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Croxall/e/B00BBX48NK

Site/blog: http://jackcroxall.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackCroxall

Photo by:Thought Catalog

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