strangertheory:

No, you are not inherently being homophobic if you do not like [insert a character or a ship here.]

No, you are not inherently being racist if you do not like [insert a character or a ship here.]

However.

The way that many fans contextualize their opposition and criticism of certain characters and ships is very often prejudiced. Very often racist. Very often homophobic.

And it is so important to recognize when people are expressing prejudice in the way that they talk about things.

I think it’s important to discuss how prejudice impacts fandom environments and perpetuates bigoted ideas that are genuinely harmful to real people.

A lot of fandom scuffles will seem harmless. A lot of homophobic and racist statements might seem indirect, or balance in an odd “is this racist?” or “is this homophobic?” ideological place to some people, and it makes criticizing racism and homophobia more challenging because you might know that something that was said is prejudiced but not know how to articulate why. But the overall effect of many voices expressing the same unfair biases creates an uncomfortably prejudiced fandom environment. And sometimes a statement that seems innocent is truly not, and is very clearly prejudiced even if the statement sounds casual and like it’s not a big deal.

Please consider how you frame your dislike for certain characters and ships, reflect on why you feel the way you do, and consider the impact of your words when discussing them.

I’m considering doing a longer post about common prejudiced statements I’ve seen crop up in fandom discussions, but for now I just want to remind fans that even if you don’t think your opposition to a particular character or ship is racist or homophobic, the unfortunate reality (since prejudice exists) is that many of your fellow fans are racist and homophobic in the way they oppose certain characters and ships. And yes: lgbtqa+ folk and POC in the fandom will pick up on thinly veiled (and sometimes even overt) prejudice that is rooted in homophobia, transphobia, or racism… and it hurts. Even if these are fictional characters, they represent our lived experiences and identities. Our real struggles in our lives are often reflected back at us in the struggles of these characters, and the way that fans talk about these characters.

It is rare that a fan will outright say “I hate gay people” or “I hate Black people.” Racism and homophobia are subtle. The prejudice is revealed in the way in which the behaviors of Black characters will be more heavily criticized than the behavior of white characters, often for doing the exact same things. The prejudice is revealed in the way a queer ship will be met with accusations of over-sexualization, and queer fans will be told “they’re just kids!” They are young teens in Middle School that are the same age as the boy and girl that danced at the Snow Ball together, and nobody labeled fans’ appreciation of the romantic dynamic between the boy and the girl as inappropriate. 👀

I might do a more in-depth post discussing the varieties of casual racism and homophobia that I’ve seen in the Stranger Things fandom at some point. But for now, please keep in mind that telling people that “not all fans are racist” or “not all fans are homophobic” is very similar to the “not all men” objection that became a viral online discussion about sexual assault. Yes! We know. We know that not all fans are prejudiced in their criticisms. That’s not the point. Saying “it’s not racist to not like [this character or ship]” or “it’s not homophobic to not like [this character or ship]” often sounds like a dismissal of the prejudice that many fans in the community have experienced and are trying to talk about and bring awareness to. Yes, we know: “not all fans.” But that is not the point. Because there are bigoted fans. Many of them. There are still many, many fans who (whether they are aware of it or not) are expressing their dislike for certain characters and ships in a very prejudiced way.

Racism and homophobia do exist in the Stranger Things fandom, and in all fandoms, because they exist in our society. And prejudice will influence the way that fans perceive of certain moments in the series, and how they read and discuss the behaviors of the characters.

Is Lucas an underappreciated and unfairly criticized character within the fandom because he’s Black and people are racist? Is Byler an under-recognized ship within the fandom because it’s a ship between two teenage boys and people are homophobic and heteronormative? Yes, and yes. Yes to both. Absolutely. Because racism and homophobia are real and actively present in the very fabric of how people interact with everything in our society, including fandoms.

It’s important to think about these issues, and be aware of the way fans talk about characters and about ships.

Not all fans… but many, many fans, are actively racist and homophobic in the way they engage with the series and the fandom.