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Can heterosexual authors write excellent stories about LGBTQ people?
Possibly, but I imagine that it would be pretty damn difficult to ignore one's cis-privilege enough to be able to fully understand what queer people go through, in order to do it from a queer perspective that reads as authentic!
"I would love to hear someone say a gay writer has no business writing a straight character or women have no business writing a male character."
You're right. Minorities often can write from the perspective of the majority. You know why? Because the minority is surrounded by that majority perspective every single day. The minority often has to struggle against discrimination from that majority. The minority gets a good look at just how that majority works. And often, the minority learns this so that they can "fit in".
How often do you think that works in reverse?
I don't doubt that there are straight writers who can nail the experience of being queer.1 I just think that when you've got actual queer authors doing the same thing, which source should you go to first? The observer or the participant (so to speak)? And so, when you're searching for excellence in the field of queer lit, it makes sense to look at the work of queer authors. Doesn't it?
I get that in the case of the Lambda Literary Awards, one of the biggest objections is that the guidelines changed - and that stirred up some serious questions and issues for people. But honestly, some of that seems to be "borrowing trouble" and maybe peeps need to take a step back to relax & look at it again.
(In the interests of full disclosure, I am a bisexual "woman" who has the luxury of being identified as straight due to my current long term relationship with a straight man. I don't hide my bisexuality, and if it comes up in conversation I confirm it, but that has rarely happened.)
1. I know that experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer etc all differ, but I think they certainly have something in common that a person with only the experience of being heterosexual in a heteronormative society lacks.
Possibly, but I imagine that it would be pretty damn difficult to ignore one's cis-privilege enough to be able to fully understand what queer people go through, in order to do it from a queer perspective that reads as authentic!
"I would love to hear someone say a gay writer has no business writing a straight character or women have no business writing a male character."
You're right. Minorities often can write from the perspective of the majority. You know why? Because the minority is surrounded by that majority perspective every single day. The minority often has to struggle against discrimination from that majority. The minority gets a good look at just how that majority works. And often, the minority learns this so that they can "fit in".
How often do you think that works in reverse?
I don't doubt that there are straight writers who can nail the experience of being queer.1 I just think that when you've got actual queer authors doing the same thing, which source should you go to first? The observer or the participant (so to speak)? And so, when you're searching for excellence in the field of queer lit, it makes sense to look at the work of queer authors. Doesn't it?
I get that in the case of the Lambda Literary Awards, one of the biggest objections is that the guidelines changed - and that stirred up some serious questions and issues for people. But honestly, some of that seems to be "borrowing trouble" and maybe peeps need to take a step back to relax & look at it again.
(In the interests of full disclosure, I am a bisexual "woman" who has the luxury of being identified as straight due to my current long term relationship with a straight man. I don't hide my bisexuality, and if it comes up in conversation I confirm it, but that has rarely happened.)
1. I know that experiences of being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual, queer etc all differ, but I think they certainly have something in common that a person with only the experience of being heterosexual in a heteronormative society lacks.
