Hewwo qwq
I recently created a few new characters and two of them happen to be together. I've never written a gay couple before, mostly because i don't write couples in general, so i'm worried about these two boys, especially since i've given them some personalities i haven't used before. One of them is very flamboyant and flashy, quite proud and spoiled, while his boyfriend is a very charming gentleman, usually very chill (this guy is the dominant one, in a way, bcz he started it)
I'd really like some advice about this
Thank u YwY
Make sure their entire character isn't the fact that they're gay make their relationship solely about the fact that they are gay. Give them actual development and please don't the gay guy end up with a girl. If you need anymore help please ask cause I have written LGBT books my friend is great at this.
Try and make sure that they don't fall into harmful tropes or make them flat characters. Often in media gays are portrayed as nothing more than the best friend for the straight girl or the cartoonish villain. Make sure the two of them have dimensions like the rest of the straight characters and try to avoid playing into stereotypes. Be sure that both of them have their own flaws and goals of their own, and serve more of a purpose than just to support the straight characters.
Although there are some traits and culture of LGBT+ people that set them apart from others, overall there are not too many differences. Just be sure to avoid tropes and try not to villainize or overly romanticize the couple.
Honestly think of it as your just doing a romance like any other characters. Think of them as a couple first and gay second.
"this guy is the dominant one, in a way, bcz he started it"
Think about what you REALLY mean when you use terms like dominant and submissive. Do you mean it in a sexual way? In that case, just because a character 'tops' doesn't mean it carries over to the rest of their relationship. Do you mean it as a way to assign them both a 'role' in the relationship? In that case, relationships don't need 'roles', e.g, the feminine one and the masculine one, and approaching a gay couple with this mind set is a very hetero-minded thing to do. Usually, when someone says a character is dominant, they really mean 'who has control in the relationship'? However, in a healthy relationship each party has an equal amount of control in the decisions made. It's like asking a gay couple 'who wears the pants in the relationship?' which is incredibly offensive, as it shows the person who asked is assuming one of them has to be the 'man' (wears the pants) and one of them has to be the 'woman'. This is not only stereotyping women to always be submissive while men are always dominant, it stereotypes gay relationships as having to always conform to these gender roles in their own relationships. It shouldn't matter which partner tops, makes more money, or looks or acts more masculine, you shouldn't be trying to fit your relationship into a box, labelling one the dominant one and the other the submissive one as it confines each of the characters to their respective stereotypes and makes them predictable, boring, and stereotypical.
Overall, the fact that you asked about how to portray these characters correctly means you care about gay people having proper representation, so that is definitely a step in the right direction. Absolutely take the great advice of all the comments above and you'll be on your way to writing the relationship with respect!
Everyone has made great feedback. All I can say is write this like you'd write any straight couple. There shouldn't be any differences besides the fact that they are both male. And I think this has been covered, but just in case avoid any stereotypes.
Honestly write like you'd write a straight couple. If it's important to the story to really dive deep into homophobia (as in, would it come up with anyone the couple interacts with?). Consider first how the other characters would react. Do they hook up mid-story? Do the other characters know that they're gay? Know that gay people don't come out to every single person they meet, so consider also: would their orientation even be a subject they'd bring up? In the setting your couple lives in, would they experience backlash for PDA?
It's a bunch of little stuff to consider, depending I think on how your story runs. I also agree with everyone else too. Most of the things that set apart queer couples and straight couples would depend on the context of your story.
Write them like a straight couple (I know they are not, but some people write gay couples very flashy and stuff while their straight couples are more realistic). Same stuff, like kisses on cheeks, snuggling.
I suggest they keep the love stuff on the low in public because that’s how a lot of lgbt couples are in public. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves and risk getting beat up or verbally abused.