forum "As a person of the LGBTQA+ community, what stories do you wish you saw more of?": LGBTQA+/ SAGA advice and support forum.

Started April 18, 2018 by @Twitchy

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Referring to stories, character arcs, characters, anything. What do you wish you saw more of?

There is such a strong lack of stories with Ace protagonists. Asexuality has kind of been swept under the rug and more general representation in creative media would be amazing.

@RaincoatDrowns YES!! I agree 100%!! Also, characters with personality, not just there for token points.

I do have an asexual sub-character, but it isn't the only thing about him you know? I think thats a major problem with books and movies lately, if a character is transgender, asexual etc. Then it's their full character. The same character has ADHD, and his character is known for being great at building free hand, and I mean really good at it but he can't plan very well.
Not important, but somebody wrote a message I read on pinterest once saying something along the lines of, "I want to watch a movie where a woman walks into a pharmacy and picks up some estrogen tablets, and thats all thats shown relating to her being transgender."
What are your thoughts? Do you want stories where the main plot relates to them being asexual, or that they are in the way that a character in any other movie is portrayed if they are straight?
Also, my characters are now very diverse, but I don't know if they are gonna be portrayed as token characters. I don't want that. I wanted a realistic group, not just a bunch of young, white males like in normal dystopian stories.

I think it's important to have books like love simon for ace people, i.e. surrounding the journey of an asexual, but I also think it's just as important to show LGBTQ+ people as you know, normal people. However, if the latter you have to be careful that their sexuaity isn't thrown in as a personality trait. Ace character's aren't necessarily Aromantic so the can have a romantic subplot and still be Acesexual. You wouldn't have a straight character with no love interest continuously bring up how much they lovvve guys//girls, and especially because Ace people don't expeirience asexual attraction, they'd be even less likely to bring up how cute someone passing on the street is (though aesthetic attraction is definitely a thing) so I think it would be harder to casually bring up someone's asexuality in a non-relationship related setting. Anyway, I'm rambling now but I hope something in that mess helped.

I think I understand what you mean. I try my best to understand as many topics as I can so I don't be offensive, and it helps with writing, so do tell me if I or anyone else writing on here gets anything wrong.
Asexual people don't experience sexual attraction, so they wouldn't see people in that way, but writing things like, "A warm smile glowed on Jacks face as he hugged Frankie." Would show that they are not aromanitc? Or if they said that they don't really want a relationship, but later on said how they like spooning.
Wait let me try again…
The character might not comment on how they have a type, but that they love flower shop workers cause of the smell of freshly cut roses hanging heavy on their skin.
Like I said, I understand a lot of topics and different types of people, but writing is a lot harder.

This is the way I personally perceive asexuality. Loving someone regardless of gender or orientation is pan//bi, and ace people can be pan or bi, but many still identify as straight, and are romantically interested in a particular sex. For instance, someone might like guys, like the looks of some guys, their eyes, hair, or smile. They may sometimes want to get know someone based on their looks because they would potentially be open to a relationship with them. This is all pretty normal. The main difference is that an ace person doesn't have the urge to sleep with someone because of a physical connection. You might like a ton of things about them//be open to sleeping with them, cuddling with them, kissing them, but it isn't a primal urge. It's more like acknowledging that these are physical things couples do to show love and physical closeness. Some asexuals are happy to do all of these things with the right person, some want nothing to do with sex or physical relationships at all and only want a romantic connection. Some asexuals and aro ace people are only interested in platonic relationships, or want a romantic relationship but are worried about putting a burden on their partner, but the majority of ace people are still 100% interested in and capable of or are already involved in loving and healthy romantic and physical relationships.

I'm not 100% sure but I think I just found out I'm asexual.
Anyway, this is really helpful in writing Jack, and just understanding it better. Thank you so much for your time and messages, and if you want to add anything more you can. There is a lot missing in books and movies, and it's people like us who have to change that.

No problem it was fun to help, and I'm sure your story will do a great job showing diversity :)

@Twitchy
As an ace, I want for people like me to see themselves represented, so two of my protagonists (Joan and Samuel) are aces. They are also possibly going to date, but I’m not entirely sure yet.

So err… After a lot of work and pinterest, I think I'm asexual which is really weird to me since I thought I was just not into relationships.
My main protagonists are a Bisexual boy called Alex, a homosexual boy called Alastair, and a straight man called David. I have a lot of sub characters that probably would be considered protagonists if I didn't write in first person haha. So far, I have Frankie Estler (Homosexual), Jack (Asexual), Max (straight), Millie (Straight and dead), Mr Coughter (not thought about it yet), Mrs Laverton (Not thought about it yet), Oscar (Straight), Peter (Not thought about it and very dead), Shazi (Straight), Toby/ Katie (Non-Binary but uses the pronouns that people assume because they find it easier), Alis (Transgender girl, straight), Mia (Bisexual), Samuel (Bisexual, pedophile) and I'm developing 3 more characters at the moment who are David's family, and I think that might be it for now. Thank shit they don't all come into the story at once.
If you guys wanna post your characters to talk about em in this context, you can :P Just because it's 3:35 am here and I'm trying to stay awake to look after my dog, I'mma do this:
Love interest/ relationship stuff:
Frankie and Mia
Jack and Alis
Max and dey ded
Millie (She ded tho) and Samuel
Mr Coughter and…
Mrs Laverton and…
Oscar and Shazi
Peter es ded.
Toby/Katie and…

Personally I would love to see more diversity in genders. There are rarely genderfluid or non-binary characters in fiction. As someone who's non-binary, I would love to see more representation.
Another is Acro/Ace representation, as many people have said before, they're swept under the rug.
Polyamorous relationships! There are so very little poly relationships in media, and there should be more rep tbh.
My last thing is just normalized mlm or wlw relationships. I'm a lesbian and I adore seeing queer rep in the media, I get over excited if I see just one little thing because there's never any representation for us. It should be normalized and not looked on as not normal because it's 20gayteen and we have come so far and there's still so much homophobia.
wow that's a lot

I have a non-binary character, but during the first story, they are six, but I am planning on them being in later sequels where they are a late teen. Have you got advice or information that you think I should know? I did include some info about them with Toby/Katie

Well being non-binary, it isn't just they/them pronouns, someone who is non-binary could use he/him or she/her pronouns if they want. I don't really have any advice lmao sorry im just a stupid gay kidd

I was just using the they/them pronouns in here cause it seemed more respectful I guess? With Katie/Toby, they sort of just go with whatever the person they're with calls them. Most people call him Toby, but she doesn't mind being called Katie, depending on how he's feeling that day. I guess that's more gender fluid right?
Also, dw, I was just wondering if you knew haha, thanks for your input anyway and if you wanna add anything else, you're welcome to.

I would like to see more characters that are actually bi– it seems a lot like characters will identify as bi, but only date one gender. Think of Callie from Grey's Anatomy. She identifies as bisexual, she's proud of it, and she openly dates both men and women. Whether it's Arizona, Mark, George, or Penny, Callie isn't ashamed of her sexuality and I vividly remember how empowered and confident watching her on TV made me feel.
Another thing I really love seeing represented is, like it's been said, polyamorous relationships. Not like in a porno or anything, but three people who actually love each other.

I personally am here for stories about queer people, rather than stories about BEING queer. I am queer, I experience the difficulties/struggles of being queer everyday of my life, so it isn't an experience I need to see being retold. I'm very much interested in queer characters who's sexuality isn't even brought up until they develop feelings for someone, or get into a relationship. So basically what others here have said, being queer is part of who they are but it's not THE thing about them. Like, especially the whole "so what's your deal?" thing where it needs to be explained to the audience exactly what the character's sexuality is: it shouldn't be important, we see them in a certain kind of relationship or lack thereof and that's that, they swing that way, or several ways. It should for sure be normalized to the point where it isn't even considered a big revelation. The thing about queer stories and queer representation, I find, is that it often needs to STATED OUTRIGHT what each character's sexuality/gender identity is, what exactly makes them queer, which?? shouldn't be how it goes? Idk, but I really like what you mentioned of that Pinterest quote with the pharmacy and the trans woman, that's a sublime example of subtle showing-not-telling that integrates a queer character but doesn't make it the main focus of the story or even of that person. It's shown once and that's it.
Hope I didn't repeat anything of what others have said, and that this is helpful or at least mildly interesting to you. ^^"

Hey guys, just wanted to say a huge thanks, it took me a while but I've figured out I'm biromantic and you guys helped me realise that unintentionally. I'll be honest, I didn't think that you could be both, and it's taught be a lot more about how important representation is. Thank you.

Hey dude congrats!!! Really happy you figured it out :-)

@jynandor and @RaincoatDrowns I agree with what you guys said in the beginning. I would love to see more asexual characters with main roles and LGBTQ+ characters with more depth and purpose than to just be LGBTQ+. I'd also like to see stories with a realistic balance of straight/cis and LGBTQ+ people. Not everyone in the world is straight/cis, and not everyone in the world is LGBTQ+. It's hard to find stuff where the mix is represented properly.

@Twitchy I'm glad you were able to figure things out :)

I want to see less of the butch lesbian steryotype, or the permanently happy gay man. Espesially on TV shows, as all of them tend to be token characters anyway. More SAGA characters please!
(I use SAGA instead of LGBTQ+, as all of the letters confuse me, SAGA stands for Society and Gender Acceptance)

uh hi i'm biromantic and asexual and I just wanna see more ace people and bi people as protags (biromantic or bisexual, I don't really care). I read one book with a bi/ace protag and honestly it changed my life??? That book is now my "simon vs the homo sapiens agenda." For those of you wondering, it's Let's Talk about Love by Claire Kann

Ooh I want to read that one!!
Also, Reign if the Fallen has a bi protagonist. At the beginning she is very in love with a guy and by the end she has fallen for a girl (I’m not going to spoil why she stops dating the guy, I’ll just say there’s not any cheating involved and it avoids the PlayBi trope well)

I really want to read some sappy YA fantasy love story of two girls just falling in love. I want to read crap lesbian novellas. Give me a lesbian love-triangle that doesn't make much sense of the plot and it's really just there for the drama. I deserve plotless, filler, sappy, rom-com content!

I really want to read some sappy YA fantasy love story of two girls just falling in love. I want to read crap lesbian novellas. Give me a lesbian love-triangle that doesn't make much sense of the plot and it's really just there for the drama. I deserve plotless, filler, sappy, rom-com content!

same???