literally just saw someone say that bc minors visit ao3 that there shouldnât be mature content there like
you do know that is why ao3 was created, right? because lj started purging anything that wasnât fluff basically? plus ao3 has rly good tools for filtering out content, such as tagging, archive warnings, and thereâs even blacklisting tools available from third parties
like iâm sorry but if ur a minor you are wholly responsible for what you view. if you click on an nc-17 mature non-con/dub-con whump torture fic and ACCEPT THAT THERE IS MATURE CONTENT IN IT as you have to on ao3 if youâre logged out at least
then you are responsible for that
people should not have to stop creating things just bc you donât personally like them like... i find non and dub con to be hugely squicky but its peoples right to create that kind of thing should they wish to. also arguments against that kind of thing disregard that a lot of people use whump and kink as coping mechanisms for various reasons, none of which you have to be privy to at all unless the writer invites you to know that info about them
basically what im saying is shut up and sit the fuck down, use blacklisting tools, read the tags on a fic, and donât click on things which offend you. i mean, shit, i follow some amazing writers who write dub and non con and it squicks the fuck outta me so guess what?? i blacklist relevant terms on here and avoid their non/dub con fics on ao3. simple. i donât go to them and say âuuuuuuh do you think you could stop writing that because it makes me feel uncomfortable?â because thatâs just a hugely dickish move
also on a similar topic, fandom is NOT JUST FOR MINORS. fandom has been going since long before many of us were even born, thereâs been whump for decades, written and consumed by consenting adults who happen to enjoy it for whatever reason. fic is not a new invention and youâre not gonna rewrite fandom history by trying to be some paragon of virtue and by trying to stop others writing something bc âminors go to that siteâ
like if ao3 didnât want or accept mature, violent, sexual, whumpy themes then they wouldnât allow it and would actively police things and take them down. as it stands, ao3 is a safe space for ALL KINDS of writers: from the fluffiest of the fluff to the most torturous, violent, murderous fiction
and guess what? it is exactly that. fiction.
when content creators have explicitly allowed fiction of them and/or their characters, and even reacted enthusiastically to fiction written about them or their characters, even the kinky stuff, i donât think you have a right to speak for them or say that anything oversteps a boundary. until the content creator(s) come out and say âactually could you please not thank uâ then anything is free game imo.
tl;dr: fandom is not a safe space just for you. it is a safe space for a multitude of people with different tastes, coping mechanisms and from diverse backgrounds and age ranges. like shit, my 50 YEAR OLD MUM READS FIC ABOUT STAR TREK AND HAS DONE SINCE SHE WAS A TEENAGER. fandom is not just for minors. fandom is for everyone. no matter how âgrossâ you find something, it has its place in fandom and nowadays there are many many many ways for you to avoid content that you donât like or are triggered or upset by. there is no excuse to rag on other people for what they choose to read or write. by doing so, youâre just policing or attempting to police content and thatâs no bueno my dude.