There’s a huge disconnect between what an/tis think sheith (and other) shippers are doing and what we’re actually doing- on one side there are a bunch of (usually younger) fans screaming that we’re promoting incest and pedophilia and yet when I look over to the sheith side of the fandom it’s often filled with the softest and most tame things. I’ve seen a nasty posty calling out shaladins right above a post along the lines of “what if shiro and keith,,, hold hANDs” side by side, both equally serious posts
The reason for this disconnect is simple- the an/ti movement is based on homophobic beliefs (that queer people are only about sex, that gay men are all pedophiles out to get little boys- yes, this shit still prevails, even in twenty fucking eighteen) as well as sexist beliefs (that women are frivolous, shouldn’t explore their sexualities, that they can’t control themselves or moderate the media they consume, that they must have guidelines)
It’s no coincidence that most of the shippers being harassed are often queer, afab, women, or all three. It’s easier to believe in and act on stereotypes towards these groups of people because they are still so prevalent, in each and every space, not just online. You may hear these stereotypes, you may just pick up on them from the sexist and homophobic world we live in, but either way you internalize it, and being queer yourself doesn’t erase that internalization
Telling queer fans that a healthy queer ship is morally wrong on the basis of these stereotypes, that’s homophobia and sexism at work. It is not activism or any kind of good thing to be telling women they can’t control themselves or separate media from real life, to be telling queer folks their standards for queer ships must mean they are sex-crazed pedophiles, to be telling csa survivors the same thing, to be harassing the very people you claim to protect- minors, queer folks, women, survivors, people who just want to have a great time in fandom
This post is not for the an/tis, this post is for the shippers who are suffering at the hands of this blatant bullshit and who are tired of it. You’re doing great and I love you all