Feel free to skip this if you're not a homophobic asshole. 🫶 I've just had some comments recently I feel the need to address. Sometimes we all gotta vent a little so here I am.
I regularly make references in my Heated Rivalry fic to Russia's laws on homosexuality. On several, I've gotten rude comments about said laws, specifically trying to correct my 'misunderstanding' on the legality of homosexuality and/or just being blatantly homophobic while 'correcting' me.
Let me clarify, I'm not misunderstanding shit. Yes, technically, being gay is not illegal in Russia. They decriminalized gay sex in 1993. Yay? Technically, not every state in my own country (the U.S.) has done that yet (to my USians, we are federally protected by a supreme court case, not law, just fyi), so congrats Russia, on the bare fucking minimum I guess.
What Russia *does have* is a law that bans 'homosexual propaganda.' Specifically, they made it illegal to 'promote' homosexuality (and other LGBTQ 'lifestyle choices') to children in 2006. It's been expanding since then, of course, but the law was built to 'protect children.' (Hmm... does that sound familiar to anyone else?)
In the context of Heated Rivalry, that law passed right around when Ilya turned 15. There was a lot of very charged rhetoric both before and after (still is, if we're being honest). A not at all traumatizing thing for Ilya to deal with while discovering his sexuality I'm sure. The fact that this law has been used to target, arrest, discriminate against, and otherwise persecute gay people just for existing is entirely irrelevant to his story because its not *technically* illegal to be gay in Russian. (Except that it functionally is for someone of his status and in his position...) Please know I am rolling my eyes so hard every time this argument is sent to me. Words have meaning and laws like this are broad on purpose.
Even if Ilya didn't have to worry about official retribution or punishment from his government (which is a big if), the dude still has to worry about being fucking hate crimed if he's outed. And there is precedent within Russia for 'out' being seen as 'promotion' btw so being publically outed against his will could theoretically have some major consequences for Ilya if he's managed to piss off the wrong person at the wrong time. (You know... like his brother or said brother's friends, who are established as corrupt police officers.)
So, maybe, *maybe* before trying to correct queer people writing fanfiction no one is obligated to read, people should go check up on how the law has actually been implemented (weaponized) against queer people, and specificially gay men, in Russia. (Spoiler: it includes torture and other human rights violations.)
I've only written a few references to Ilya's *canonically established* concern and the assumptions of the various North Americans around him so I cannot even imagine the possible hate writers are getting when trying to explore the Russian angle in more depth. Seriously, I don't think I could handle it. Some of the fics have been very thoughtful as well and are citing actual academic and legal sources. (Which is in no way a requirement or necessary, but I can understand why they would include that info preemptively given the shit I'm getting for much, much less.)
Again, no one is required to read my fics, or anyone else's. The back button is right there. All of this stuff is being created for free, for fun, by amateurs with their own perspectives and biases doing their fucking best. Comments are for leaving praise and *if requested* constructive feedback/criticism.
I will continue to delete homophobic comments regardless. Trolls can complain on twitter with the other bots and scream into the void. I will not be engaging in debates about my right to exist in my own fucking comment section.
Before any of my fellow USians try to get on their high horse and preach about western enlightenment towards queer people... Kindly, fuck off, our country is doing its level best to follow Russia's example in more than just this and we're not the only ones. I'm too tired to deal with the hypocrisy right now.
I'll go save all my fics now, before the mass reporting begins. Have a nice day y'all. Stay safe. Fuck ICE, believe women, and look for the helpers.
