Are you sure we're clinging to that idea? Or is it something we parrot, because we think it's based on data? But we don't actually think it about our actual lived experiences of fandoms.
Partially in response to this latest round of meta, I posted this: Introducing.... my flist/circle a couple of days ago. I didn't want to make it a meta post, just an acknowledgement of where I was coming from in my fan practice, and what was influencing me. That's as close to my real opinion as it gets, given my opinion tends to be in flux.
Outside of fandom, depending on who asked me "Are slashers mostly straight?" I might say, "That's what most people believe," or "The majority probably identify as straight," just because it's an easy shorthand, and I don't have better stats. But I don't actually think that, and haven't for a long time. In a more nuanced conversation, I'd probably say, "Most slashers seems to have a queer identity to some degree," and then talk about queer in identity vs queer in practice and stuff.
Honestly, I think our culture is in a huge paroxysm of reidentification at the moment, along several different axes, sexuality and gender being just two. It's an exciting time, but it means that on any given day, I might change my mind about anything. I am defined by my indecision!
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Partially in response to this latest round of meta, I posted this: Introducing.... my flist/circle a couple of days ago. I didn't want to make it a meta post, just an acknowledgement of where I was coming from in my fan practice, and what was influencing me. That's as close to my real opinion as it gets, given my opinion tends to be in flux.
Outside of fandom, depending on who asked me "Are slashers mostly straight?" I might say, "That's what most people believe," or "The majority probably identify as straight," just because it's an easy shorthand, and I don't have better stats. But I don't actually think that, and haven't for a long time. In a more nuanced conversation, I'd probably say, "Most slashers seems to have a queer identity to some degree," and then talk about queer in identity vs queer in practice and stuff.
Honestly, I think our culture is in a huge paroxysm of reidentification at the moment, along several different axes, sexuality and gender being just two. It's an exciting time, but it means that on any given day, I might change my mind about anything. I am defined by my indecision!