Straight is for lines.

[azurite]

Hi.

I'm bi.

Sexual, that is. But I also have bi-opticals-- two eyes! Or something like that. Anyway, I've come up with this interesting thought that might spark a debate. And you know me, I love a debate. I hate being proven wrong, but I love a debate.

I'm still a bit lost on whether being straight or gay or whatever is a matter of choice or something you're born with (i.e. something in your genes). But I've noticed a lot of things...

* More "straight" females seem to like male x male relationships (i.e. in fanfiction). Why? I was under the impression that people liked to fantasize about themselves (or maybe the Mary Sue faction *is* distinct from the yaoi fangirls!?) in relationships with the "hawt bishounen dudes," but there's a greater prevalence of yaoi/slash fics as opposed to the Mary Sue x Bishounen fics.

* There aren't enough gay or lesbian writers. I would honestly like to see a yaoi or yuri fic written by people who KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. The emotions, the attractions, the sex... (seriously, 14 year old virgins have no place envisioning wild kinky peanut butter sex with Heero and Trowa.)

* On that same note, why aren't there more prostitutes with Internet access? Or former prostitutes, or... I don't know, pick a realistic-but-angsty-past type profession! I hate how people use real situations as "devices" when they don't have the slightest clue (even through research or speaking with survivors/victims/that kind of thing) what they're writing about. Write what you know.

People wonder why I write fics with death and angst and romance and stuff in them-- it's because I HAVE LIVED IT! I know what I'm talking about! And when I don't, I DO NOT BULLSHIT. I ask around, I research. Even in fandoms where things can be magical and sparkly and wonderful, you still have to keep a sense of realism with the characters-- readers need to, on some level, connect with the characters.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand.

The question I wanted to ask was-- is there really such a thing as being STRAIGHT? As in, you ONLY like one sex/gender, EVAR?

I don't think it is. Everyone of every gender (and did you know that in the '50s, being lesbian or gay was called the "third sex?") has to know what they're up against-- competition wise. It's why some women will admire Tyra Banks, but others will say that Cindy Crawford is the epitome of beauty. How do other women know what is beautiful? How can other women judge what is attractive or not unless they sincerely LOOK at another woman "in that way?"

I'm not saying everyone on the planet is bi as in they're willing to go after people of either gender (like me ^^;) but I find it hard to believe that someone can go through life never looking at someone of the same gender and deciding whether they are attractive or better or not.

In the world of fanfiction, I stand by this creedo:

• If they are gay in canon, they shall be gay in fanfiction. You cannot un-gay someone. This applies to such fandoms as FAKE and Gravitation.


• If they are not stated as to their preference, they are bi. Not straight, not gay, but BI. This means everyone has equal rights to screw around with the characters, so long as they KEEP THEM IN CHARACTER. This applies to every other fandom on the planet.
  

So the guys in Gravitation won't suddenly jump ship and lock lips with the nearest girls they find. But the guys in Yu-Gi-Oh might. In any fandom where romance is NOT a prime factor of the story (and that means ignoring many bishoujo fandoms, like Sailormoon, Hana Yori Dango, Pretear, Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu, etc.) then it's safe to assume that the characters can swing either way, but you still have to make their decision to do (whoever) plausible within their character constraints.

*THIS* is why Kaiba/Jounouchi yaoi bugs me so much-- not because it's yaoi, but because it's never justified. It's ALWAYS OOC.

I'm prone to thinking that there just IS no such thing as being Straight. You can go your whole life only being sexually or romantically attracted to people of the opposite sex, but does that mean you NEVER look at people of the same gender and think "Hey, they're attractive," if only for the sake of measuring YOURSELF up to them?

*shrugs* I don't know. Say something.

Oh yeah... 98% of the teenage population does/has tried pot. If you're part of the 2% who hasn't, copy this in your journal.

Proud to be drug-free, baby!

Comments

[nostylin.livejournal.com]

beauty is a ugly thing that the media profits out of =/ ... we just have to live with it for now .. then one day all the other people will raise and we wouldnt need for EXTREME MATERIALISTIC THINGS ...and if your bi cheer for you D= \^.^/ "i need a little sleep"

[homgsekrit.livejournal.com]

Whhheeeee...this is gonna be long. _^_!

For starters:

I'm still a bit lost on whether being straight or gay or whatever is a matter of choice or something you're born with (i.e. something in your genes).

Here...it could be both. And some people might even be straight for the sake of labeling themselves and appearances. Me, I just really dislike labels, considering I have sexual attraction to neither side, for the most part. I do have some pull towards men in that direction, but only in a "Oh, he's so cute!" way. ^^;;; Which, I've been known to think just about anything's cute, so that's really pointless.

Labels will most likely just iritate me and result in me saying the labeler (whoever is trying to label me) doesn't know what love really is if they have stand there and define it. Somethings have a definition only the heart can decipher and understand. Whhhheee! It's one of those days I should be in bed. ::cough::

Mostly, I just say you might as well call me asexual, considering bisexual implies you are sexually attractered to both sides. I just love.... >.> Sex actually scares me.... We'll leave it there.

I don't really see any points to debate with you, but just to inform some, more like. At least one what I've been told or what I know about any of this. ^^;; Then, this is just opinions I have from other people or I've formed myself.

More "straight" females seem to like male x male relationships (i.e. in fanfiction). Why?

Two things here: Because two guys is better than one! >3 Think about it. Guys have the same mentality about lesbian porn. They won't sleep with another guy, but watch two naked girls? Of course! _^_ Yes, I had a guy explain this to me. _^_!

Next; some girls will try to avoid Mary Sueism by picking the guy they relate to most and putting them together with their favourite bishounen. >.> Luckily, since I usually adore all of the characters, I don't resort to this. _^_!

I think it's also something about wanting to do the "in" thing--can I mention here how much I *LOATHE* that. >.> Sure...I write shounen-ai/shoujo-ai...but for the inspiration, for the story, the plot, the beauty, the emotions, not to get reviews. Heck, because of how I write and the topics I often pick I barely get any reviews at all. _^_ And besides, I write heterosexual just as often--again, it's about the plot, not the coupling. The coupling never should be used to get attention. >.> I swear, some of the writers annoy me when they do that. They get the characters OOC in hopes of being the next biggest thing and getting the most reviews. >.> Why don't you do something UTTERLY insane, like a cross-over of YYH and YGO with Kuram/Yûgi and not even have them admit their feelings but have me going, "Awww! And that could so happen! Waaaiiiii!!" _^_!

(Wheee...sorry, ranting. Again, I should be trying to sleep, not typing this. _^_)

[[I have to continue this overly disgustingly long comment in another one. X______X I'm so sorry!!!]]

Continuing--I'm sorry ^^;;

[homgsekrit.livejournal.com]

Anyhow, that takes guts, it's very different, and as long as it's IC and cute, who cares what the coupling is? >.> I know I don't. A good fic is placed over coupling for me anyday. I've read a lot of couplings I didn't think I would like but when I read them, and if they were written well and the coupling made sense through the story, as well as was IC on both sides, then it doesn't matter I disliked the coupling or if I don't support but support someone else. If it's good: It. Is. Good.

Whoa! Sorry. I think I started a tangent a long time ago. >.> Getting back on topic here. >.>

People wonder why I write fics with death and angst and romance and stuff in them.

>___< Man...which is why those who don't have that experience would really annoy you--in a way it's an insult to those things which really do hurt. And this is also why my romance is never overly done, and oft times avoided. Now...one has to ask how in the heck I write fluff. ~_~;;; (Che.... >.> I need a Yûgi fluffy deathtrap icon. _^_! Whoa...that was random. >.>)

I'm prone to thinking that there just IS no such thing as being Straight.

Hehe...I have a friend with the same belief. >3 Could be--you never really know. I say it's just a label, and if people quit looking at things through labels and admitted to love instead it would be easier for them--they'd feel more free about things.

I don't know, it just seems that people can judge the beauty of objects, per say what they like in one car compared to another, and we don't think they are attracted to the car (though some guys I might question on that >3), but when it comes to people we think they must be attracted if they were to say the same thing. It could just be that they judge the same sex they would a painting and pick what they like. It could be purely platonic like that, but I really dislike the labeling process to begin with, so I might be inclined to follow this eventually. Just to me some people are what could be considered straight, and if they chose the label themselves, then that's their choice for whatever reason and I'll respect that.

Wow...okay..if this makes any sense to you, good. If not, I'm soooo terribly sorry, I'm half-asleep and starting to think about my bed again. X___________X

Re: Continuing--I'm sorry ^^;;

[azurite]

Wow! That was long, but very well-thought out, very clear and hell-- easy for me to understand. I definitely agree with you on several points:
(1) If it's well-written, it doesn't matter what the pairing is.
(2) Straight/Gay/Bi might just be labels, states of mind... the one thing I believe in (dork that I am) is love, and you don't always CHOOSE who you love, and you should be free to love whoever you want without risk of ridicule.
(3) It is an insult when people write about death, rape, drug use... all that stuff, lightly, as a plot device. I'd like to say that they shouldn't write it if it hasn't happened to them, but second and third-hand info works just as well. RESEARCH!! ;)

Yepp, that's it. ^_^ Thanks for the wonderful comment(s).

[mklutz]

I agree with you on a lot of this. After all, at least in women most have bisexual tendencies if nothing else. Ask a woman what woman she would sleep with and most will agree that Angelina Jolie would be a fantastic choice. I don't know what I am yet; I haven't really had the experience to figure it out, but I lean towards bi most of the time.

For fandom I agree that if it's not openly stated that someone is dead-set-straight you can assume they're bi. I'm not sure how anyone can picture Duo as straight - to me he's so bi it hurts. Or you watch something like Gokusen, in which a bunch of guys check out a lady's attributes and then go on to say that Shin (their male leader) is totally "their type". It's out there, and especially in the anime fandom it's more plausible than say a lot of Western television. I wouldn't go making Rory (is that how you spell it?) on Gilmore Girls gay, since she's obviously pretty straight. But Max from Dark Angel? She's totally bi.

It's so open, and I agree-- you can't really look at someone and judge their attractiveness without having some feeling of "Wow, she's really hot" or vice versa. I really liked this post! XD

[rivingmass.livejournal.com]

is there really such a thing as being STRAIGHT? As in, you ONLY like one sex/gender, EVAR?

I used to think that was the case... until I started going to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show on a regular basis. I consider myself straight; there's no way you'd find me sleeping with another guy! But I'll quickly tell you whether or not said other guy is attractive. Men don't turn me on, but I'm not such a prude as to be offended by two gay guys crawling along the sidewalk to look up under my kilt. Hell, I take it as a compliment.

o_O

[azurite]

LOL. If I ever saw that... I... would not know how to react.

[nostylin.livejournal.com]

I should talk readable english... But I rather talk with my mind. anyhow this gay straight thing is really the churchs way of controlling what you are in a social communitte... reglion have a strong part in y there is a gay or straight! I had something constructive to say now ... i just forgot ... ;_;

[ropa.livejournal.com]

I came to the conclusion a few months ago that women are inherantly bisexual (I would say men are too, but not being one makes me hesitant to assume things about them. not to mention they have a lot of social pressures and macho-weirdness that inhibits any urges they think they might have, whereas women are more about being emotionally persuaded in whatever direction), and that does certainly apply to me as well.

My personal beliefs are that, as a woman, my affection goes to the one person who can affect me the most, in terms of emotions. Sexuality is unalterably tied into my emotions, my trust, my intelligence and my respect. The bare-bones issue in my case is not "I'll have sex with/ be attracted to the best body/ bone structure/ best ass", but "I will have sex with/ be attracted to the one who touches my heart deepest". In that sense, I can honestly imagine a relationship with another woman.

Of course, having said that, I would then add that, as a Christian, I would never seek out a relationship with another woman. Nor would I act on the urge should another woman seek me out. This is where I believe choice comes in (at least in my case, but like you Meredith, I am clueless when it comes to the "choice/ genetics" debate).

Anyway, that's just my view on things. I'm just one voice in a million though.

:D

[azurite]

Yay, points of view! I like hearing from people and what they think too; gives me a broader perspective. It's also nice to hear from someone who is from a religious perspective-- there are people of varying degrees. At the Pink Saturday thing I went to last weekend, this one guy was adamantly passing out pamphlets about how everyone -trying to have a good time- was sinning, and would burn in the firey pits of hell.

^^; Anyway, what I'm getting that is, thanks for not telling me I'm going to hell.

[huicheol.livejournal.com]

I am attracted to the female body and the male mind -_-;; and it's hard to find an in-between for that. There are some men who will make me nearly wet myself because they are so gorgeous, but I never fall for the beautiful men >_> Woman on the other hand fascinate me! I love their bodies, so beautiful, sexy and graceful~ but I can't fall for a woman (or I haven't yet), which sucks because I would make a great lesbian xD;;

Hmmm. I am a fan of Kaiba/Jounouchi...and you're right, it is rater ooc...but~ I don't know, I think I like rough love between boys XD I mean, I don't like fluff or waff or anything like that between those two, but I like to imagine (or read) that it starts with a fight and ends in sex <3 or something.

Female Body + Male Mind =

[azurite]

Nuriko! Or... something. Maybe Hotohori, who is an anime character with the beautiful, hunky body of sorts, but the classic male ego. ^^;

Another reason why K/J (or SJ, or whatever you might call it) disturbs me is the fact that in Japan, homosexuality isn't a big, widespread type thing. Yes, there are gays and lesbians and such, but it's certainly not one of those places where you'd want to go around PARADING your orientation. That could lose you friends, lose your job, could get you ridiculed...

Most gay/lesbian relationships are kept secret in Japan-- in the closet. Hotels won't even let people of the same sex stay in hotel rooms together unless they have ID or something proving that they are related!

So if someone could make a fic where they weren't OOC (or at least justified being gay, or "switching ships," as Jounouchi would have to do), then it'd be a fantastic piece of work. (And you're right about the 'ruff luv' -- I cannot see the two of them in any sort of FLUFF situation).

It's these little things that people never bother to take in account that bugs me. I guess it's because where I'm from, I see and hang out with lots of gay guys (and girls)-- and while it's accepted a lot more out here than it is in other places (esp. Japan), people still don't seem to understand the basics-- relationships, sex... etc.

Anyway, I've rambled. Thanks for your POV!

actually...

[time-guardian.livejournal.com]

actually, all of the world is bi, its just that there are degrees of where you fall. ie: im bi, but only like 2 percent of someone likes girls and the other 98 percent likes boys. i think no matter how miniscule that percentage is, everyone likes the opposite gender. well at least thats what i learned in psych :) btw, you go girl about the drugs... bad news though, alchol (sp!!) is a drug :( but.... no pot for me! yuck that stuff STINKS!! freakin hippies :p

Re: actually...

[azurite]

LOL re: the hippies thing. So not my thing...

But yeah, I remember hearing that "whole world is bi" thing before, but I don't have any sort of paper-proof on me to back it up; it's just what I heard.

[guardian-kysra.livejournal.com]

I had to reply to the gay/bi/straight thing. I just HAD to.

First, you know this already - I am celibate virgin, so my experiential knowledge is pretty much nonexistent.

That being said . . .

Secondly, I am straight. Does that mean I'm homophobic? No. I'm quite cool with gay and bisexual people. I really don't care about sexuality all that much (read not at all) and as for sexual persuasion being choice, genes, or none-of-the-above, I really can't say. I think it's a moot point actually. Does it really matter how one came to be a certain way? I don't think so cuz, regardless of how one came to be gay/bi/straight, he or she is already there.

I think there is a problem with acceptance or lack of it though, but that's an entirely different rant.

Thirdly, I'm female. I like women. I have a great appreciation for the female form. I like men, and I have a great appreciation for the male form. Does that mean I'm inherently bi? I don't think so. Labels are just that. I don't care what you call me. I say I'm straight yet I also say that I appreciate women. Some would say, "Well, wouldn't that make you bi?" I guess that depends on perspective and interpretation. I'm rather liberal minded so I really don't care. Call me bi or straight if you want, when I say "appreciation," I'm not referring to a sexual attraction. I have to admit though that more conservative folks would say I am bi simply because I find something beautiful in other females.

Fourthly, I don't think being straight means you can't look at someone of the same gender and think, "My God, he/she is gorgeous. I wonder what they look like naked." I know people who are bisexual, married people of the opposite gender and are quite happy and faithful. Does that mean they're not bisexual? The same goes for gay folks married to straight people (yes, I do know people like this too >-<).

It all depends on how you define terms and the individual perspective which is why this question will never have a straight (forgive the pun XD) answer.

Labels vs. Degrees

[azurite]

I suppose everything in the universe can somehow be transformed into a label --which few people seem to see as a good thing. I know people that proudly tote the fact that they are gay/bi/lesbian-- going to PRIDE was proof enough of that.

One of my friends said that all people are bi inherantly, but by degrees-- which is an interesting way of looking at it. It's like I said: you can be attracted to the form or mind of someone of the same gender as you WITHOUT wanting to fuX0rZ them to high heaven, and you can live your life being just who you are. I think people are under the impression that if you're gay or lesbian (flat out), you either have to come out and say it, or make the extra effort to hide it. But if you're bi, it's not a big deal, because you swing both ways.

In the past, I had some very heavy crushes on guys, and it seemed blatantly obvious that I was "straight." But I appreciated the company and conversations I got with my girl friends, and now, many years later, I find myself looking at other girls and thinking "Hey, she's kinda cute," and not in the "aww, adorable" sense. So in part I guess I'm appreciating the female form, but I'm also interested in said person for other reasons. (Funny how superificial that sounds; it's sad but true that we notice appearances first.)

Hehe, nice pun.