Archive

Men who write lesbians right

If you find yourself flipping through a catalog of lesbian cliches, it won’t take long for you to stumble onto a double-page spread labeled “man-haters.” It’s a myth as old as Sappho herself, the idea that lesbians loathe lads. (Ironically, it’s a superstition that was perpetuated by lads, to lend credence to that old “lesbians seek to shred the fabric of society” lore.) But even though the trope is nonsensical, it’s impossible to have a conversation about the failings of lesbian representation in modern media without some gay lady rolling her eyes and saying, “Well, what do you expect? It was written/drawn/directed/produced by a dude.”

There are few arguments in the world that make me as bananas as that one. Certainly there are queer-specific/women-specific life experiences that straight people/men cannot fully comprehend. But it’s absurd to suggest that men cannot create organic, authentic, fully-realized lesbian and bisexual characters. It’s also historically inaccurate.

I have recently (finally!) found myself immersed in Stieg Larsson‘s Millennium Trilogy, and the more deeply I fall for Lisbeth Salander, the more I remember the cultural (and personal) impact of other lesbian and bisexual characters that were created by fellas.

Here’s a list of some of my favorites.

The hype is all true: Bisexual computer hacker Lisbeth Salander is one of the baddest-ass, well-rounded feminist heroines ever. And Larsson’s ability to portray her as a sympathetic protagonist, even when she’s cleaving an axe into someone’s face, is masterful. Larsson, like Lisbeth, hates men who hate women. And that makes me love him.

Terry Moore got himself a reputation for being a man-basher more than once during SiP‘s run. Really, though, he is true storyteller, one who listens and faithfully records what his characters tell him. And Katchoo had some rightful, pent-up hostility toward dudes. Over the course of 114 issues, Moore created one of the most complex, heart-wrenching, emotionally satisfying lesbian relationships ever committed to paper.

There is no lesbian couple more universally adored than Buffy’s Willow and Tara. Even now, years later, the fandom is still actively churning out fan videos and fan fiction to honor Joss Whedon’s lesbian characters. More than one AfterEllen.com writer has called Whedon a “male feminist.” He could easily get an honorary lesbian card, too, I’m sure.

There’s a reason Bound inevitably ends up on every “Hottest Sex Scenes In the History of the World” list. And it’s not because it’s some kind of pornographic male fantasy. Violet and Corky’s sex scene is satisfying in large part because their characters are so fully-realized before they do the deed. (Also, it’s really hot.)

Comic books are famous for their fascination with big boobs, lycra, and titillating girl-on-girl action, but when Batwoman took over Detective Comics last year, her costume and her sexuality were the last things on anyone’s mind. And that is all down to Williams and Rucka, who didn’t pull any punches with her orientation. They also didn’t use it as an excuse to tell a weak story. The compelling art and the honest, gritty writing earned the reincarnated heroine legions of fans (boys and girls).

There’s a reason Skins swept our 2010 Visibility Awards: Naomi and Emily’s two-year journey was one of the most honest and amazing and gorgeous and fabulous and insane and wretched and perfect, perfect, perfect stories we’ve ever seen. We laughed with them and swooned with them and cried with them because we always felt exactly what they were feeling. It was never about the gay thing; it was always about the epic love thing. And we believed it.

I don’t know a lesbian on earth whose go-to feel-good movie isn’t Imagine Me & You. It’s sweet and fun and so deeply real. Every character resonates, even Matthew Goode‘s Heck (who could easily have been a stock villain). There are no wankers in Ol Parker’s film (except, of course, Number 9).

Straight men can’t fully know what it’s like for a lesbian to come terms with her sexuality in a male-dominated world. Straight men can’t fully know what it’s like to come out. Straight men can’t fully know what it’s like to be oppressed. But J.K. Rowling didn’t know what it was like to attend a school of magic, and Mark Twain didn’t know what it was like to be a slave, and Roald Dahl never lived in a chocolate factory, and F Scott Fitzgerald never plowed down anyone with a car. Do we need lesbian and bisexual writers and directors and artists to tell queer-specific stories, full of all the arcane language and customs that accompany every minority group? Absolutely.

But some struggles are universal: The desire to be known, to be loved, to embrace the you-ness of you and live your life out loud. Everyone bleeds if you prick them, everyone laughs if you tickle them, everyone dies if you poison them. A dude wrote that. Shakespeare. And this little lesbian is better for having read it.

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button