Hello all. I'm behind on my novel, due to procrastination, distraction, and my hectic life (though I made some beautiful magnets at youth retreat - one of them has a cross combined with a Star of David, symbolizing the Jewish roots of Christianity and the differences between faith and religion, and the other is Snow's face from The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod - green eyes, white teeth, red vampire fangs. I'll post pictures of them soon). BUT I have big news.
Well, first of all, my novel has undergone several title changes. It's been Vivir, What is Normal? and now Adventures of an Odd Couple in Love and Their Quest to Save the Multiverse. You can guess the plot.
Second, it's interracial, queer, interspecies romance - what else would you expect from me? Taylor is a lesbian, though her sexuality can be described better as 'I don't like penises' since her partner, Van, is nonbinary, afab, and asexual (Van uses ke/kir/kirself pronouns). That's the queer part. The interspecies part comes from Van being a dragon and Taylor being a werewolf, and the interracial aspect is from Van being Indian and Taylor being a mix of Russian and Dominican. So there's a lot of diversity and representation, and I'm happy about that. They even have a couple name - Vaylor, and I think they're perfect for each other.
And there's a new type of representation in this novel, one I've never tried before and one that some people I know would be absolutely scandalized to know I'm including.
Van's mother, Rosie, is a sex worker. She does professional phone sex, strips, and writes erotica, and it was she who passed on her love of writing to Van (Van writes fanfiction and roleplays). I see nothing wrong with this - Rosie is a mature, responsible adult who enjoys her job, and I've contacted a fellow Wrimo, Robyn, who is a stripper, so I could write Rosie more accurately. I've also started reading the wonderful sex-worker run blog, Tits and Sass, for research and fun. I feel excited about writing Rosie and her family.
BUT I know that not only will I garner shock from multiple relatives on all three sides of my family, and even anger or anger from some. I also know that I will be told that I'm not being a good feminist or a good Christian via my choice for this character's job.
What.
How is trying to dictate what a woman can and can not do with her body of her own free will a feminist action? How is slut-shaming a sign of being a good feminist? How is it feminism when women allow men to dictate what is feminine or whether a certain woman is worthy of respect? Feminism is the solidarity and empowerment of women - all women. It's not women being pitted against each other. It's not demonizing sex or sex workers. You shouldn't have to put others down to pull yourself up.
How is judging others a Christ-like action? Didn't Jesus dislike those who loved God but neglected or held contempt for His people? How is not standing up for the personhood of a marginalized group something that Jesus would ever agree with?
See, I believe that God and love are one and the same. And judgment - whether it's based on race, body type, sex, gender, sexual orientation, romantic orientation, neurotype, religion (or lack thereof), appearance, polyamory vs. monoamory, or style of dress - is not a loving or feminist action.
Well, first of all, my novel has undergone several title changes. It's been Vivir, What is Normal? and now Adventures of an Odd Couple in Love and Their Quest to Save the Multiverse. You can guess the plot.
Second, it's interracial, queer, interspecies romance - what else would you expect from me? Taylor is a lesbian, though her sexuality can be described better as 'I don't like penises' since her partner, Van, is nonbinary, afab, and asexual (Van uses ke/kir/kirself pronouns). That's the queer part. The interspecies part comes from Van being a dragon and Taylor being a werewolf, and the interracial aspect is from Van being Indian and Taylor being a mix of Russian and Dominican. So there's a lot of diversity and representation, and I'm happy about that. They even have a couple name - Vaylor, and I think they're perfect for each other.
And there's a new type of representation in this novel, one I've never tried before and one that some people I know would be absolutely scandalized to know I'm including.
Van's mother, Rosie, is a sex worker. She does professional phone sex, strips, and writes erotica, and it was she who passed on her love of writing to Van (Van writes fanfiction and roleplays). I see nothing wrong with this - Rosie is a mature, responsible adult who enjoys her job, and I've contacted a fellow Wrimo, Robyn, who is a stripper, so I could write Rosie more accurately. I've also started reading the wonderful sex-worker run blog, Tits and Sass, for research and fun. I feel excited about writing Rosie and her family.
BUT I know that not only will I garner shock from multiple relatives on all three sides of my family, and even anger or anger from some. I also know that I will be told that I'm not being a good feminist or a good Christian via my choice for this character's job.
What.
How is trying to dictate what a woman can and can not do with her body of her own free will a feminist action? How is slut-shaming a sign of being a good feminist? How is it feminism when women allow men to dictate what is feminine or whether a certain woman is worthy of respect? Feminism is the solidarity and empowerment of women - all women. It's not women being pitted against each other. It's not demonizing sex or sex workers. You shouldn't have to put others down to pull yourself up.
How is judging others a Christ-like action? Didn't Jesus dislike those who loved God but neglected or held contempt for His people? How is not standing up for the personhood of a marginalized group something that Jesus would ever agree with?
See, I believe that God and love are one and the same. And judgment - whether it's based on race, body type, sex, gender, sexual orientation, romantic orientation, neurotype, religion (or lack thereof), appearance, polyamory vs. monoamory, or style of dress - is not a loving or feminist action.
5 comments:
I also want everyone to know that I'm changing Van's name. It's now Ani.
So many times I hear people say that "we are not to judge", Biblically that is not sound advice when speaking of brothers and sisters in Christ. Scripture is very clear that we are to hold each other accountable. I pray that if my brother or sister in the Lord sees me struggling with a sin, they would approach me IN LOVE and help me see it or come alongside me to encourage me to seek out what God desires regarding it. That is one of the benefits of being in fellowship. 2 Timothy 3: 16-17 and
Galations 6: 1-2 are two of many verses that address this
That's fine for you. I don't care what other people believe as long as those beliefs - and the subsequent actions - don't hurt anyone.
And fundamentalist Christians have approached me "in love" when they felt I was struggling with a sin - and their idea of love wasn't real love, it was brainwashing. All that happened from their attempts was that I ended up feeling uncomfortable and unsafe around them, and they felt persecuted because I...um, apparently, because I exist or something.
Look, I know Christians mean well and I used to be a lot like you. But when other people demand equality, oppressive, judgmental religious beliefs that are really nothing like what God would want need to be set aside. I'm saying this because I can see that you are struggling with a different kind of sin: judgment. And you may not realize it, but when you judge others, when you slut-shame or talk about how persecuted you supposedly are as a Christian because non-Christians worship or don't worship as they please, you hurt people. I hope someday you'll realize why this is wrong.
http://seewalds.com/you-cant-judge-me/
That's right, you can't. You can't judge me, or anyone else's life choices, as long as they don't hurt people. Well, I guess you can...that doesn't mean we have to care. And I don't, but I will judge you if your choices hurt others. I have a contest to win and better things to do than continue a flame war with someone who won't even let me know who they are.
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