Hogwarts students graduate after seven years, and therefore they would graduate at Seventeen and not eighteen. Most fics of the pedophilic nature have warnings all over them, and most if not all of them have the readers verify that they are indeed old enough to read it.

Also, not all fanfiction is about sex. There are others, such as action/adventure. Where people try to write about Harry Potters future in the wizarding world, and is a lot like other action adventure stories but based on the characters from the Harry Potter books.

I oppose your announcement that all fanfictions root is sex. It isn’t, there are quite a few fics about sex, I could never deny that. But there are atleast an equal number of fics out there that aren’t. Perhaps you could rove around the internet, find other fics. It really isn’t that hard, I swear it.

Or you could go to http://www.darkmark.com to the forums. ALL of the fics that those under thirteen CAN access are rated G and if anyone tries to post a fic that isn’t G in the G-rated area will get booted off the site. And people have to go through a process to get to the protected forum where the only non-G rated fics are located.

To anyone who follows my wise advise, please email me @ PurpleOne998@yahoo.com and tell me of your findings. I humbly await your replies.

I know the truth will prove me right.

Not all fanfiction is based on perversity, and you are wrong to announce such false things as facts. You are a liar.

Sincerely,
Katrina

Huzzah to that! She’s right.

Unless of course Freud was correct and everything we do is based on supressed sexual desire…. but in that case breathing is somehow related to sex, so really…

I am sorry, maybe I really am too global… but this sounds so American to me.

Of course kids in the puberty age fantasyze about sex, getting children, living an adult life. It’s part of their age.
Their bodies are maturing as well and interests in the other / same sex are getting stronger.
What is wrong with that? Nothing I believe.

Yes, some fanfictions are a bit off on the sex side and I myself do not approve on writing and reading porn. But come on, every kid is a bit curious on that stuff and writing a fanfic is at least less harmfull then acting it out on the streets. Most fansites are moderated and when things go too far, actions will be taken to stop what is going on in a normal way. It is good to talk about these things instead of ignoring it is there. If you can see it, you can act on it and nudge kids back in a more decent direction.

I think you really are looking at this the wrong way. See the positivity in it. At least your children don’t grow up closed minded about sexuality, because it is a normal part of life. You wouldn’t have been born without it. It is time people start acting normal.

I, for one, agree that this sounds inexorably American and wonder exactly was there any research behind this artical? And if so, to what extent?

Not all fanfictions are Romance, and from even those that are, many are angsty romances and so do not entail much “pornography” or “perversity”

To judge all writing like that is very ignorant you and I would just like to say you are a sad person.

Well, people. Listen up. Not all fanfiction is about sex and slash, your definantly correct about that. But the fanfictions that are. It’s considered child pornography in some cases, especially when an underaged character gets it on with someone much older then them. Have you even read slash fanfiction? Some isn’t all bad, but some is extremely disgusting. Try reading something on Filch x Harry having sex. Yes pairings like that do exist and some are worse. So slash should be banned if it contains sick, complete pornography written by some 13 year old girl, but if it does not contain sex or gross pairings then I say let it be. But it’s not like that.

Of course I bloody read slash! Heck, I WRITE slash. I know some of it is disguisting… If you’re easily squicked just don’t read them. Not all that complicated.

I have to disagree with you on banning fanfictions. Writers should be allowed to write whatever they want, let their creativity out.

I stand by what I said before. MOST OF IT ISN’T NASTY! Just rove around the net a bit, instead of looking for the nasty ones to prove your point. Go for the regular ones… In fact I just finished a spectacualar one called The Land of the Lost Souls by *PheonixFire* http://darkmark.com/forum/index.php?s=e995b5e1f798bf0d9696c5a803b1e0e8&act=ST&f=42&t=31726&st=0

The writing is beautiful and it’s not nasty, perfect example of the 75% of fics that aren’t… “Pornography” as you so put it. Porn is seen, and unless you have a sick mind already and can envision those nasty fics as you read them, then it’s not porn… damnit.

It’s not porn, its just writing that contains a lot of porn like content and strong sexual situations. e_e; I don’t see any difference in porn images or porn writing, they both contain porn!

Underage sodomy, indeed sexual morality as a concept, being a uniquely “American” hang up.
How Euro.
Well then, one supposes ya’ll have no objections to eating my big mick american stick. Have fun on the ash heap of history. So long.
the big mick

I read slash and quite often I look for the ‘nasty’ ones. It shouldn’t be banned and I don’t think any age restrictions should be put on them. Yes, warnings are good and age recommendations too but, please, imagining your favourite characters in naughty positions can be very hot.
I started reading the nasty fanfics when I was about 12, my body and mind were maturing and sex was (and is) on my mind. Banning fanfics would just be oppression and trying to oppress something harmless is just a waste of energy.
Pick a different topic to argue about but leave the slash to the slash lovers.

The unfortunate trauma that some of the comments posted above (as well as the article) contain is purely based off ignorance. No where else can you come into such controversy until you tap into something thatís not well known by the broad populous, like slash, that induces fear in people who know nothing about it. It seems to me that the person who wrote the article above denouncing slash hasnít a clue as to how to write creatively, use imagination, thought and innovation within literature. Itís also rather clear that this person, and anyone who agrees with them, is of the utmost pathetic nature in that of an old generationís view of whatever is different is wrong therefore it must be eliminated. So the question must be taken up, why do some people not approve of slash? This can only be answered by those people and their worthless, baseless claims. Talk all you want about pedophilic and underage sex, but what it comes down to is the inability to accept people and situations for who and what they are (i.e. homosexuality). I am sure most people disapproving of slash would have no protest in heterosexual pornography or writing, would they? I also suppose that when one decides to berate writing in slash they only do so out of the jealousy involving their own inability to create a work that is enjoyed by many and that gives the ability to express ones inner thoughts and emotions. Basically what it comes down to is that if you donít like slash and decide to live in your ignorant world of a cave for the rest of your life then you most certainly do not have to read it. But if one decides to pollute the minds of people, who know not of slash, by negative and one-sided comments like this article so explicitly identifies then thatís just sad. Iíd much rather live in a world where people are free to express their different and sometimes outlandish thoughts and ideas than in the dictatorship that some try to create.

For the record, Supervert — which wrote the original article above — does not advocate banning slash, nor was there any attempt to “denounce slash,” as Peter indicates. This is PERVscan, after all. To wonder about the libidinal roots of slash fiction is not, in the context of this web site, to denounce it. To the contrary, most readers of this web site will probably find slash more exciting if they think it’s all an expression of otherwise repressed sexual urges.

And in regard to Peter’s claim that Supervert “hasnít a clue as to how to write creatively, use imagination, thought and innovation within literature” — well, we’ll offer him a free copy of Supervert’s book, Extraterrestrial Sex Fetish, if he wants it. And we’ll also point out that it’s not exactly the most creative, imaginative, original approach in the world to write derivative stories using other people’s characters and narrative scenarios, which is the very premise of slash.

If you’re so darn creative, can’t you come up with some decent characters of your own?

Sometimes fan fictions can be a kind of practice for would-be writers, where they can work within the confines of something else so they’ll be better at it when they think up their own characters.

Hey! I want a free copy of Supervert’s Extraterrestrial Sex Fetish book!

Hey, is being American really such a bad thing? (I’m sorry if that was a little off topic.) But I agree, almost any kind of Harry Potter fan fiction (more properly known as “FanFic) has way too much sex or pornography in them. I myself am a big fan of the books (I read the Prisoner Of Azkaban yesterday) and many others are too. So, the books must be good, without pornography involved (well thats quite a duh fact.) so why do people use pornography? ;:-l confuzzling stuff.

Actually, I wrote a fanfic… THAT DIDN’T HAVE ANY “PORNOGRAPHY”. Fanfics are written as practice for later writings. You read PoA? What’d you think?

I’ve read it 12 times. You’re a big fan of the books? I’ve read the first four atleast 7 times each, and the fifth twice. If your a ‘big fan’ then I’m monsterous.

Fan fics are written to explore with the characters as well, to get to know them better.

I stand by what I said before. A mighty percentage of the Fanfics are not based on porn. Perhaps you should put your search engine where your mouth is.

I don’t see what the big deal is about slash. I’ve read plenty of slash and have actually written a few stories myself, and I find that the only time someone should be miffed by it is if the person really sucks at writing; just the same as het fiction. All of the slash fanfics I’ve read had plenty of warnings (ratings, “beware, slash ahead”, etc) and if your not into it, just don’t read it. It’s not any of your buisness to flame them for writing slash and/or call for its removal because it doesn’t quite go with your belief system. I feel slash is a sign that people are more open minded about homosexuality and if people want to write porn, its their own buisness. Beleive it or not, some people are interested in it and the world does not have to cater to “anti-slashers”. Don’t want to read it? Then don’t! I don’t see why that’s so hard, do you?

I wouldn’t say that slash fanfics are exactly “American”. In my opinion Japanese people hold up a big part of slash fiction and slash manga/comics. While I was browsing a manga store in Japan I found an entire aisle dedicated to “slash” comic books. Many anime fan sites I see are also dedicated to this kind of thing, Japanese or not. And just to add I’ve seen a lot of Japanese Harry Potter slash too.

Excuse you? It’s kinda sad that you’ve wasted your time reporting on stupid stuff.

I mean, sure, there are some pretty sad fics out there, but there are some that are really sweet, and, sure, the smutty ones, but, hell, you can’t perfect the world?

Sometime, people like to endulge in a little…fun, right fellow slashers?

I consider myself a slash writer and I’ve been doing it since 2001. I am the writer of whom you disapprove. I write the wicked, evil, nasty, perverted slash. I write rape, incest, bondage, pedophilia, and anything else that pops into my head. I write it because I can. I write it because I love the characters and I love exploring my conception of them – practice has nothing to do with it. I write it because it turns me on, it turns on my fans, and it doesn’t hurt anyone. Reading about pedophilia doesn’t make you a pedophile any more than reading about homosexuals makes you gay. Those notions are antiquated and silly.

I do what I can to protect the innocent and unwilling from what I write. I post to age-protected groups and groups with big fat warnings, as well as labeling every chapter of every story with possible squicks.

Who decided that pornography is wicked? The carrying-on in any book by the Marquis de Sade is usually more extreme than what you find in NC-17 Fan Fiction stories, and the good Marquis sits in the classics section of most modern bookstores.

I believe that perversity is dictated by one’s own personal morals, and that if you are offended, back away. I am not an evil monster who is out to pervert children; I just want to write the sort of thing that gets me hot and share it with other people so that they can enjoy it just as much.

Beyond Harry Potter, I have my own characters, my own plots, and my own novels. But my invasions of Harry’s world stems from the pure joy of touching something that matters to me. If it’s a touch you can’t abide, then please look elsewhere for your entertainment.

Slash is usually written by bisexual and lesbian girls, surprise surprise. Most of those who write slash fiction spend hours every night watching American TV shows and squealing with delight whenever one character looks at another. “Ooo, did you see the look Lex gave Clark in the 52nd minute? They’re soooooo gay lovers!”

Slash *is* about porn and about being a bloody deviant. Any fanfiction which doesn’t portray the characters as being poofs and lesos is simply not slash. Therefore, what I write is erotic fanfiction – it’s not the fantasies of a hundred teenage lesbians.

QUOTING THE PREVIOUS POSTER: “Slash is usually written by bisexual and lesbian girls, surprise surprise.”

Surprise, surprise, most slash is written by HETEROSEXUAL women, and some even by heterosexual men.
Also, there are many (and I mean, MANY) readers and writers of fanfiction who are over the age of 30, even though the majority of the readers/writers are between the ages of 16 and 25.

About pedophilic stories… well, if you pair up Harry and Ron, or a teacher with another teacher, how is that pedophilic? I am a slasher myself and I can tell you, the greatest part of fanfictions, slash or not, do not feature an adult/child couple (called “cross-gen”). Stories that feature sex or even romantic relationships between an adult and anyone under the age of 16 are very rare to find.
About bestiality, rape and incest: most fanfictions dealing with rape and incest are not slash; a big part of fanfictions dealing with bestiality are not slash either.
Slash doesn’t automatically mean pornography. There are MANY G, PG and PG-13 rated slash stories out there, and MANY R or NC-17 rated slash stories that are not pornography at all. And yet there are lots of R and NC-17 rated non-slashy stories that are written in such a tasteless way that really become pornography.

There’s another thing that many people here seem to obviate, for some reason. The characters of the Harry Potter books are just that, *characters*. They are not real people. If I write a story featuring Ron and Harry having sex, or even an underage Harry having sex with a teacher, that doesn’t mean I’m going to go and rape children in real life.

Lastly, I want to point out that fanfiction is not all about sex. True, there are many stories dealing with relationships, but a great part of all the fanfictions written are “gen” (don’t deal with any relationships). And only a part of those fanfictions that *do* deal with relationships deal with sex as well.
99.9% of the Harry Potter fanfictions out there, slash or not, are rated. If you don’t want to read an NC-17 rated story, simply don’t. Nobody forces you to read these things. Stories dealing with matters that might offend or upset the reader generally carry a warning at the top, labeling the story for its content (example: “WARNING: This story deals with non-consensual sex and bondage”).
As I said, nobody forces you to read these stories. And if you don’t want your children to read them, simply be a responsible parent and supervise what they do when they surf the web, get a filter to prevent them from accessing such stories, or do anything that you consider necessary, they are your children after all.

Regards,

~James

Sorry to post again, but I wanted to quote another poster and forgot to do it in my last post.
QUOTE FROM SUPERVERT: “And we’ll also point out that it’s not exactly the most creative, imaginative, original approach in the world to write derivative stories using other people’s characters and narrative scenarios, which is the very premise of slash.”
If you ever try to write someone else’s characters and keep them actually in-character, you’ll realise it isn’t at all easier than writing your own characters. I actually find it more difficult, and I have written and read both a lot of fanfiction and even more original works.

“Slash is usually written by bisexual and lesbian girls”

Sure it is…. I happen to know a few guys who actually enjoy a good Potterfic, slash or not.

“Most of those who write slash fiction spend hours every night watching American TV shows and squealing with delight whenever one character looks at another. “Ooo, did you see the look Lex gave Clark in the 52nd minute? They’re soooooo gay lovers!”

*re-reads that a few times*

BUAH HAHAHAHAHAHA! That’s hilarious! I don’t even WATCH tv! Although I can’t deny being American… But still… I don’t watch TV, and I write slash, all the time. And no, I do not see Gay-ness everywhere I look. Besides the world would be a lot happier if it were gay, the word “gay” meaning happy.

But, anyway… I believe everyone made good points…. except the guy who was focused on lesbians… He’s full of poo. Slash is NOT about porn, slash is about the gay lovies. And love is love, gay or not so if your a homophobic steer clear. And it’s not bloody deviant, well not all of it. There are plenty slash fics that do not have any involved. By the by, both poofs and lesos,are both mis-spelled and offensive.

What do you mean what *you* write is erotic fanfiction? are you saying you *write* it and you’re insulting everyone elses fics because you think they’re all “teenage lesbians”?!

BUAHAHAHAHAHA! That’s even funnier! Please, do post more, so I can laugh louder and in a more annoying tone due to your increasing stupidity.

The fact that you say slash fanfiction is perverse, etc basically just shows that you must be homophobic. I read fanfiction. Most of it isn’t sexually explicit. Honestly, I’m an adult and I ahould be aloud to read whatever I choose. As for the issue of the characters being underage, the three characters I like to read about (Snape, Lupin and Black) are all adults in the series, so I can’t really comment on the whole underage bit. But, really, if something like this bothers you, then don’t read it. Act you age. And don’t talk about things that you have very little understanding of. I’ve been involved with fanfic for over seven years. You’ve read maybe three fanfics in you life.

Honestly, sir or maddam, whoever wrote this article – your ignorance astounds me. You call yourself a (amateur, I might add) journalist/reporter, but please do some research before you call others down. You obviously have no idea what you’re talking about.

I do not appreciate being called a pervert, and as an adult, I do feel that it’s my right to read or view whatever I please.

I do, however, feel that the overreactions involving this dispute are rather pathetic. Were I in a position to claim that my works were published, I would be honored to have other people write ‘fan fiction’ about my books. It says that people have a great deal of love for the books, and not only that, but are praising the author for his or her greatness in the writing field.

With all do respect, please, grow up and open your biased eyes.

You know, it really depends what you’re looking at. People shouldn’t waste their time trying to prove that all slash is acceptable, but then, people shouldn’t hold their breath and declare slash the beholder of evil. Fanfiction stories that are below R rating are perfectly fine. No problem there whatsoever. It’s the NC-17 stories that bug me. How can someone feel perfectly comfortable writing stories about children in adult relationships and having gay sex? (if it’s NC-17, it contains sex. if it didn’t, why would it be rated that?) And most of the people behind these stories are girls between the ages of 12-25 (maybe older, too.) I dunno. It just seems wrong. It completely ruins the image of Harry Potter being a CHILDRENS story.

Not all NC-17 fics are about adult/child relationships or gay sex at all… They could just be rated as such because of violence or an IMPLIED rape. You said

“How can someone feel perfectly comfortable writing stories about children in adult relationships and having gay sex? (if it’s NC-17, it contains sex. if it didn’t, why would it be rated that?)”

You make it sound like all fics that have sex are gay sex. I’m beginning to wonder if this debate is about peoples ignorance about slash or their blatant homophobia…? A lot of things can cause something to be rated NC-17 for a variety of reasons. Hell, Sucide Club, a Japanese movie was rated R because people commit suicide in it.

Suicide, murder, death, war, torture. There are a hell of a lot of reasons that things can be rated NC-17 or higher. As for most of the writers being between the ages of 12-25? I’d love to know where you get those numbers, hun.

By the by, there are a shit load of stores that are completely innocent. Like of Lily and James cradling baby Harry in their arms after being born that does not tarnish the CHILDRENS book status of Harry Potter.

Please, if you plan on commenting again, research before you lecture.

if someone wants to rite a great piece of art, let them rite a great piece of art. if someone wants to rite a porno fanfic, let them get it out of their system. MOVE ON PEOPLE ITS ONLY WRITING!

It’s kind of sad you have nothing better to do than write an article on slash when there’s a bloody war going on in Afgan….

Heh, I find the debate that is raving here better than the article itself.

As far as I’m concerned, its not really a big deal. I mean chill out people; its writing, and it isn’t worth all this argument. Some of it is crap, some if its great stuff (whose authors could probably be putting their skill to better work; originals please?), but it’s all just there. If it isn’t your cup of tea, and it isn’t mine, ignore it.

QUOTE:
“Most of those who write slash fiction spend hours every night watching American TV shows and squealing with delight whenever one character looks at another. “Ooo, did you see the look Lex gave Clark in the 52nd minute? They’re soooooo gay lovers!”

A more accurate paragraph would be “SOME of those..”, but I have to applaud this. It’s painfully true. Fangirlism is a bitch, because when things go to that point, you can’t just ignore it; you go to a fucking LOTR movie and miss whats being said because there are twenty teenage girls squealing every time [insert male character here] comes on screen. But fanfiction writing? Who cares?

There are bloody wars going on in a variety of places. It’s kind of sad that you only point out one and spell it wrong. Afghanistan shortened would still have the H in it.

And as for it being only writing, C.J. Ducasse once said:
“”To speak of mere words is much like speaking of ‘mere dynamite’.”

Not all fanfic writers are fangirls, Ano.

I am a slash fanfiction reader and writer. I am male and straight, and do not “squeal” whenever any male character (or female, for that matter) comes on screen. I am not American. I watch hardly any TV at all, and the onlt American things I watch are films at the cinema.
I also read fics in which two characters have sex and one of them is underage (both slash *and* het pairings). I honestly can’t see why it’s wrong, since the characters aren’t real people and I’m hurting nobody by reading such stories.
I would also like to point out that 99,9% of the fics out there, again both het and slash, are rated. If a kid is reading something he or she shouldn’t, then it’s the parents’ resposibility, not the writer’s.

I thought many of the things posted here were hillarious and I’m sorry for those of you who can’t enjoy good writing because of your . . . prejudices. I am a proud slash reader, even though I’m not much of a writer. I’m not here to repeat what’s been said because sadly I didn’t even know some of the data stated here.

The two quotes I thought were the most hilarious things stated here were “‘Ooo, did you see the look Lex gave Clark in the 52nd minute? They’re soooooo gay lovers!’” and “. . . you go to a fucking LOTR movie and miss whats being said because there are twenty teenage girls squealing every time [insert male character here] comes on screen.”, because I partake in both of those.

Many of the people who disaggree with slash, I believe, are either homophobic or fretful parents, maybe even half of them are a combination of the two, but slash shouldn’t be read by people who aren’t mature enough or have ill-feelings torward homosexuals.

For the people who think that fanfiction writers should be more creative and write something original stories, most of the fanfiction writers I know have writen original works. The most famous fanfiction site I know of, http://www.fanfiction.net, had to create a whole different site, http://www.fictionpress.com, because of all the original stories they had there.

Er, well I don’t really know how to end this. I wish that I could say something clever or insightful, but the best I can come up with is a quote I found about a year ago when I was writing a story. “Wisdom begins in wonder.” -Socrates.

“Probably there are even sites dedicated to bible slash, with tales of Moses getting it on with Aaron and Jesus doing Paul.”

Actually, the only Bible flash I’ve ever found was James/Jesus. Sorry to let you down.

“Apparently most slashers simply fast-forward the story a few years, making Harry an eighteen-year-old at Hogwarts, but you can’t help but feel that this is a specious move.”

“You” being who, exactly? An outsider who is a) obviously male and b) obviously not a part of the fandom and more importantly c) not the intended audience? And you expect to somehow, lacking all these criteria, get inside the heads of the readers/writers of said slash?

“The writers fall in love with these underage characters, they fantasize about them doing all kinds of perverted things ó do they really fast-forward them in their imaginations too?”

We fall in love with characters, do we? Right, well, good to know the Psychic Thought Police is on a witchunt again.

“Or does the “Harry was in his senior year” maneuver simply act as a legal disclaimer and perhaps mechanism of denial?”

Perhaps you need to gather some knowledge on the subject before you throw around such sinister accusations. I can recommend you perhaps start with finding out the difference between “chanslash” and regular “slash”.

“Is it the desire to release this otherwise repressed sexuality that gives rise to fan fiction in the first place?”

If you had any idea who Henry Jenkins is, and therefore perhaps educated yourself enough to even start an article on the subject of slash, you would have already answered this question.

“Given how ridiculous an anti-slash would be ó imagine rewriting the Marquis de Sade without sex! ó it is difficult not to conclude that sexuality is at the very root of fan fiction, perhaps even at the root of fiction itself. After all, what do most people fantasize about anyway?”

Yes, because all fanfiction is slash and all the word “fantasy” only ever means “sexual fantasy”. Dear me, why wasn’t I ever informed of these paradigm shifts? I must join whatever Generalisers Anonymous ML you’re on.

I think your stupid broke my quota for the day.

Katrina- go to hell. My brother died in the bloody war. He died saving your ass.

Really, it seems that the most often assumed ideas about slash(any slash for that matter) is that it is all about sex. This idea is most certainly dead wrong. I am a reader/writter of slash fiction and have rarely ever seen a story that was’t covered in warnings of slash or anything of ’squick’ nature. Yes, there are those fics that deal with rape, incest, cross-gen, etc. but the few that are actually bad are the ones that have the most warnings.

When you said that if you “Scratch the surface of a few slash sites online, and it doesn’t take long to find tales of bestiality, rape, sexual torture, and Weasley twins sodomizing each other.” Have you actually tried to find one? Okay the ones with rape in them aren’t that hard to find, but in those stories the rape is most usually hinted at or just shown for a few moments and after it is done the story usually is pretty tame. Seriously, I go to a slash site and find maybe one story of beastiality after going through the site for hours.

Most of the slash writters are heterosexual females. This is true.

With the fast-forewarding of the characters age issue- If this really has to be debated then some people obviously haven’t read any fictions that deal with shouto-con recently.

Fangirls are annoying yes, I’m sorry if this offends anyone. I used to be one actually, but then I realized that there are more important things in life than debating whether the look that so and so gave so and so in episode # was of hidden desire or complete loathing.

If you are going to say that writting about someone elses character is un-creative, then you have obviously not tried to keep every single character in character.

I would go on more about the subject, but I think I’ll just join in the wornderful act of ignoring this debate to do better things such as read another good slash story.

Goodbye.

I feel the same way about slash fanfics that I feel about het fanfics: if you don’t want to read it, than don’t. I usually write heterosexual fanfics, but I’ve written one or two slash ones and I never write anything above PG-13. Now, I fully admit that I love the graphic stuff, especially boy/girl/boy threesomes, but there are ships that I find totally squicky. But I don’t read them. The point of fanfics is to explore other facets of the characters. I write exclusively about minor characters so that I can talk about aspects of their personalities that you don’t get from the books. Harry doesn’t spend all his time with Fred and George, so how does he know that they don’t have any insecurities? Those are the type of things I write about.

But back to the slash thing. Heterosexual women have a fantasy of what homosexual relationships are like and that’s how slash came about. It’s like yaoi and shounen-ai manga in Japan. Those tend to be the best series like FAKE. And heterosexual women tend to be the most popular manga artists.

The point is that all fanfiction is not slash, all slash is not pornographic, and all pornographic slash is not bad. Besides, that’s why we have a rating system. If you don’t want to read any Lemons or Limes, then when it asks if you want to continue, click no and move on. There’s no need to flame an author just because you don’t like their subject.

As for being pedophillic, how can a story pedophillic if the characters don’t exist? And even if they did, the Golden Trio would 24 (well Hermione would be 25 because her birthday is September 19) right now because the books take place from 1991-1998. So it still wouldn’t pedophillia, despite that we’re all “in love with children.”

James, you are so right on. You too, Anon.

Porn, fluff, AU, who cares? I am an avid reader of HP het fic, have read slash, but the plot lines can get really boring! IMHO: Most HP slash is merely ok. There are a few authors that write quite good M/M, and a few that are simply dreadful. But…. Fanfiction.net. Authors Superwitch and rickfan37. Het fic, with Professor Severus Sexy Snake Hips Snape as the main character. Dearsweetjesus…WHAT MORE COULD A STRAIGHT GAL WANT???

Unless the lovely Prof was real. Then, yeah………….

Well, later taters, I’m off to Dark Mark ;)

I agree with the majority of the people on this board when they say that slash is fine. I am also of the opinion that if people don’t want to read Harry Potter slash fics, then they should just leave them, rather than debase the people who do.

I have been a HP slash reader for a few years, and I have yet to find a slash fic that has not got a clear warning at the beginning. The warning is there for a reason, so that people who are uncomfortable with slash know not to read it.

I fail to see the point in trying to ban slash when there are a lot of better things to do with your time. I mean, if I went on a crusade to stop the eating of fast food, for example, I would have wasted hours of my life arguing with, and sometimes being insulted by people who disagreed with me, without achieving any real results bar making enemies of people that I don’t even know.

I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and life. If this involves reading slash, or even porn, then i fail to see any real reason to tell people to stop.

If it was about real people in real life, and there was a serious problem, then I would be worried, but it is just some stories about some imaginary characters, and I dont see the problem with it.

Also, one of the arguements is that slash is spoiling a childrens book. However, each slash fic is protected with a rating- g, pg, pg-13, r or nc-17. These are there to stop children from reading anything unsuitable for them, and therefore, it is not spoiling the book for them.

I am a fan of the books, having read each of them several times, and I have not found them spoilt just because I read a few slash stories on the internet.

Finally, I would like to enforce the fact that fanfiction is there to be read optionally. Nobody marches around forcing people’s heads to the computer screen and clicks onto a slash site. People only read slash stories as a light-hearted way to pass the time. They do not look at a story and immediately think “Hey, this gives me a great idea…”

Goodbye, and thank you for taking the time to read my opinion.

i personaly love harry potter slash. all it is is romance novels with familiar characters. guys have playboy magazine and girls have romance novels, where there are no pictures. so slah is nothing more than a romance novel and i see nothing wrong with it. and it’s NOT porn, gosh. porn is pictures of naked people and fanfiction is NOT pictures of naked poeple.

oh and about it being pedophillia, that is pre pubesent children like under 11. and lots of the stories are writen when they are 17 or 18 years old, so yeah

whew. just read the comments up there. i happen to agree with those disagreeing with the article.

i am a slash reader/writer, and, as many people have stressed AGAIN and AGAIN, there is no need whatsoever to defend nor denounce slash.

the fact is, it’s all up to YOU. 99.9% of slash out there have warnings, and 99.99% all have warning around them, some even have it in caps. ‘THIS STORY CONTAINS SLASH (M/M RELATIONSHIP)’. Sites even have a pop-up window when you pick a fic, stating that the fic contains SLASH, or FEMMESLASH, or it has RAPE or INCEST or any of that.

if you don’t LIKE slash, then, dammit, just don’t read it. if a story is NC-17 and you’re below that age, then don’t read the bloody fic. if a story feature pedophillia, and you are against it, don’t read it either. it is not up to YOU to say whether someone should read a fic or not. it is up to THEM. the damned fact is, that not everyone shares the same insight as you, just like you don’t share theirs. if they like it, don’t butt in anymore, just let it be. i have heard of no reports claiming that a writer has *forced* anyone to read their fic.

and, lastly, a writer has every write to write something, may it be crappy or wonderful enough to be a best-seller, may it be smut or action or humor. and a reader has every write to read what s/he likes and not read what s/he doesn’t.

and remember, because everyone seems to be forgetting this:

HARRY POTTER AND MOST OTHER FANDOMS ARE *FICTION*. They are NOT REAL.

thank you,
cara

any one know any decent slash sites

Hey, what id like to know is why are people so intolerant? its not like slash is some criminal who busts into your home and steals all your stuff. if you don’t like it, don’t read it. im an avid Harry Potter book reader. Hell, i must have reas them close to 30 times each. but i still enjoy reading slah fanfiction. its like seeing the other side of their personality. Every single slash ive read has some warning or other ‘WARNING: THIS FANFIC CONTAINS SLASH’ or ‘THIS FIC CONTAINS M/M RELATIONSHIPS’. theres no reason to go anal on something you don’t like, because if you don’t like it, you don’t want to see it or whatever, don’t read it cos its not your business.

They should write slash about everything. They should distribute it to the masses for free. They should write about the most detestful, horrible, disgusting acts of perversion imaginable. The sexual phsyche of humanity should be exposed for all to see. The only abnormal sexual fantasy, is not having one.
I hope to offend and detest people with this post. Please tell me if you are offended. I would love to hear how I made you angry or disgusted. Someone should post an excerpt from one of those slash stories.

I, for one, like slash. Its not all just about sex though. There are usually sexual situations in the stories but alot of them have really good plots too. If you don’t like things like that, then shut up and don’t read it!
Besides, there is not only Harry Potter slash out there. You could most likely find slash for any book/movie/show. What is the big problem about it anyway? People can go and buy yaoi mangas, so why can’t we get on the internet and read about such things?
I do hope slash isn’t banned, because there really are alot of slash stories out there that have brilliant plots.

i do not read slash nor write slash, but almost all of my friends love it. there isn’t a real reason for why i don’t read/write it, i just usually don’t go for what everyone else seems to.

but what i have noticed the most is, slash is funny. it pushes your imagination and is absurd and breaks the lines of conformity. these slash stories usually take major stories (good stories, with plenty of characterization, theme, action, adventure, etc) that are written well, and write about what never is written about. all the subconscious questions or perhaps just something that shocks or something so absurd to imagine these well-known characters doing that it intrigues.

today’s culture, especially film, seems to so commerical that it doesn’t present us with anything new. it doesn’t push us or make us think. so these slash stories do that-> they take stories that everyone knows and changes them to such an extreme extent that they can make you feel or think something new.

but i don’t think most people think of it like that. they just read it because it’s fun. they write it because they see the humor in it.

if you look at the 70’s, there was a major movement happening. the films produced tried to push us into areas that films don’t even want to explore today. but that movement was mostly male-dominated. women didn’t really have a part in it, because they still didn’t have a major part in film.

so perhaps it says something that slash is female-dominated. perhaps it’s the start of a new movement that will push us to think and feel and “break the system,” but this time led by women.

QUOTE: D-Desade
“I would love to hear how I made you angry or disgusted. Someone should post an excerpt from one of those slash stories.”

Woo-o-oo! I’d be only too pleased! Now we’re getting dirty. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. BEWARE, THIS IS /SLASH/, baby!

“The room is warm now, and your eyes begin to close. This where you’re really living, isn’t it. He may leave for those days at a time, you may wake to face those mornings alone; but through those days, from morning till night, from month to month and year to year, there is always in the back of your mind these times: these hours together in the quiet, when all is still and warm. They aren’t dreams; they are what’s real. They are what you live to wake to.

This stamp of eternity, this time in the firelight, his hands warm as your skin, your skin warm as his hands, stroking through the soft rustle of paper and crackle of logs. Here is where the past fades, where the future won’t matter. Here with every slow stroke into peace, every heartbeat where you would pay the same price a thousand times over, here is where you live. ”

It’s a good thing your kids will be filtered from THAT, I tell ya.

While I don’t agree that all Fanfiction is slash. I have to say that this kind of stuff does offend me. I think Fanfiction is for the most part demeaning. Thank you.

You said: “What makes Harry Potter unique, however, is that in origin all the characters are underage, and thus the writers are forced to cope somehow with the obvious pedophiliac implications”

Actually Harry Potter is not at unique in this way and this statement shows the severe lack of research you did on this article.

In anime, numerouse characters are “underaged” (by American standerds) and involved in romantic/sexual situation. Also, you see this now in many American comics and television (uhh House anyone to name the mildest case I can think of).

In many fanfics, Harry and others are between 14-17, Yes, in America that is underaged, but to say that kind of underaged sex is a vice of only Harry Potter fanfiction is utterly ridiculous. Do you watch movies/televisiion at all?

Also, if you wish to invistigate the roots of Child/adult slash, I suggest checking out the chan and gothic lolita subcultures coming out of Japan -_-

Again, this type of thing is not unique to the HP fandom.

The fact that you suggest it is makes this article look like muckracking and nothing more.

Oh, honestly. I write Sirius raping Vernon, and you can be sure that isn’t paedophilia. Although… is mutual masturbation in the boy’s dorm paedophilia, and if so, are half England’s public schoolboys paedophiles for their childhood sport of soggy biscuit and daisy-chain clubs?

At any rate, it’s rather dull writing simply Harry Potter’s school chums. In an effort to flee the terrors of paedophilia, I suggest everybody takes up writing Dumbledore/Ollivander, where everybody is nicely over the century barrier.

Get the fuck over this you idiots. I’ve read slash. My ex writes slash. I even write it for humor value just because people get so very upset over gay pairings of their favourite characters. BUT I overwhelmingly write original work, and you people who can’t take someone not liking slash are just as anal as slash-haters. Oooooh dear, someone doesn’t like slash! I think I’ll go cry, cut myself, and write in my lifejournal.

SHUT. THE FUCK. UP.

EDIT: To any psuedo-intellectuals who write long rants culminating in “If you don’t like it, don’t read it,” answer this: If you don’t like Supervert’s article, why are you reading it?

:) Lifejournal. Gotta get me one of them.
See, the reason all these “psuedo-intellectuals” are so angry is that people do read this rag. People will make opinions based on this article and the people who know better cannot object to it. What they need to be doing is writing a contrary article. Who wants to bet on the odds that it would ever be accepted by the editors?

oh my god, people. i just realized this article was written a year ago.

people who like slash, go you! people who don’t, rock! there’s no reason to try to convince others of what you think. all you’re trying to do is push your ideals on someone else. which is NOT getting others to see the “truth.”

if you expect someone else to respect and understand your beliefs, you first have to respect and understand theirs.

just take a deep breath and realize that nothing really matters. all is one and the same.

Sallie- So, somebody raping a child is the same as somebody looking at a flower? Sure, there’s relativism and all, but hey, everything’s one and the same…

I write Harry Potter slash, and I’m the same age as most of the characters I write about. I’m a girl, and I’m straight. I think I’m fairly normal, I have friends, and I’m not fat or ugly. I believe that the truth of life is that people my age (and younger, worryingly) do have sex with each other and are capable of forming gay relationships. When I write slash I use it as a way of developing a character, speculating on how they would act in certain situations, and enjoying harnessing a universe that another talented writer has created. I think your question – Why do people feel the need to explore the sexuality of their favorite characters of fiction? – is an intruiging one. I don’t quite know the answer, but I don’t think slash is dangerous in any way. For impressionable minds, perhaps – and just as you (probably) wouldn’t want porn magazines where your toddler could see them, slash should be clearly marked as such. But I do feel that slash isn’t morally or ethically wrong. I think your article was an interesting read, although you do need to loosen up. Writing about illegal things occuring is not illegal (yet). I think it’s a positive thing that writers have a chance to explore certain topics through this medium.

First off: L. Cully, what’s the fic you quoted? I’d LOVE to read it!

I am an avid reader and new writer of HP slash fanfiction. Actually, it’s the only kind of fic I like. I don’t understand why the author of this article seems to think that there is some shameful or morbid subconscious reason that people, particularly young heterosexual women, like M/M slash. Nobody questions why straight guys like to fantasize about lesbian sex–it’s become a cultural norm. The best explanation I’ve heard for why guys find lesbian sex hot is that it’s people having sex (duh), but there are no guys involved! Straight guys sometimes don’t want to think about other guys going at it (surprise surprise), so they prefer to stick with girls going at it together. My guess is that straight women are often the same way; they get off on thinking about men having sex with each other partially because reading about women doing the nasty turns them off.

I’m 19 and bisexual, and basically, I just find it arousing to read about guys having sex. It’s erotic. And that’s just the explanation for the racier stories. In a general sense, I, like many others, find same-sex relationships beautiful in their own way because they are pursued in a culture of repression and prejudice. The partners have to really want it. Also, people of the same gender often understand each other better than people of different genders do. The result is that same-sex relationships can have a quite different atmosphere than het relationships. I’m not saying better, I’m just saying different, and it’s fine to prefer one over the other.

However, same-sex relationships aren’t different from het ones in any essential way. Two people dig each other, badda bing, badda boom. It’s perfectly normal to be attracted to and to romantically love a person of either sex. (As a bisexual, I personally can’t understand how one could fail to find BOTH sexes attractive, and I would dare to bet that if supposedly straight people are really honest with themselves, most of them are at least a little bit attracted to people of their own sex. And vice versa for homosexual people. Of course, I can’t prove this.) Besides just the gender-bending, I think it’s completely normal to have sexual kinks, and not just the innocent ones like toe-sucking or cowboy hats or whatever. I’m not about to judge anyone for being attracted to kids and adolescents, or for finding the idea of bestiality intriguing, or for going orgasmic at the thought of cross-dressing (*raises hand*), or for enjoying sadomasochism, or any other sexual fantasy. I’m not going to tell you you’re evil for getting turned on by reading chanslash or incest, as long as you’re not acting on those fantasies. Bottom line: what two consenting adults do is their business, and what any person of any age fantasizes about is his or her business. Fantasizing never harmed anyone. Porn fics aren’t any less valid than any other genre. Fics that center around issues like rape or incest can be art, and you can appreciate and enjoy them even if you’re NOT turned on by them.

Basically, good writing is good writing. And I heartily bite my thumb at people who think that it’s any less creative to write about someone else’s characters/universe than it is to write original fiction. It takes talent to explore and develop characters, to give readers a feel for them, or to add your own interpretation to them, while simulataneously keeping them in character (as the original writer wrote them). It also takes good perception, and a touch of wisdom about people. Anyone who thinks otherwise obviously hasn’t tried it.

And if you don’t like slash, that’s cool too. When it comes to reading and writing anything at all, to each his own. It doesn’t hurt anybody; nobody’s being forced to read anything they don’t want to, and everything is marked as to rating and content. It’s all about expression and having fun and exploring the fandom you love. And, might I add, exploring yourself.

Yes I’m nineteen years old and I do read a lot of fan fiction, like others said not all Fan fictions is about slash, and yes I think too that’s its rather disturbing to find a large number of them on the web. I am personally not a fan of slash, it’s not that I’m a homophobic because I’m not or self proclaimed saint either. I believe people do have the right to write anything they want on the web I do however scrutinize that children under the age of 13 can access these sites or fan fictions too easily. Most of the time I accidentally run into them and I rather not, fan fictions of them is disturbing enough but the chartrooms, such as yahoo and msn, are where people see it the most and what’s even worse people do not have the choice but merely accidentally reading it. People should take into consideration that Harry Potter has readers from all ages and not only a certain group. How would you feel if you nine or eleven year old asks to enter a chat room about Harry Potter and having to say No because inconsiderate people type in the chat rooms. I know chat rooms aren’t usually clean and friendly to begin with, especially when it comes to word usage and vulgarity. So when your child asks to enter a Harry Potter room, you would at least think it’s rather safe but no not no longer. I hope people consider that other people may not want to read you fan fictions, or fantasies in a chat room.

slash and harry potter, i can see that some would say that it is ponography but ponography is legal. then there is the issue of the characters being under age… yeah that is true, but they are not children they have hit puberty and in real life they would probably have sex. lets face it, many people have sex when they are 14, 15, 16 years old and they are ok, why is it so wrong to write about it? ok, ok, there are laws against ponography and people under 18 but still this is not for real, it is a written composition and not like a pornofilm, then i would find it bothering too. but let people write and read slash, it is an artform if well-written!

I find it most amusing that people are so horrified by the idea of slash, and Harry Potter slash in particular. Slash has been around in multiple fandoms for a while now – most people attribute its origins to Star Trek (namely Spock and Kirk, as mentioned in the article). What needs to be understood is that it’s really not all that different from reading romance novels or even erotic fiction in dirty magazines. The defining factor is that slash fan fiction takes characters that the reader and writer has an emotional connection with and develops the characters’ stories in another direction. Sometimes it’s a shameless (but nonetheless enjoyable) story with something like a plot sprinkled over an intense sex scene. And sometimes it’s a thought-driven, deeply moving piece of fiction that explores deeper into the personalities of the fictional characters authors and readers adore so much. I wrote an essay regarding slash fiction a little over a year ago, and from surveying I found that many people who write slash fan fiction go on to write stories – ‘gay’ or not – about their own characters and situations once they feel more comfortable with writing. Slash is merely a means of expression and enjoyment for fans of any genre, and whether considered by the reader to be another form of pornography or a legitimate body of work, it should be respected.
Referring specifically to the Harry Potter slash fandom, I’d also like to remind the author of this article that many of the characters in Harry Potter are adults. Much of slash fiction is focused around said adults (for example, the outlandishly popular pairing of Remus Lupin and Sirius Black). I’m not intending to claim that there is no slash fiction with themes of pedophilia, because there most certainly is. Personally, however, I think of pedophilia as concerning children who have yet to go through puberty – ages up two thirteen or fourteen at the most. I feel confident in saying that the majority of fiction revolving around the younger characters in Harry Potter puts them somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen; ages at which many and even most young people in real life have already engaged in intercourse.
In the end, it just comes down to personal preference. For some people, the concept of slash is revolting; for others, it is enticing and arousing. I only argue that it should be respected for what it is and not attacked.

I have to say that the article itself showed an amazing lack of research. I’m fairly new to the world of slash. However, from what I’ve found on the thirty or so sites that I now have bookmarked, most slash writers are female and straight (me included). I do not see having a 16 year old Harry having a relationship with a 16 year old Draco (for example) as pedophiliac. Movies show teenagers kissing (About a Girl showed a 12 year old Macauly Caulkin kissing a younger girl), is that pedophilia?

The age of consent varies from country to country…For me, I don’t read stories that have relationships for anyone younger than 15. I know what I did at 15. I’m not so naive as to believe that teenagers (whether magical or muggle) aren’t experimenting with sex at 15. It would be different if Uncle Vernon was having sexual relations with an 8 year old Harry, but I have yet to experience that (Thank the Maker). Almost all of the slash stories tell you who are the main relationship characters before you read the story. I don’t enjoy cross-gen and I choose not to read these stories.

The main part of the debate here is choice. Each of us have a choice whether or not to read a story. NC-17 stories, in agreement with JK Rowling’s requests, have disclaimers and age certifications on all the major sites (hexfiles.net, silversnitch.net, mugglenet.com, etc). Just because someone else’s choice is different from your own does not make that person a pervert, a pedophile or evil.

Finally, I’ve written and published stories with my own characters. I find writing fanfiction is MUCH harder than that. I have to make a concerted effort to keep my characters in character and keep within canon for the genres I write. When you’re in someone else’s world, the rules are theirs and that is much harder than creating your own realm.

Wow, so many things to say in so little room. First of all, I’ve read a lot of fanfiction and very little of it was pornography. Pornography is meant to get you off, and yes, some fanfiction is meant to do the same thing, but most fulfills an emotional need in the reader and writer. It’s like going to a movie with a really hot sex scene; the scene might get you breathing heavily, but unless the film has no plot or characterization at all (or you have no character yourself) you didn’t go to the film just to please your libido.

The urge to write fanfiction is a creative urge that exists in everyone, and has always existed. Lord Byron writing about Prometheus is fanfiction, and so is that alternate ending that you imagined for a movie, the continuation of a tv series you wished wasn’t cancelled. Imagination is the root of fanfiction, not sex, and it’s gutsy, sometimes brilliant, sometimes pathetic people who actually thrust their imaginings out into a world where people can see them.

Now, about the sexual content. Sometimes I find something that repells me, but when I do I have to remember two things. First, I chose to read the story knowing the risk. The internet is an uncontrolled entity; any attempt to curtail the freedoms of fandom writers, whether I like them or not, will destroy the nature of that entity, and lets not forget a fundamental fact about limiting freedom, when you limit the freedom of some you limit the freedom of all. That might sound trite, but if I complain about a rape story, then there’s a good chance that if limitations were imposed they would be imposed on the type of stories that I like as well. Which isn’t even going into the question of what qualifies as a rape story. The internet is so vast, and fanfiction has such variety, that any attempt at imposition is just foolish.

Doubly so because of my second point, that even if what you’re reading is all about sex, it’s a fantasy. It may sound disgusting to you that people want to read a story about rape, or sex with a thirteen year old, but that’s partly because you’re imagining the writers and readers as people who actually like those things in real life. It’s a natural reaction, I do it too when I come across a fic with a squick that I didn’t know about, but then I take a moment and think that, no, probably the writer doesn’t really want to have sex on barbed wire, but writing about it satisfies her. Why? catharsis. It’s an ancient concept used in all tragedies, action stories and most dramas. Think about it, when you go to see a bloody action movie, is that something that you’d really want to see happen in real life? No, but seeing it, the building of tension, climax and finally release (and I claimed we weren’t talking about sex, snicker!) fulfills a deep need within the human psyche, releasing not only the tension built up during the movie, but also during the workday, familial life, whatever. It doesn’t work the same with all people; some people don’t like action, some don’t like tragedy, and some don’t like fanfiction, but some do.

It’s important to remember not to judge. After all, you may be laughing at the thirteen year old writing (writing poorly, I might add) angsty fics filled with teenage woe, guilt and, yes, sex, but it fulfills a need for her, sexual, but deeper than sexual. Freud was wrong, not everything is about sex, it’s just that sex is such a good indicator of the underlying problems and causes.

And remember, not all of us are thirteen year old girls exploring sexuality, some of us are older girls and boys, releasing tension and building a social circle.

I’ve been reading too much Freud, because that REALLY sounds like sex (laughter).

I am a fan fiction (fanfic) writer myself, and found this article quite amusing. It was pointed out to me by a friend, so I had to read it.
I don’t find the context of the article itself disheartening to my writing career and future works, but the fact that it’s under “pervscan”. I don’t consider myself a pervert, although I have dabbled in slash (and am personally very fond of it). I admit that I have writen a pornographic story to test my writing skills in that genre. I also will admit that I write normal fanfics and soft slash (the non-pornographic kind).
So, by the title of this article, it seems that you are attempting to make all slash seem like pornography, although it is not. I believe that is my only serious problem.

whats the point of bannning slash. I mean people who don’t like it shouldn’t read it and leave the people who do like it alone and whats the point of age bans by putting those underage kids are justgonna try harder to get in. Just because everybody doesn’t like slash shouldn’t mean that people who do like it can’t read it. There’s always a warning in summery’s if there’s slash in the story so there not doing any harm and if non slashers don’tlike it THEN DON”T READ IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you,
megan

Banning slash fiction isnt the right way to go about things.If your going to ban slash fiction, then you might as weel ban heterosexual fanfiction as well, because really there isnt much of a difference between the two.

I myself, am an advid slash supporter and most of my favorite parings are the ones you would consider “gross” or “wrong”.Yes, I look for the NC-17 ones, as well as PG-13 and G ones.I’ve read, written, and even roleplay Harry Potter slash, so naturally I dont see a problem with it.

This artic did amuse me.The writer of it seemed heel-bent on projecting the message that all slash is equal to pornography and that your a pervert if you read it or write it.But what about het fiction?I personally have seen het fiction go pass boundaries that slash fiction wouldnt touch.

I believe that you should be able to read and write what you want to.If you dont like it, dont read it.No ones forcing you to, so you have no right to make complaints about it.If you’re against slash, dont click on a fic that blatently states “NC-17 Slash, beastiality, rape, BDSM”.Its not that hard of a concept to grasp.

Thank you,

Kristin.

This is actaully one of the better articles i have read about this topic. Actually i’m quite impressed with it.
I think the high rate of slash and sex that occur in the harry potter fanfiction culture is mainly due to the developing audience reading them. Fan fiction is written because people feel out what they think is missing the the actaul works, for most hormone driven teenages the most primal thing which is skittered around time and time again in the Harry Potter books is sex. Being young-child friendly the books havn’t been able to flow with the growth of their characters to what most teens would consider a normal extent.
While often people seem to think of these teen fanfictions as sometimes being pedophiliac in nature, it is pobably couldn’t be father from the true cause of their creation. As i said before fanfictions are mainly written by teens, if you are only 15 years old yourself, you don’t find the idea of having sex with another 15 year old as perverted, it’s just a matter of the rest of socity veiwing it that way.
Their are far more dangerous things around which could stem to dangerous pedophiliac behaviour than a teen girls day dreams.
I feel that slash has always been around. For years and years, the idea of men enjoying two females interacting in sexual manners has been seen as perfectly (healthy in fact), though sadly probably due to the still lingering effects of women being repressed by a male dominated socity that womens fantasy’s arn’t veiwed as healthy normal things like mens are. The dislike of the slash topic stems from this, but it in no way more perverted than anthing else, like everything in life, it comes in degrees. Though unlike much of the sometimes sickening pornographic images, which litter the internet, fanfiction, is more often than not catogorised, labled with warnings, free of dangerous virus, and i truely hope hasn’t caused harm to anyone except purely fictional characters on the odd occsion.

T.E.

It is almost two years since the article has been put up, so I do not know if most of the people still read it or not. But, I have been reading slash before i was 13 I didn’t mean to at first I had no idea what slash meant when i went looking for buffy the vamp. slayer fanfics… now on the other hand I am really glad that i did. Some out there have a real problem with fanfics to do with things along the lines of rape (I have read a coulpe of HP slash rape stories) I must say that yes it is upsetting in away but, the stories that I read were mainly about how to get through such a crime. I was raped when I was 4, and sadly again when I was 7-12 by my step-father… I just do not think that these stories are perverted but reminded me that I am not alone and there is a way to get through it.

Ok, when I started writing that it sounded better in my head. (and maybe that’s where it should of stayed) I love HP slash and have for a LONG time now, I read the fanfics before I read the books, and if you read a touching story does it matter that it is S. Snape and H. Potter?

Try reading something like “If You Are Prepared Series” at http://www.swish-n-flick.netfirms.com/images/coverpages/iyap_cover.htm
I know it’s a long story but I like it.

I had some things I wanted to add yet after reading two years worth of comments I think most has been said. If you do not like it don’t read it.

Yow! http://www.swish-n-flick.netfirms.com/images/coverpages/iyap_cover.htm–too good! I am at Ch. 12. Thanks Anna!

Hello, Everyone!
Wow! I didn’t know about the fan-fiction subgenre known as “slash” until now. Thanks for the informative posts. Now I feel the need to point out something to you as a whole group. Pardon me if I come on like a professor and make you feel like a student, but that’s just a coincidence I assure you. It isn’t intentional. Anyway, in randonm order, here are my points.
#01: Only the “AMPAA” has the legal right to use its ratings system. No one else does. So to claim that your fan-fictions have such ratings it risk putting yourself in legal jeopardy. They came up with “NC-17″ to replace “X” because they msitakenly thought it would be seldom if ever used, to they didn’t bother to trademark it. So it became abused to no end! They learned their lesson and trademarked “NC-17″. Ergo, “X” being the only one in the Public Domain, is the only rating of theirs that you may safely use. At my new site, we aren’t going to be “borrowing” their ratings system. However we do have a comparison chart to help people understand it.
#02: Yes, “gay” does mean “happy”. How it came to be associated with “male homosexuality”, is that American G.I.’s went to France and picked up on the French secret password that allowed men to get into clubs for male homosexuals. That word was “es gaye”. It of course became corrupted at that point and was simplied to “gay” where it has been causing confusion ever since.
#03: “Lesbian” refers to a resident of “Lesbos Island” near Greece. It was colonised by the poet Queen Sappho and homosexual women. Hence how both the words, “Lesbian” and “Sapphic” have come to be associatied with homosexual women.
#04: “Pornography” translated into English simply means, “the writing of a harlot”, or “harlot writing”. When you just used “porno” you are saying,”harlot of”. When you just use “porn” you are saying “harlot”. Pornography was invented by harlots. It was their book keeping system that sometimes involved illustrations when words would not do or were unknown. Since VIP’s often patronized brothels, their names or images would often be found in pornography. For some this could cause a scandal!
So some VIPs started to ban “pornography” to prevent their images from being ruined in public! Yet in secret they would still patronize the brothels.
#05: “Obscene” simply refers to something too expensive or grand to perform on stage, so the events were said to have happened, “obscenely”.
Love scenes could fall into this, because actors were invented before actresses, and all of the parts were played by male actors. So rather than watch to men go at it on stage, it was said their characters did “obscenely” or “obscene”. Battles scenes too big to be done on stage were also done “obscenely”. So both sex and violence have been labeled as being “obscene”.
#06: There are 3 sexual genders and 3 sexual orientations. The genders are, “monosexual male”, “monosexual female” and “bisexual hermaphodite”. Or just “male”, “female”, and “hermaphrodite” for short. The orientations are, “heterosexual”,”homosexual”, and “omnisexual”. Because of the nature of being a hermaphrodite, ehy automaticaly have an omnisexual relationship,because their own gender, regardless of the gender of their partner. So that’s how those two have been confused, with “omnisexual” often being the ignored word and “bisexual” being misused.
#06: If a 10-year old has sex with another 10-year old, in may locations that is considered on the books to be as equally illegal as if the 10-year old had sex with a 100-year old. Though in such cases where it was at an equal age, the parents and other authorities may just wink, as they remember their own childhood. However, lately there as been a lot of hating the winking and saying that it shouldn’t be allowed even then. There’s still a double standard between genders though, but that would take awhile.
#07: There’s a legal difference between sex within marriage and sex outside of it. The whole thing about “Age of Consent” still refers to being able to get married without parental permission first.However, ever since the “Free Love” movement, people have ignored the “marriage” part about “The Age of Consent” and just think of is as meaning sex in general.
However anyone doing a Websearch on the Age of Consent as I did, maybe shocked to learn that the Common Law Age of Consent in the USA, is still 10 for females and 12 for males, since females mature faster than males at that age! However back in the mid-to-late 19th Century, an early anti-male feminist movement began to hav Congress raise the Age Of Consent minimum. They blackmailed the Congress by threatening to tell the world about their sexual interests. Congress gave in, but with a compromise. They left it to eash state to set its own AOC. So each state did, from as low as 4 years over the Common Law to as much as 8. With the many variables, that is why there is a big difference between “Statutory Rape”, considered a crime, and “Pedophilia” considered to be a mental disorder. If the person is below the Common Law Age of Consent, it will be “Pedophilia” for sure. If it is at or above it, it will likely be “Statutory Rape”, depending on the semantics skills of the attorneys involved.
#08: By the way, “polygamy” is when a man has more than one wife, and is usually in a place where it is legal to be polygamous. “Bigamy” is the legal term used, for when more than one wife is illegal. Another by the way; “polyandry” is for when a woman has more than one husband. However it was usually reserved for Queens and Empresses, because its a slower way to reproduce.
#09: “Monogamy” would be one man and a wife. “Monoandry” would be one woman and a husband in a matriarchal society.
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That’s all for now! Thanks for the fun! Pardon any typos and other errors that I didn’t catch as I wrote this. I don’t like this format.

OOPS! Pardon me! A quick Post Script here! If anyone doesn’t get how there can be sex appeal to be found in the “Harry Potter” universe, then they must have missed the edition of “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE with Special Guest Lindsey Lohan”. They had a skit or sketch about the last Harry Potter movie that explained it all. With Lindsey playing the role of “Hermonnia Granger” (Spelling? I can’t remember it!) it became very evident then, for those who didn’t notice that she had blossomed since the last movie! In a book you aren’t going to get that kind of free special-effect like you do in a movie, even if it was purely unintentional on the movie maker’s part. So noticing the characters burgeoning sexuality may not be as forbidden as you think. They are all teenagers after all. In England 16- year-old girls may pose as “Page 3 Girls”. Samantha Fox was one such girl. Lucky British! Of course, Samantha was a little older than I was back then, but I still bought her LP albums and her poster album books and her wall posters.
Sigh. Nostalgia.

Oh, this seems to be a very *loved* topic indeed as so many like to put their foot in.

So what is porn in fiction then? Well, isn’t it fiction which turns you on. So, fiction with sex or similar scenes is found. Though so does life, so does movies, original fiction etc. And it’s not called porn. Well, take Sex & Lucia or any other movie by Julio Medem, or the swedish Together or Dogma. They all contain sexual situations though that’s not why I watch them. They tell stories of real life. One can’t deny that life doesn’t entail sex. Underage sex happens more in real life than in fiction. Different kinds of fetishes exists too.

If I should tell the story of my life and I wrote about my bother taking advantage of me and my sister’s child it’s not called porn. (He’s almost 30 years older) If I write about my sexual encounters it’s not called porn. It’s part of the whole woven story. It has it’s part to play.

Incest between sibling happens in real life too.

What you have to do is distinguish pornographyc fiction from fiction containing sexual scenes. But keep in mind the latter could always be turned into pornographic fiction if you only read those pharagraphs.

So we are in the vicinity of taboo. Homosexuality. This makes this dicussion harder than it already is. Homosexuality exist in the world in all it’s forms just as heterosexuality. If it is good or bad is insignificant. Sometimes you just wants to shag your best friend. And of course there’s fiction with homosexual content. So does movies, original fiction and is a part of our society.

Well, take the latest Harry Potter book and let Ron fall for a boy instead. It’s not porn and yet, it’s more upsettable than actual porn by the public eye.

So, the matter of who writes this. I was in a test poll about this. I am a heterosexual woman at the age of sixteen. Sure I think a woman’s body is very beautiful and I paint maked woman in fat charcoal but therefore I’m not interested in them. If you highen the age five year you have the avarage slasher. After that bisexual of both genders and hetero men. But if you take a poll about femslash the readers are mostly men.

So why does I read about to men interacting instead of cross gender. The answer is always individual. I get tired of het stories because the relationship is not very often equal. When I read about two of the same genders interacting I can choose wich part I want to take. I can’t choose in het, I identify myself with the woman because of the physical aspect.

At least this is healthier than actual encounters with rape, incest, and all that stuff. As all kinds of expressed fiction.

It’s good that this gets discussed thorougly. And all kinds of approach should be welcome though just to flame doesnt get you anyhere.

This discussion is American not the topic in itself or phenomenon. The need to flame eachother: nonslashers versus slashers. Could this have something to do with the large bannar on sex in USA? Hm..

Well lastly, I think all of whom writes should read through all the responses before writng a reply. It’s basicly the same arguments all over so try with some new arguments.

Remeber everything isn’t black and white. The person who wrote this article shaded it in grey and argumented against and for it and WONDERED. What he/she wondered have not been discussed here in a meaningful way.

Slash rocks. Anytime I can read about Snape and Lupin getting it on is a plus for me!

I think people should be able to write what they want about whoever they want, having whatever feelings they want their characters, or concept of other people’s characters to have. be it dark, slash, het, sex altogether, suicide, character death, rape, torture, fluff, student/teatcher pairing, peodophille (unsure of the spelling on that one), or anything else they can dream up to entertain themselves and te people who read their stories.

I have tried to write fanfictions and have failed terribly. I am very gratful for those writers who havn’t, especially the ones tnat write slash between a certain snarky potions master and the sufferable brat, gryffindor, golden boy.

I think it is wrong to try and paste a face on the millions of different people all over the world who enjoy slash, just because we enjoy the same pastime does not mean we are all teenage biesexual, or lesbian girls, swooning over everysimple gesture of affection. the fact that I happen to be a teenage girl, who swoons, and at 16 is unaware of her sexuality is beside the point. I won’t be 16 forever but i doubt i will enjoy slash fanfiction any less in the future.

I appologize, i seem to have lost my trail of thought. but the jist of it is: you write to express your creativity, te actions that you make your characters take may be illegal, or frowned upon, but by simply writing, or reading, it does not automatically mean you agree with the act. Or you could agree with it and what business does any one have to challenge your beliefs.

I apologize if i have repeated that which has been posted already, I do not mean to sound the broken record.

so what, some people write fiction about harry and ron or harry and draco having sexual experiences together. its only FICTION,. who gives a damn what they write about? not me. it is up to them how they use their writing talent.

I’ve just found this and must admit that the discussion is far more interesting than the article.

“Slash” is not only a depiction of two characters of the same sex falling in love/having sex etc. I prefer to define “Slash” as a genre of writing that deals with characters in a situation where the usual rules and standards of society cannot be applied anymore. A slash story involving a gay couple in a loving and accepting community/ cirle of friends (e.g. “Queer as Folk”) does not really classify as “slash”.

I am a slash reader and write myself and must admit to even having written a story that included a rape-scene, though this rape was part of the plot and *not* portrayed explicitly.
I like to write slash because of the many possibilies that suddenly appear when one part/event in the origional work is changed.
Slash – as all fanfiction – is merely another way of asking the big “what if” question. What if Harry fell in love with Draco? How would the other characters react? How would the two deal with their feelings and how would it influence the original plot?

Fanfiction is not merely a way of making one’s favourite characters have sex, it is also a means of developing and understanding a part of the character that may only have been hinted at in the book or movie.

Despite reading slash for more than 4 years now, there are some ratings and warnings I stay away from. But that is exactly what ratings are there for. If the warning says “bestiality” and you can’t stand the thought, then don’t read it, it’s always your choice. No one forces you to click on a slash link.

I can understand those who are disgusted by slash but it saddens me to see that they tend to demonize what they have never really looked into.

I do not believe in generalization. We are all created unique and deserve to be percieved individualy. To assume that all ’slashers’ are perverted because some individuals decide to write societal displeasing works, is like trying to say that all men are murderers because of Charles Manson’s actions.

Yes, the authors and their publishing companies may own the rights to their characters. However, if a piece of fan fiction has a written disclaimer stating that the author accepts no credit for the creation of the characters portrayed in the story and recieves no profit from the piece of fiction, then I see no reason why it is immorral or wrong to write for one’s own entertainment.

In a way J.K Rowling’s characters are very much like celebrities. They are seemingly un-touchable, larger than life. Do we not grasp and claw at any insight into an actor or singer’s personal life? Do we not read about the intimate encounters of famous people such as Britney Spears and Madonna?

How is bringing a new dimension to an already existing character’s ‘life’ any different than exploiting a human being’s personal life.

Surely here people! We obviously have no problem exploiting Linsday Lohan’s supposed anorexia, yet we squabble over whether or not it is right to create fan fiction?

Again if your rebuttle is going to consist of copywrite laws and infringement, there are often the disclaimers. For those writers that don’t have disclaimers, feel free to go after them with a pack of blood hound lawyers, but please show logic, compassion and know that we, as people, are not always right. This includes you.

J.T

I am totally uncaring about whether the story i read is slash or het or unpaired or whatever. The point is is that they story is good, it doesn’t make any difference what the pairings are. And i have to say that I have learnt a hell of a lot from reading slash fanfiction, i am no longer clueless lol.

I would just like to know how you people who criticize slash know so much about it. I take it that you once or twice accidentally stumbled upon it, okay, but why don´t you avoid it, then? Why do you read it? Do tell me that all of you just read it so that you can moralize the slash readers … or are you all psychologists or something like that?
I have read a lot of slash and non-slash stories myself, good and bad, but I must say that in some cases I really learnt a lot from it.

Augusta, I agree completely.

I would like to add something. Reading slash fanfiction is not wrong by any means, but hasn’t anyone seen how it helps spread tolorance to younger kids about homosexuality as a whole? SO many of my generation (1990’s-2000), were taught that being gay was “filthy” or “wrong”, and my generation suffered for it. Those of us who were actually raised to see it as not being that way were lucky to be so taught. WHy begrudge the next generation, kids or not, the same thing? I’m not saying that the NC-17 or R rated ones are appropriate for anyone under 18, but the G-PG13 ones certianly are, and I see nothing wrong with spreading that kind of tolorance. And if you think about it, using the HP characters, characters they are already familiar with and like, its all the better. And need I remind you that said characters are in canon about 16-18 years old now. They arent the children in the movies, and even they are growing up, as is the audience. You have to understand that.

I’ve only just started writing fanfic, and I havent posted any yet, but yes they’re based on an older version of two male characters, and yes its slash, and yes I do see them as older in my mind. Thats what being a writer is, putting on paper what you see in your own mind. And if you cant see it, your audience cant either.

I’m baffled by this article. The author speaks of slash and pornography as if they are inextricable from each other, when they’re obviously separate issues entirely. If I’m not mistaken, the term slash applies to all stories that include homosexual relationships; the word pornography refers to explicit sexual material. To assume that a portrayed same-sex relationship is automatically inappropriate (or more inappropriate than a comparable heterosexual pairing) is blatantly homophobic.
And regarding the psychological mechanisms at work in slash authors (elucidated more by some of the responses than to the article itself)- I won’t venture to make any assumptions about anyone else, but I can speak for myself. I am a young, heterosexual female. I read and write Harry/Draco slash, not because the idea of male on male action particularly excites me, but because I am moved by that particular pairing. Maybe it’s the enemies thing, I don’t know. But I like Harry with Draco, just as I can’t stand for Ron to be with anyone but Hermione. Perhaps for some of us, it’s about the characters’ personalities, regardless of gender.
That being said, I’ve enjoyed some of these posts immensely, particularly the piece by Circeniko.

I’m an internet addict, I admit to that. I can safely say I’ve seen the deeper darker recesses of the world wide web, and want to point something out. Has anybody here been sent popups with naked teen girls (or boys, but that’s less common of course)? Has anybody been spammed by porn sites? In that case, you will know there is much worse than slash fanfics out there.

There is no real moral problem here, because you do not cause any discomfort to anybody else – except homophobes, who simply dislike gays for plenty of irrational reasons. Do not tell me I’m making assumptions about the basis of homophobia, because I know it. I am not female.

In my opinion writing slash is a positive thing to do; entertainment is provided, and in some cases pornography – something necessary (proven by the fact it exists) for many people.

I do not believe that we are discussing the issue of a supposed childrens book being besmirched – it is clear that certainly the more recent installments are not remotely childish, what with the issue of character deaths, a crazed terrorist murdering, insanity, torture, and so on.

No, I feel a critic’s dislike of slash comes from a traditional outlook upon life – Man marries a woman, they have children then spend the rest of their life together. This is no longer the middle ages, and a dislike of slash comes from sheer homophobia. Shame on you.

Fanfiction as a source of entertainment, has existed simply as an outlet for a budding writer – few people acheive their dreams, and many talented writers do not succeed because they didn’t try. Thus, they need somewhere to expend their creative energy. Where better, than Harry Potter? JKR has created a spectacular universe, hidden underneath the real world. Clues as to the next plot point are dotted everywhere, there are thousands of characters with a name but no face, no personality. Fanfiction gives us a chance to write the story we always wanted to, without having to create such an expansive universe.

To put the whole concept into context, a computer system runs off 0s and 1s. but one very clever person built a system out of 0s and 1s which let somebody write in understanable code, such as store, or add. Now, we can all use this language, and coding is easier. It’s exactly the same here. Somebody else builds a system, and others use it becuase its easier.

Anyway, I can’t see why JKR or Warner Bros are complaining. We keep the story warm, so to speak. It’s fanfiction which provides that bit of spark which keeps people interested. It’s worked on me; I wouldn’t have bought book 6 otherwise.

I totally disagree with the whole thing being pediophia. First of all, most Harry Potter fanfictions do exploit the Harry Potter charcaters having sex but, might I remind you, this sexual exploitation is usually done with someone their own age. Do not teenagers have the right to explore their sexuality and explore the boundaries of their hormones? Maybe you’re getting at the fact that it’s adults writing the things yet you make no comment to NC-17 dramas written by adults that include teens. Isn’t that the same thing? And besides, a lot, if not most, of the fiction is written by people almost the same age as the characters themselves. I’m 14 years old and I write and read slash and my parents think that there is nothing wrong with that and neither do thousands of parents with HP fans for kids. I highly suggest that you research your topics more thoroughly before giving your lonesome opinions on them.

Hey, I thought I’d add something here….for the original writer of this stupid 8888ing article….WHY THE HELL DID YOU WRITE ABOUT SLASHFICTION IF YOU HATE IT SO ****ING MUCH!? lool, I’m a 15 year old girl and I read AND write a LOT of slash, I have ever since I found out what sex was. I’m completely straight…attracted to males….and yet I read and write bother femmeslash and maleslash…and even Threesomes…I find nothing wrong with it. Homophobes just like to think so closeminded. If a writer has a warning and/or rating with warnings…and you don’t like slash….DON’T READ IT! DOn’t spend you oh so presious time reading stuff you hate so goddamn much! Would you rather us slashwriters/readers be screwing everything in sight? No? Didn;’t think so… That’s what we have fiction for…to rid ourselves of such wonderfull and yummy thoughts. If you say to yourself…hmm I want a blueberry muffin and go around pondering what it’d be like if you had’ve eaten a blueberry muffin…would you not catagorize slashfics as the same thing…or for that matter any story or book or essay?

And for everyone’s information…in the middle ages it was HIGHLY ACCEPTABLE FOR THRRESOMES, MALES/MALES, FEMALES/FEMALES, AND OLDER/YOUNGER REALATIONSHIPS. Most anit-slashers are also against threesomes. Who says you can only love one person or that that(those) person(s)have to be your own gender? NO one and NO thing!

God! You’d think people would begin to accept homosexuality by now? Stupidness is what it is.

As an aside, thought you ought to know:
As of today, we have more posts than Fat Girls and Feeders! Woo hoo!!

harry potter cant be rated NC17. Evendough I want it to

I believe that Harry Potter might be the grandson of that magnificent US Army officer, Col Sherman Potter of the 4077th MASH. Probably inherited some of the same homosexual tendencies too. Ever notice that the good Colonel is at his best with Radar O’reilly, Hawkeye, BJ(?),and the rest of the boys….gives one pause to wonder doesn’t it.

“Let he among us without sin be the first to condemn”

Well?

Honestly, where did all the tolerance go? Homosexuality used to be accepted in quite a few areas of the world! Like always, America ****s up everything (I’m American if anyone needs to know. Lived my whole life in NJ). I’ve been contemplating a a slash related essay for a while and now I suppoese I have no choice for myself but to write it soon. In fact, last year, I did a pursuasive speech in my English class on slash. My teacher was slightly homophobic and I was the second person to do a homosexual related topic. I talked about sex, the 85 pairings written on the back of my shirt, my originl list of 111 off the top of my head, how anti-slashers can’t just mind their own business and try to spread the hate, that sort of thing. I usually think people don’t deserve my mindless banter, but her I think this person does deserve it. And slashing the bible? Dude, only people who go to church will do that…. I happen to have gone to church, been baptized, made communion and made confirmation. And I think Jesus will forgive us and tell us we were wrong. Man, slashing the bible? I’ve done it on or twice and they don’t qualify cause it was passing thoughts!

Everyone seems to be running around in circles here, arguing about homophobia and freedom of speech and all sorts of things.

My $0.h02:
It’s peoples’ right to read and write what they wish, and others should not ridicule their personal freedoms, even if they do not agree.

Also, just a sidenote: I bet JK Rowling is a slasher at heart.

Ta.

All i have to say is that I am Christian, and I love slash. I will have to give it up eventually, but for now, I can’t. If ANYONE tries to call me a hypocrite, I will give you the curse out of a lifetime. I don’t agree with slashing the bible, because I believe that’s the ultimate disrespect. Well, anyways, I also write slash, but I haven’t written Harry Potter yet. Probably will in the near future. I just don’t honestly see what the big deal is. If you’re okay with homosexuality in real life, why are people adamant about banning fanfics with slash? I could rant for an hour about this subject, but sadly I don’t have the time, patience, nor control to do so. All I have to say is that not all slash people who love/write slash are perverted, just like people who are homosexual, or don’t mind homosexuality aren’t perverted. Oh yeah, and Cammy-Peanut Butter Oreo Cookie Girl? God says threesomes and homosexuality is wrong, but he doesn’t hate anyone who does these things. I personally hate threesomes, but not people that commit it. You said ‘who says u can’t love more than one person?’ Regular people. Technically, a threesome would be loving more than one person. Wouldn’t that be CHEATING? A woman gets mad because her boyfriend cheated on her with another woman. Isn’t that loving more than one person? I respect the fact that you can love more than one person. But the wrong part is trying to be with 2 or more people. That’s where the choice comes in. You’re in love with 2 people. Okay. Pick one. But sleeping with both of them and coinciding and loving both of them is just wrong. There’s a line that has to be drawn with people’s moral standards. I’m not yelling at you, calling you a pervert, or anything, am I? I am saying that people have different beliefs, and moral standards, and we all need to respect those people, no matter how religious you are. I know a lot of Christians who feel the way I do, and we all think that Christians that are homophobic miss the plain and simple fact that just because you don’t believe in something doesn’t mean u persecute others that partake in it. You shouldn’t hate the person, only the thing they do. I am anything but homophobic. That’s all I have to say. Anyone want to email me about the subject, my email is above.

all the comments combined are about 20 billion times longer than the article itself… And the article was written… *looks back* three years ago? And there’s still people commenting on it? Wow.
Wow.
I didn’t even read the article, I didn’t have to; it was more fun to look through and see all the silly comments. I didn’t see many people bashing slash, or maybe I just missed, dunno. Don’t know… I would’ve posted countering the article, but I think that my two cents have already been said…. mutiple times.

GOOD LORD! You people! I am a slash writer and reader and although I write on the tame side of slash fanfic a lot of people would still abuse me if they could. I am not here to argue about who writes what or what it is okay to write! Like with the prochoice/prolife debate I am not about to stand up and tell the 3 billion women on the planet that it is not okay for them to terminate a baby even though I could not have such a thing done myself.
I would meerly like to point out this. I have never written a harry potter fic and dont intend to any time soon. I do however write pacifer fics with Seth/Shane pairings. For anyone who doesn’t know Seth is fourten and Shane quite a bit older. So far I have not written anything graphic but I may… If these were actual people it would be illegal… but real people under 16 have sex all the time. The world has yet to collapse in.
Quite seriously though if you don’t like something don’t read it! I not a big fan of most het but I don’t slander it and flame it. No I just kick it to one side.
If you don’t like slash go on your merry way… no problems… But what really pisses me off is when self rightous pricks post crap like this. No I’m not going off about the ban underage stories or anything like that. That is a ralid stand point. But no you just focus on slash stories. Lolita is a widely published movie that potrays a fourteen year old girl having sex with a man over 30… I certain hope you think the director, cast and such should be locked up for making that too… along with other movies that portray underage, rape or otherwise ofensive materials. Because the only thing these are missing are Gay relationships. So when you post such a peice of trash without mentioning all the het fics out there that have characters of the opposite sex committing general not niceneses then it becomes not so much a valid complain as just another cheap shot at gay people.
BIGKISS

This is a really old article and there obviously haven’t been any comments in quite a while, but still for some reason I feel copmpelled to leave a comment. I read slash fiction. Yes, the NC-17,adult,R,”dirty” kind. That’s about the only kind of fanfic that I actually read. There’s no deep freudian subconscious reason as to why I read it (Freud was a misogynist poser anyway). It just turns me on. A lot. So there.
I’m 18 and bisexual and I have been reading slash for 4-5 years now. I like looking at, reading about, fantasizing about two, or more, guys together. And, that’s not a kink, any more than it’s a kink for guys to enjoy watching girls doing it. It’s normal. But our patriarchal, hypocritical society stigmatizes physical contact between males. We’re taught that male to male sex is the grossest thing imaginable. Now, while I can see that everyone has their own sexual preferences and can’t be into everything. But I can’t see why anyone would find m-m sexual contact repulsive, even if they’re not into it. What’s so different and terrible about it? Also, when guys go eww at the sight of a male body, they’re not really grossed out (how could they masturbate, or even look in the mirror if they found their own physique so sickening???). It’s about reasserting their straightness, their macho-maleness. It’s about being full of shit. I have yet to see a straight woman disgusted by the female body. Honestly, being bi, I actually can’t quite understand how anyone could find either sex unattractive. But that has nothing to do with seeing through the machistic workings of this world, that’s just plain logic.
Women are being told what to find arousing. Straight women are expected to find f-f more arousing than m-m. Where’s the logic in that?
If a woman admits that she digs m-m, she’s labeled a sick pervert and her sexuality has to be questioned and analyzed. Even worse, she becomes an outcast. Been there, done that. So no woman will admit it(except on the Net, maybe). Women who dig it very, very much will claim to be sickened at the very mention of m-m. It gets so absurd that some female friends of mine said they didn’t want to go see Brokeback mountain cause it would make them queasy!!! Worse, they probably believed it, given the taboo and the lack of their exposure to m-m. It’s really hard for me to grasp the concept of straight or bi women not turned on by any aspect of male to male contact, let alone disgusted by it.
That said, all slash is not about porn. I don’t divide fanfics into slash and het, but into romance and “porn”. Slash and het romance fanfics are much more similar to each other than to slash or het “porn”.Romance is romance. Sex is sex. If I wrote fanfics, I’d never rate them for being slash. My only criteria would be the porniness of the fics, anything else is just homophobia. There’s nothing abnormal, disgusting or shocking, in being attracted to the same sex.
Rape, incest, bestiality, pedophilia etc. don’t turn me on. Just the opposite, I’m freaked out by them.
(What exactly qualifies as a rape-fic. One where it’s a plot element, or one where it’s supposed to be porn? There’s a world of difference.)
I find incest, rape, bestiality and pedophilia sick, so I steer well away from such fics. There are always warnings. Consensual BDSM is up to anyone’s choice. Personally, I’m not into any kind of dominance or submissiveness, but BDSM can’t be listed together with rape, incest and pedophilia. If BDSM is someone’s cup of tea, good for them.
Also, none of these are any more typical of slash than het.
Parents could get filters for their kids, bu what would be the point of that. That’s just smothering sexuality. Sexuality’s healthy. Your kids are gonna find “dirty” stuff no matter what you do. Or they’ll fantasize about it. Filters are just counter-effective.
So, everyone who wants to read fanfics, should read what they like. There are far worse things out there that nobody complains about.

I’m off to read some NC-17 slash…

I have not read most of the above posts but I shall say one thing:

The message of a piece of art is not the most important thing. I enjoy Assyrian reliefs that glorify war – is that such a bad thing? Fanfiction is mainly a social activity of sharing ideas with others, not about one’s own individual pleasures. It is about contribution to the community and participation within it, not the consumption of something for hedonism. Fanfiction writers and readers like the pairings for the relationship, not any meaningless lust. So, in the end, I say, “how DARE YOU call it perverted porn?”

See http://somnambuling.livejournal.com/12640.html#cutid1

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