#if not more?

[not-poignant]

Pia! I need some advice. There's a writer on ao3 whose fics I really like (well, 'love' would probably be a better word) but I've just found out they are a TERF 😭

I had no idea because they don't post anything personal or political on their main tumblr and they don't write fics that reflect these views but I found their side blog and its full of terf and redfem stuff

Now I'm feeling guilty for enjoying their work and also sad because a part of me just wants to keep reading their works despite this because they really are a good writer and have kept their personal views out of their stories but...... UGGHHHHH TERF 😭😭😭

What should I do? Should I stop reading? Should I block them? Or should I separate the artist from the art and just enjoy the fics?

I am not cis btw so I feel really selfish for just wanting to ignore that stuff and keep reading.

Hi anon,

I'm sorry you've found yourself in this situation. There's no point feeling guilty about something that you could never have possibly known until this moment, though I understand that the guilt still happens, it's not like you can be expected to know this stuff when you're just trying to enjoy fics on the internet, y'know? The main thing is you know now. Guilt is a good feeling for getting us to stop and pay attention, and now you're doing that.

As for what happens next, I can't really answer this for you, but I can talk around a few points which might be worth considering re: continuing to read the fic/s or not.

Separating the 'artist from the art' is almost always hugely misinterpreted, and it often doesn't mean 'pretend the artist doesn't matter so I can keep enjoying their content.' Ultimately you have to decide for yourself what you will or won't accept, and that will be down to your personal ethics or values, and how you express those ethics or values.

If my favourite fanfic author was suddenly revealed to be a TERF (unlikely as they're trans, but y'know, it could happen), I personally couldn't enjoy their writing anymore. I wouldn't be able to escape into their stories or characters, knowing the person who wrote this thing I love doesn't believe in my right to exist as I am, and wants to constantly debate my human rights. I can't suspend my disbelief that much.

But then, on the other hand, I can still watch the films of Harvey Weinstein, a horrible fucking human being and scum on earth, and justify this by knowing that many of the people who made that film are not horrible fucking human beings and he is not the only person to consider. Some people would disagree with my choice. Others will understand.

That's me, but everyone is different on matters like that, and so then it comes down to how you show support. If you continue to read this author but never give them a platform, never like their fic, comment on the chapters, interact with them in any way, rec it to another person (not without 'you should also know they're a rabid transphobe'), be a 'silent consumer' etc. and consider this the way that you demonstrate that you don't support this person's beliefs/views, that's also valid. You still express your values by lending nothing to this person that they can then benefit from. This is how some trans people still consume the works of JKR - making sure she never sees a single cent or benefit under the proud flag of piracy - for example. There are going to be other trans people who disapprove of this, or don't like this, who even make good arguments against it, and tbh, I'm on the fence about it myself, I can just understand why people come to this place with it.

Some of those expressions of our values can be problematic - paying for the work of someone who is transphobic (which you're obviously not doing in the case of fic) directly benefits a transphobe who is publicly transphobic. That's just...straight up harmful. That doesn't really express your values. In fact it may express opposite values. Reccing the fics of this author for example, knowing other trans readers might find the side blog one day and feel deeply wounded and betrayed, expresses opposite values - this would be problematic.

You might be someone who sends them a message anonymously or similar, to let them know that their views are hurtful/hateful and ask how they feel knowing that trans people are reading their stories, and see if they respond to you. Maybe they've never thought about it before. But you don't owe them that kind of labour. You may also want to consider naming/shaming them, to at least do fellow folks in your community the courtesy of avoiding a transphobe. The fact that you've gone out of your way to protect their identity even in this anon, is not something you owe them.

There are going to be different ways you make peace with this situation anon, and don't be surprised if they change over time, depending on how you feel about it. People can only tell you what they would do based on their values, and you must sit down with your own values and decide which actions support your values, and which go against them. We don't all express these things in exactly the same way. As long as you're not expressing harmful or opposite values, you're generally going to be okay, and there is sometimes room in that to still enjoy the fic, if that is something you're able to do.

(Please see the tags since I address this in a bit more detail - although the tl;dr there is - have you considered that instead of continuing to be entertained by the works of a transphobe, maybe if you stopped reading them, you'd find someone you liked just as much, if not more, who will replace them? Sometimes the harm we do is simply in giving our time and energy to someone who wishes we didn't exist, and is actively protesting against our existence - when we could look for others to entertain us who don't expect horrible ethical quandaries from us just to enjoy what they're creating).

(Also, for the record re: other folks reading (I kind of wish I hadn't been forced to respond to this publicly lmao and I'm still in two minds re: whether I'll keep it up), I'm also trans, so I feel like I can talk about the grey area more in this specific issue. I am not advising or advocating for example that white people actively read and engage in the fanfiction of known racists. This is very much - I am talking about this one thing, from a trans person to a trans person, about transphobia in the community and in the works of creators we might enjoy - and I very much want to stay focused on that).

#asks and answers #cw terf #cw radfem #cw transphobia #(not from OP just what we're talking about) #I will say anon #have you considered that you experimented with not reading this author for a couple of months #you might find other authors you enjoy just as much #if not more? #this won't be the last fic author whose stories you enjoy #and giving space to this author takes space away from the other authors #that you could be supporting #there's just some food for thought there #the time you spend on a bigot's creativity #can be spent elsewhere #so it's then up to you to decide how vital these stories are in your life #if they're the kind of stories that keep you from harming yourself or keep you out of the pit of the despair #keep reading them #if they're just entertaining #mmmmhhhh #there's just a lot of stuff to think about around it anon! #administrator Gwyn wants this in the queue

[sirompp]

hi. i made some images.

feel free to take them and use for whatever you may need them for. no credit required

#me tag🍭 #i might make more if anyone asks for them #EDIT: no im not lol #aro #aromantic #aroallo #alloaro #aroace #aromantic asexual #ace #asexual #<-WOWIE!! thats a lot of tags!!!

[chongoblog]

Me, after forgetting to cut the top off an onion before dicing it: “Aw dammit”

The Gordon Ramsey that lives in my head: “Don’t worry there, this mistake isn’t going to ruin anything. No need to be too hard on yourself”

Me: “Wow, that’s…not what I was expecting”

Gordon: “Of course, you ought to know by now that I don’t shout at cooks just to do so. I do it because the people in hit television show Kitchen Nightmares are putting their services out into the public and claim to be good enough to have the title of head chef. You’re just some guy in your twenties making beef stroganoff for yourself and your roommate. I’m kind of a dick, yeah, but I’m not gonna scream at you for a minor mistake like this”

Me: “Oh….well…thanks”

Gordon: “You’re welcome…cunt…”

#based on a true story #im cooking more which is super cool

[seldomsee]

I can't stop thinking about this post

#my art #dungeon meshi #delicious in dungeon #dunmeshi #people commented on the op's laios icon but imo it was more something Marcille would say

[faeriekit]

"This fic was ai generated—" Cool, so lemme block you real quick

#the ethics are whack but more importantly you didn't even want to write it?? who is it even for?? not you? not me? #you didn't even have enough interest in the premise to take a crack at it?? then who cares? #please don't populate in my search results I'm looking for things that people wrote because they liked something #ao3

[kochei0]

I turn to Ares.

Thanks to Tyler Miles Lockett who allowed me to draw inspiration from his ARES piece for page 2! Look at his etsy page it's SICK

⚔️ If you want to read some queer retelling of arturian legends have a look at my webtoon

#greek mythology #ares #athena #greek gods #dont get me wrong it aint athena slander but it sure is ares praise #on some level at least #man justly accused of bad things deserves some mid praise more at 11 #thank you romi for helping me with words though i duly noted you insisted on ares not being cautious rather than him not being careful #romi be like “i want him to care” and honestly good you should say it #also EPIC led to this and i just..... i want to draw some animatics man i just need infinite time now #my long lost love for greek myths just will never stop coming and they dont stop coming and they dont stop coming #i want some vulture design in here for ares but not sure about this one #kochei doodles

[oncorhynchus-nerka]

VERY IMPORTANT a dam in the Netherlands, the weerdsluis lock, is directly on a migratory path for spawning fish. They have a worker stationed there to open the door for the fish, but they can take a while to open it. So to keep the fish from getting preyed on by birds they installed a doorbell. Only, the fish don't have hands to ring the doorbell. If you go to their website, they have a LIVE CAMERA AND A DOORBELL that YOU RING FOR THE FISH when they're waiting, and then the dam worker opens the door for them! I can't express how obsessed I am with this. look at this shit. oh my god.

Please check on the fish doorbell once in a while :)

#self #last night i kept stimming thinking about this LOVE IS AO REAL. AUGH #i dont like damming but this is a step in the right direction AND it gets the public involved #i love that! more public interactions like this in ecology please! thats how you bring change! thats how you make ppl see the beauty in life #marine biology #ecology

[greykolla-art]

Yeah I think you’re in the right place, Al.

#grey art #fan art #hazbin hotel comic #Hazbin hotel #hazbin alastor #hazbin charlie #charlie morningstar #alastor #the radio demon #hazbin hotel fanart #fan comic #I hope Charlie and Alastor go on more walks together in season 2 #Charlie is so sweet and hopeful I love her #and Al is a gremlin

[anartificialsatellite]

The older I get the more I admire people who are earnestly, genuinely into whatever their thing is. I know it sounds like an annoying cliche but unless you're being cruel or hurtful there is really no need to be normal about things. The dude with the bad fake accent at the renaissance faire is having the time of his life. The people having photoshoots with their fashion dolls are loving it. The old lady with a yard unreasonably full of tacky ass lawn ornaments is having a blast, HOA be damned.

Don't waste your time being too cool to have fun, y'know?

#it's hard sometimes not to be embarrassed when people tell you you should be and im still working on it #but life is so much more fun that way

[epicsauce]

my collection of "weird social practices that are too funny to be considered rude"

#u should add more if u have any #00

[despazito]

Telling young zoomers to "just switch to linux" is nuts some of these ipad kids have never even heard of a cmd.exe or BIOS you're throwing them to the wolves

#IM intimidated by linux #kudos if they can pick it up god knows we need more computer fundamentals literacy

[redstonedust]

yknow AI art has ruined an entire genre of painting to me, i saw one of those smooth anime-realism pieces and immidiately thought ''ugh, AI art'' until i noticed it was posted by an established deviantart user 6 years ago. like ive never been a huge fan of that genre but it looks like a pretty difficult style to master and i feel bad for the artists who specialized in anime-realism only to have their entire market jacked by people typing keywords into midjourney.

#like. yall know the exact kind of smooth shaded anime realism i mean right. #its SO prevelant in ai art to the point that i end up always end up assuming that style is ai more often than not

[fattylime]

a study i did because i realized idk how to draw environments at all LMAO

a few people have asked, so this is a now a print <3

#was gonna fill the space a lot more #but i got laaazy #i was fighting trying to make that brush in perspective #anyways impressionism is my friend #illustration #fattylime #digital art #digital illustration #art study #lime made art

[thunderon]

“long hair on guys doesn’t make them less masculine. think keanu reeves, jason momoa, danny trejo, or the guy at your local dive bar who rides a motorcycle”

*the crowd nods*

“so long hair doesn’t necessarily determine masculinity”

*the crowd, more hesitant, still nodding*

“butches can have long hair—“

*GUNSHOT*

#the tedtalk i would give if i could #if i see ‘they’re not butch because they have long hair’ one more time i will flip a table #frustrating frustrating frustrating #also this is NOT in any way a knock on my short haired butches ily #op #bestof

[etakeh]

#humans #population #Robert Evans #I am not a ZPG person necessarily #but I do like the idea of taking care of the people we have before we worry about adding more #but rich people have other priorities #Elon musk

[batfleckgifs]

BEN AFFLECK Jan 04 2024

#ben affleck #benaffleckedit #baffleckedit #affleckgifs #dilfsource #mensource #dccastedit #listen #lmao #mine. #misc: candids. #THERE'S ONE MORE