#unfortunately this fear has basis in homophobia as it gatekeeps queer expression and enables the censorship of queerness in storytelling

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

Tumblr is the queering the text website and queer interpretation of media is expected here (and honestly a nice reprieve from the hostile homophobia getting bolder in the mainstream). However, I've been seeing a common knee-jerk reaction circulating and wanted to offer a rebuttal:

The Crisis of Male Friendship

#cauthor #queering the text is not a unique literary activity #and these fears for male friendship come up time and again #unfortunately this fear has basis in homophobia as it gatekeeps queer expression and enables the censorship of queerness in storytelling #it is also never a interpretation that's ever realised #how many shipped male friends have canonically gotten together romantically? #how many canonical male friendships are just so from beginning to end #a few successfully being realised as romance is not going to break male friendship within stories #which are the majority of relationships in storytelling btw #that and male/female romance #telling queer individuals to stop shipping the homoerotic friendship for the sanctity of bros being bros is not in any way subversive #it is a regressive argument repackaged as progressive #a little like the no kink at pride arguments #wheel of time